Theme
The annual National History Day® contest theme is designed to help you think of a topic from any aspect of local, regional, national, or world history. With this focus, you can begin to ask questions that your research will help you answer, including how your topic is significant in history.
2024 Contest Theme
Turning Points in History
To celebrate our 50th anniversary, NHD’s theme will be Turning Points in History. This year’s theme invites you to consider questions of time and place, cause and effect, change over time, and impact and significance.
A turning point in history is more than just an important event that happened a long time ago. It is more than a new idea or a particular action taken by an
individual. A turning point is an idea, event, or action that directly, or sometimes indirectly, causes change.
The following resources are available to start defining your topic and begin your research.
Theme Overview Video
Theme Book
Theme Book Graphic Organizer
This graphic organizer will help you to select a topic for your NHD project.
2024 Theme Topic Inspiration
Watch these taped workshops from the 2023 NHD National Contest to inspire ideas for the 2024 Turning Points in History NHD theme.
Ready to Start Your Project?
Step-by-step guide and resources for creating your National History Day project
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