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Revision as of 13:47, 23 June 2006

Portal topics: Activities; Culture; Geography; Health; History; Mathematics; Nature; People; Philosophy; Religion; Society; Technology; Random portal

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The History Portal

Library of Alexandria

History (derived from Ancient Greek ἱστορία (historía) 'inquiry; knowledge acquired by investigation') is the systematic study and documentation of the human past. History is an academic discipline which uses a narrative to describe, examine, question, and analyse past events, and investigate their patterns of cause and effect. Historians debate which narrative best explains an event, as well as the significance of different causes and effects. Historians debate the nature of history as an end in itself, and its usefulness in giving perspective on the problems of the present.

The period of events before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well as the memory, discovery, collection, organization, presentation, and interpretation of these events. Historians seek knowledge of the past using historical sources such as written documents, oral accounts or traditional oral histories, art and material artefacts, and ecological markers.

Stories common to a particular culture, but not supported by external sources (such as the tales surrounding King Arthur), are usually classified as cultural heritage or legends. History differs from myth in that it is supported by verifiable evidence. However, ancient cultural influences have helped create variant interpretations of the nature of history, which have evolved over the centuries and continue to change today. The modern study of history is wide-ranging, and includes the study of specific regions and certain topical or thematic elements of historical investigation. History is taught as a part of primary and secondary education, and the academic study of history is a major discipline in universities.

Herodotus, a 5th-century BCE Greek historian, is often considered the "father of history", as one of the first historians in the Western tradition, though he has been criticized as the "father of lies". Along with his contemporary Thucydides, he helped form the foundations for the modern study of past events and societies. Their works continue to be read today, and the gap between the culture-focused Herodotus and the military-focused Thucydides remains a point of contention or approach in modern historical writing. In East Asia a state chronicle, the Spring and Autumn Annals, was reputed to date from as early as 722 BCE, though only 2nd-century BCE texts have survived. The title "father of history" has also been attributed, in their respective societies, to Sima Qian, Ibn Khaldun, and Kenneth Dike. (Full article...)

More about History…

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Selected article

Portal:History/Featured article/December, 2024

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Selected picture

Portal:History/Featured picture/December, 2024

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Did you know...

Process

This section of the History portal uses the following layout template:

{{Portal:History/Did you know/Layout
| image =
| caption =
| text =
* ... that this ''(pictured)'' is a did you know?
* ... that this is the second did you know item?
*
*
*
*
*
* ... that this is the last did you know item?
}}

You may add a new selection to the first available numbered subpage below; to display your new selection, you must then increment the max= parameter on this page's {{Random portal component}} on the portal itself. Each selection should contain eight historically relevant and interesting did you know selections, that have been through the DYK process; in its current form its elements consist of relevant hooks from the list of most popular hooks, organized by month. Remember to avoid systematic bias; give regional and topical balance by, for instance, limiting the amount of WWII-related hooks to one or two per selection.