National History Day
National History Day (NHD) is an annual academic competition for students in grades 6-12 in the United States. It started in 1974 and has since grown to become a nationwide program that engages more than half a million students annually.
Interested in the competition?
Competition Overview
Students in grades 6 to 12
Eligibility
Varies depending on state (Massachusetts: $10/student)
Entry fee
Varies by state
Registration deadline
June 9-13, 2024
The 2024 National Contest Date
Competition Details
1. 2025 Theme
Rights & Responsibilities in History
2. Division
There are two divisions based on your grade level:
- Junior Division (grades 6 to 8)
- Senior Division (grades 9 to 12)
Note: Some affiliates sponsor NHD participation in the fourth and fifth grades.
3. Category
Students can work individually or in groups of up to five, and they can choose from a variety of project categories, including:
- Documentary (Individual and Group): A short film that uses historical footage, photographs, and interviews. Documentaries must not exceed 10 minutes in length.
- Exhibit ( Individual and Group): A display board with text, images, and artifacts that tell a story or present an argument. The size of the exhibit when displayed must be no larger than 40 inches wide, 30 inches deep, and 72 inches high.
- Paper (Individual): An essay that uses primary and secondary sources to analyze a historical event, person, or topic. Papers must be between 1500 to 2500 words, and all references and citations must be included.
- Performance (Individual and Group): A live presentation that uses drama, music, or other art forms to tell a story or make an argument. Performance must not exceed 10 minutes in length.
- Website (Individual and Group): A multimedia website that presents a historical event, person, or topic using text, images, and other media. The website must be constructed using the NHD website editor: nhd.org/nhdwebcentral
Please note that the Paper category allows individual participation only. The competition starts locally, with students competing at their school or regional level. Winners at the regional level move on to the state level, and winners at the state level move on to the national competition held annually in June at the University of Maryland, College Park.
At the national level, students present their projects to judges, who evaluate them based on historical quality, presentation clarity, and theme relevance. Winners in each category receive scholarships, prizes, and recognition.
4. Evaluation
80% Historical Quality and 20% Clarity of Presentation. Historical Quality refers to the strengths of your historical argument, research, and relationship to the theme. Clarity of Presentation refers to how well your project communicates your argument using the tools of your category. The decision of the judges is final.
5. Contest Date
For NHD China 2025:
- Registration opens at Monday, Oct. 7th, 2024.
- Registration closes at Friday, Dec. 20th, 2024.
- Websites, Papers, Documentaries, and All Written Work Due at Friday, Feb. 25th, 2025. Please go to Find Local Contest for more information.
6. Prizes
At each level of the competition, outstanding achievement is recognized through certificates, medals, trophies, special topic-related prizes, scholarships, or monetary awards.
