Explore History

The World Bank Group’s first foray into the health sector was, arguably, its most successful.

In 1958, India was threatened by a balance of payments crisis midway through its Second Five-Year Development Plan. The Indian government requested the World Bank Group to organize additional financial support. 

The World Bank has celebrated three important anniversaries in recent years. This series of exhibits focuses on Bretton Woods, the ratification of our Articles of Agreement, and the opening of the Bank.

On November 25, 2020, the World Bank Group and the international development community lost a key figure when former President James David Wolfensohn passed away.

To mark the 70th anniversary of the World Bank's first loan, the World Bank Group Archives has digitized and released the records relating to the loan.

A small number of prominent Bank-led mediation efforts in the 1950s illustrate how the World Bank extended itself beyond loans to facilitate increased development.

To mark Black History Month, World Bank Group Archivist Bertha F. Wilson has authored profiles exploring the life and contributions of three WBG staff members.

Created in 1956, IFC is a catalyst for private sector growth through its investment and the stimulation of private capital from other sources.

In the mid-1970s, the World Bank Group began to address the marginalization of women in development and developing countries. 

When the Bank began to outgrow its original location at 1818 H St., management searched for alternative accomodation. 

One facet of Mandela’s legacy for South Africa was the role he played in the World Bank Group’s reengagement in the country's economic development.

The World Bank Group Archives highlights the 19th Annual Meeting of the Bank Group, held on September 7-11, 1964, in Tokyo, Japan.

While the records of the World Bank Group primarily communicate the Bank’s institutional memory, the collegial and creative nature of the Bank employees can also shine through.