Appear,还有occur只是单纯的发生,与take place和happen不是一类的,所以着重区别的还是后者：
take place与 happen的用法
固定词组take place意为发生,举行,多指举行活动,发生某事（可指发生好事或不好的事）,happen多指发生意外事故,不幸的事.如：
（1）The opening of the play will take place tomorrow night.剧的首演式将于明晚举行.（take place不能用happen代换）
（2）The accident took place only a block from my home.事故发生地离我家只一个街区.（took place 可以用happened代换）
▲动词happen以及词组take place,break out 等只能用作不及物动词,不能用被动语态形式.如：
(1)The car accident happened last week.交通事故发生在上星期.（不能说：The car accident was happened last week.）
(2) The war broke out in October.战争于10月份爆发.（不能说：The war was broken out in October.）
注意：词组take sb.'s place 或take the place of sb./ sth.意为代替某人,某物,不可与take place混淆.如：
（1）My brother is ill,and I've come to take his place.我兄弟生病了,所以我来代替他.
（2）Plastics have taken the place of many old materials.塑料已经取代许多旧材料.