Department of History

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was the top American philanthropist in 2020, giving away $10.1 billion to nonprofit efforts associated with climate change and education, according to a ranking released this week by The Chronicle of Philanthropy. MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Bezos, ranked second on the list with donations to a wide array of non-profits that totaled $5.7 billion. The UW's Ed Lazowska, professor of computer science and engineering, and Margaret O'Mara, professor of history, are quoted.

“If history is any guide, the next act of Jeff Bezos, the man who turned a crazy-at-the-time idea to sell books over the internet into a $1.67 trillion behemoth, could be more consequential than the last,” writes Margaret O'Mara, professor of history at the UW.

Devin Naar, professor of history and Jewish studies, Melia Watras, professor of music, and Ted Poor, assistant professor of drums, have all received honors for their work recently.

This week at the UW, attend a book launch for "Union by Law," the Critical Issues Lecture Series, and more.

Students share their experience with the ART 496 museum guide program, a year-long paid internship at the Henry Art Gallery.

As is the case around the world, COVID-19 has had a particularly devastating impact on Kenya's women and girls. Domestic violence is on the upswing, teenage pregnancy rates are rising, early child marriage is increasing, and now, the ripple effects of the pandemic are causing a resurgence in female circumcision. Lynn Thomas, professor of history at the UW, is quoted.

This week at the UW, attend virtual Meany on Screen events, a lecture in the History Lecture Series, and more.

This week at the UW, attend the History Lecture Series, Meany On Screen events, and more.

President Joe Biden acknowledged the “uncivil war” festering in the United States in his first address Wednesday, but did so in a way that largely avoided the pessimism of his predecessor’s “American carnage.” That was the assessment of political scientists, former speech writers, language and history experts who took in Biden’s speech. Margaret O’Mara, professor of history at the UW, is quoted.

Margaret O'Mara, professor of history at the UW, joins other experts to share her thoughts on the legacy of President Trump.

This week’s move by more than 200 workers at Alphabet to form a union is being seen as an alternative framework for organizing at other Silicon Valley giants. Margaret O’Mara, professor of history at the UW, is quoted.

The ability of companies such as Facebook, Twitter and Google to control what people see online is so potent, it is the subject of antitrust hearings. But the decision by Amazon to push Parler off its dominant cloud-computing service illustrates just how powerful its content-moderation capabilities are as well. Margaret O’Mara, professor of history at the UW, is quoted.

This week at the UW, attend events to honor Martin Luther King, Jr, attend the #BurkeFromHome Trivia Night, and more.

Twitter’s decision Friday to join Facebook in permanently suspending President Trump’s account underscored the fundamental role of social media in one of the most tumultuous periods in American history. If it feels strange and unusual, that’s because there’s no historical precedent, neither in media nor the presidency. Margaret O’Mara, professor of history at the UW, is interviewed on the GeekWire podcast.

A politically charged mob, egged on by the sitting president, overran the U.S. Capitol and brought democracy to a halt. Members of our state's congressional delegation shares their experiences. Margaret O'Mara, professor of history at the UW, is interviewed.