The impact of WWI is still being felt today — yes, even in your day-to-day life, but do you know how? You might not know that the current conflicts in the Middle East can be traced back to WWI, or that the Code Talkers actually originated in WWI and not WWII. You might not know that the peanut butter you snack on also has roots in WWI. The National WWI Museum and Memorial aims to change all of that with a reimagined and rebooted website, providing engaging, interactive content and an opportunity to dive deeper into World War I history than was possible before.
Digital technology plays a key role as the Museum and Memorial works to reach a global audience. Varied technological mediums lead the way — video, searchable databases, GIFs and even interactive cookbooks allow users to engage with World War I outside of textbooks, and the new website is key to accessing it all. Head over to theworldwar.org and explore these new features for yourself:
About WWI Resources — Instead of being hidden behind forests of link trees, articles, videos and collection spotlights are now searchable by keyword, category and medium.
Interactive timeline — How long did World War I last? Who fought whom? Journey through the story of the Great War with our rebuilt and refreshed Interactive WWI Timeline, covering the world events of 1914-1920.
Interactive map — This brand-new interactive map lets you look at every country and territory on the globe and how they were involved in the Great War — Allied Powers, Central Powers, neutral or “it’s complicated.”
Video Library — Watch hours of everything from educational videos to past programs without ever navigating away from the website.
New Online Collections Database — The online collections database allows you to search the digital records of the global collection that began in 1920. While it is the official World War I museum of the United States, the Museum and Memorial uses its collection to tell more than just the American story. All belligerent nations involved are represented, not only with stories from the battlefield but from the home front as well.
Collections Spotlights — Want to learn more? Collections Spotlights focus on specific objects from the collection to help tell the story of the war that changed everything.
Don’t know what you’re looking for? Navigate to the “What’s Online” section on the homepage and scroll until you see something you’d like to explore.
Lastly, hop over to GIPHY.com/NationalWWIMuseum and check out the lighter side of the times. See what life was like behind the scenes: dancing, animals, food, music and more captured in three-second clips that are fully shareable and perfect as old-timey reaction GIFs from the largest WWI GIF collection in the world.
–National WWI Museum and Memorial
