History


One of the chief reasons for study of history is that it helps us understand how things came to be the way they are. Hardly anything can be fully understood without some knowledge of its history. It does not appear to be practical to include a book-length prose account of the history of the world on this site. Instead, major important events are included and arranged in chronological order. In some respects, the selection of events included here is rather like a connect-the-dots picture of history. It is divided into arbitrary sections according to calendar dates: not because there is any great difference between century, decade, year, or day and the next, but in order to create a picture of history similar to the way a topographic map suggests a picture of the landscape.	Sapience Home Site map About Sapience Prehistory Antiquity Classical and medieval Modern Future
The divisions of history used here are: prehistory, antiquity, classical and medieval, modern, and the future. Although political history including nations, wars, and rulers is an unavoidable part of history, this site will attempt to discuss aspects such as religious, economic, and educational history, and the cultural aspects that are considered social history. Archaeology is not considered a separate subject, but its methods and findings will be included along with the more traditional history derived from written records. As more events are added, and some of the more complex and longer-lasting event are analyzed, the picture or image of history will become more detailed and complete, although for many reasons completeness is likely to remain an unreachable ideal. Dates are sometimes given as c. (circa) for about, and CE (Christian or Common Era) is used instead of A.D. At present, some dates are approximate and sources are not given. For more details on the history of a place or subject, see that place or subject.

One of the chief reasons for study of history is that it helps us understand how things came to be the way they are. Hardly anything can be fully understood without some knowledge of its history.

It does not appear to be practical to include a book-length prose account of the history of the world on this site. Instead, major important events are included and arranged in chronological order. In some respects, the selection of events included here is rather like a connect-the-dots picture of history. It is divided into arbitrary sections according to calendar dates: not because there is any great difference between century, decade, year, or day and the next, but in order to create a picture of history similar to the way a topographic map suggests a picture of the landscape.

The divisions of history used here are: prehistory, antiquity, classical and medieval, modern, and the future.

Although political history including nations, wars, and rulers is an unavoidable part of history, this site will attempt to discuss aspects such as religious, economic, and educational history, and the cultural aspects that are considered social history. Archaeology is not considered a separate subject, but its methods and findings will be included along with the more traditional history derived from written records. As more events are added, and some of the more complex and longer-lasting event are analyzed, the picture or image of history will become more detailed and complete, although for many reasons completeness is likely to remain an unreachable ideal.

Dates are sometimes given as c. (circa) for about, and CE (Christian or Common Era) is used instead of A.D. At present, some dates are approximate and sources are not given.

For more details on the history of a place or subject, see that place or subject.

Prehistory (before 5000 BC)

Few events are yet listed for prehistory. This is being divided into early prehistory (before 50,000 years ago) which covers the era before the appearance of modern man, Middle prehistory (from 40,000 years ago to 10,000 years ago) which includes modern man, the ice age and its ending, and late prehistory (from 10,000 years ago or 8000 BC to 5000 BC) which includes the origins of agriculture.

Antiquity (5000 BC - 501 BC)

No events are yet listed for the 5th millennium BC. The 4th millennium BC, also called protohistory, is noted primarily for the appearance of writing with the Sumerians and Egyptians. The 3rd millennium BC is noted for the Old kingdom of Egypt and the building of the pyramids, although other events will also be important. The 2nd millennium BC includes the origins of Israel and the spread of Indo-european speaking peoples across Europe and Asia. The early First millennium BC includes the pre-classic Greeks, the Persian empire, and several of the great founders of world religions in India and China.

Classical and Medieval (500 BC - 1500 CE)

The Early Classical period (500 BC - 1 BC) is best known for the Greeks and the Roman republic, but it also marks the rise of comparable civilizations and empires in India and China, and possibly in the Americas as well. The Late Classical period (1 CE - 500 CE) is known in Europe for the Roman Empire and its collapse in the west, the rise and spread of Christianity throughout Europe, and the spread of Buddhism in Asia. The Early Medieval period (501 CE - 1000 CE) was known as the Dark ages in western Europe, a complex and confused time of conflict and disorder, and the Byzantine empire in the East. It is also known for the rise and spread of Islam. In the Late Medieval period (1000 - 1500 CE), while the nations of Europe began to take their modern shape and struggled with a powerful medieval church, Islam advanced into Central and Southeast Asia and Mongols from east Central Asia spread terror across the continent. Europeans became aware of the east and began to explore the world.

Modern (1501 CE - present)

The 16th Century is noted as a period of exploration and discovery, as European navigators encountered the Americas and began colonization and conquest of South America, and developed sea trade routes with the nations of Asia. The 17th Century is noted for the primarily English colonization of North America and for continued intense religious warfare in Europe. The 18th Century is noted for a decline in religious warfare but an increase in European trade and colonial activity, and liberalized ideas in religion, government, economics, education, and philosophy, and the development of recognizably modern science. The 19th Century is noted for an industrial revolution in Europe, based on the large scale use of coal and steel, which included development of railroads. Science advanced substantially, with a corresponding increase secularism. Europeans, most importantly the British Empire, extended their direct political influence over much of Asia and the rest of the world in numerous colonial and imperial wars. The 20th Century is marked by the appearance of automobiles, aircraft, radio communication, and a shift in technology to use of petroleum and electricity. There was a rise in large, multinational corporations. Marxist Communism became influential but later declined. The influence of Europe in general and the British empire in particular declined, while the United States rose to world supremacy following two world wars, and Asiatic peoples and African peoples, which had adopted many European institutions and industry, began to reassert themselves. Current events, including those of the early 21st century, are also included here.

Future

In general, the future is unknown. The near future is somewhat predictable based on scheduling and plans of the dominant institutions in societies, but there is always some degree of uncertainty involved. The middle future is less predictable and far more speculative, since events of great significance can go unnoticed at the time they occur. The far future is almost entirely speculative.


Knowledge of other subjects is also highly useful in historical research and study. Sociology The most useful aid to the study of history is the examination of peoples of the world, communities, and social structure and change. More than anything else, these give weight and substance to history. Institutions The institutions of society have shaped both history and its study. Religion has been important. Government is the most commonly studied aspect of history. Economic institutions and educational institutions can be considered. Families have been fundamental since prehistoric times. Culture Cultre has has shaped both the the development of history and its study. Behavioral culture such as events, recration and entertainment, occupations, and customs has been important. Conceptual culture including such things as philosophy, applied science (which further includes such things as calendar systems), mathematics, literature, graphics arts, and language is essential. Material culture with various artifacts, communication and transportation technology, clothings, foodstufs, buildings, and industrial technology has also shaped history. Anthropology Particular groups will be examined in more detail as the site expands. There is also little point in duplicating the entire list of societies here. Those that are useful in examining world history include: World History Association Human geography is the basis for historical geography. European geography including the Balkan peninsula, Northern Europe, the Italian peninsula, Iberia, Island Europe, Central Europe, Eastern Europe and Scandinavia is extremely valuable. Asian geography including Southwest Asia, specifically the Near East, Arabia, Asia Minor, Transcaucasus, and Iranian highlands, and extending to South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia, Central Asia, and North Asia will be valuable. African geography including North African geography, Eastern Africa, Western Africa, North Central Africa, South Central Africa, and Southern Africa will be an important part of it. North American geography including Northern North America, Middle North American geography, and Southern North America will also be important. South American and Oceanic geography will also be useful. Human ecology, including influence of man on the environment, relationships with other life, and environmental effects on man is also significant. Physical anthropology including human dispersion, racial variation, and human origins will also be important in history. Demography Population change is potentially a useful tool in some historical studies. Population structure is important. Total world population has reached approximately 6.7 billion people (as of Sept 2007). Morbidity and mortality, migration, and birth and fertility are also connected. The development of social foundations including social control, and group types may be useful in sufficiently detailed analysis of history. Social presentation is at a very basic level. Social interaction can be examined. Social group behavior can be considered.	Links to other sites HistoryWiz Home Information is organized by periods and regions. WWW-VL World History Index and History Central Catalog Information is organized by regions, periods, topics, and methods. World History: Hyperhistory Roughly organized by period. World History: Frank Smitha Organized by period. Infoplease World History Information is organized by period World History-FactMonster.com Information organized by periods History Central The Major Events in World History Information is organized by periods History of the World - Wikipedia Roughly organized by period. Timelines of HistoryHas detailed, day-to-day information on events in recent history. World History Compass has not been updated since 2001 but still has useful information. Mostly organized by region. World History Archives Organized by region. History: Academic InfoMostly organized by region and topic HistoryWorld Information is organized by region and topic. Worldhistory.com Does not have an outline, but instead a searchable database of geo-coded historical events. World History Matters An advanced educational site. Education World History CenterEducation oriented site. Miscellaneous topics. ALA Great Web sites for Kids - World History Education oriented site. Miscellaneous topics. Best of History Web Sites
Personal studies History is most closely linked to biography. Since every person has a place in history, there is little point in duplicating the biography list here. Prominent historians may be mentioned. Psychology is mostly indirectly connected to history. social psychology, personality, mental disorders, development psychology, behavioral patterns, and mind have a mostly indirect relationship to history. Behavioral elements such as sensation, perception, and motor activity can possibly be connected to history. The human body has an indirect relationship to history. Form and appearance seems to be minimally important. Life cycle is somewhat significant. Disease is fairly important in human history. Body functions can be connected. Body systems including structural, vital, reproductive, and control systems are especially useful in prehistory.
Science Biology is indirectly useful. Biohistory is somewhat useful. Precambrian life, Paleozoic life, and Mesozoic life are only indirectly connected. Cenozoic life is more useful, and there are connections with Pliocene, Pleistocene, and Holocene epochs. Some historical events are linked to ecology, including behavioral ecology, population ecology, community ecology, system ecology, evolution, ecosystems including aquatic ecosystems and terrestrial ecosystems, and biogeography including oceanic biogeography and terrestrial biogeography. Systematics including microbes, protists, plants, and fungi can be considered. Animals such as sponges and jellyfish, protostomes and deuterostomes, fish and tetrapods may be referred to in history. Biology of organisms may help organize historical information. Cell biology and molecular biology seem to be only indirectly useful. Earth science is also useful. Most of earth history, including the Precambrian era, Paleozoic era, and Mesozoic era is only weakly and indirectly useful. All human history has take place in the Cenozoic era. Events of the Pliocene epoch are obscure, but the ice ages of the Pleistocene epoch are related to history. All recorded human history is confined to the Holocene epoch Physical geography including mapping, oceanic geography, and terrestrial geography can also be indirectly connected. Atmospheric science is also useful. Atmospheric structure is of little direct concern, but meteorpology including the weather with storms and climatology are important in history. Hydrospheric science is somewhat useful. Oceanography has become more important in recent history, and glaciology was more important in prehistory than today, but studies of freshwater including floods and the like and groundwater are also important. Geology is mostly indirectly useful. Mineralogy and Petrology are not directly useful, but landforms and events such as volcanic eruptions and earthquakes are. Geologic history is rather indirectly useful. Astronomical events may be considered. The focus in this section is more on human history than the so-called "big history" of the universe, which is considered under cosmology. Galactic astronomy is far removed from human events and is not immediately useful. Stellar astronomy is a little less useful. The Interstellar medium is mostly invisible to most people, but the visible stars, star clusters, and astrocartography can be connected. Events of solar system astronomy are also sometimes helpful in history. The sun occupies a place in the background of history. Planetary systems and related events such as eclipses can be identified, although it may be difficult to distinguish the inner planets from the outer planets. Minor bodies and passages of comets are also sometimes helpful in history. Solar system history is of limited use. Chemistry and physics are not immediately useful to history.

Knowledge of other subjects is also highly useful in historical research and study.

Sociology

The most useful aid to the study of history is the examination of peoples of the world, communities, and social structure and change. More than anything else, these give weight and substance to history.

Institutions

The institutions of society have shaped both history and its study. Religion has been important. Government is the most commonly studied aspect of history. Economic institutions and educational institutions can be considered. Families have been fundamental since prehistoric times.

Culture

Cultre has has shaped both the the development of history and its study. Behavioral culture such as events, recration and entertainment, occupations, and customs has been important. Conceptual culture including such things as philosophy, applied science (which further includes such things as calendar systems), mathematics, literature, graphics arts, and language is essential. Material culture with various artifacts, communication and transportation technology, clothings, foodstufs, buildings, and industrial technology has also shaped history.

Anthropology

Particular groups will be examined in more detail as the site expands. There is also little point in duplicating the entire list of societies here. Those that are useful in examining world history include:

World History Association

Human geography is the basis for historical geography. European geography including the Balkan peninsula, Northern Europe, the Italian peninsula, Iberia, Island Europe, Central Europe, Eastern Europe and Scandinavia is extremely valuable. Asian geography including Southwest Asia, specifically the Near East, Arabia, Asia Minor, Transcaucasus, and Iranian highlands, and extending to South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia, Central Asia, and North Asia will be valuable. African geography including North African geography, Eastern Africa, Western Africa, North Central Africa, South Central Africa, and Southern Africa will be an important part of it. North American geography including Northern North America, Middle North American geography, and Southern North America will also be important. South American and Oceanic geography will also be useful.

Human ecology, including influence of man on the environment, relationships with other life, and environmental effects on man is also significant.

Physical anthropology including human dispersion, racial variation, and human origins will also be important in history.

Demography Population change is potentially a useful tool in some historical studies. Population structure is important. Total world population has reached approximately 6.7 billion people (as of Sept 2007). Morbidity and mortality, migration, and birth and fertility are also connected.

The development of social foundations including social control, and group types may be useful in sufficiently detailed analysis of history. Social presentation is at a very basic level. Social interaction can be examined. Social group behavior can be considered.

Links to other sites
HistoryWiz Home Information is organized by periods and regions.
WWW-VL World History Index and History Central Catalog Information is organized by regions, periods, topics, and methods.
World History: Hyperhistory Roughly organized by period.
World History: Frank Smitha Organized by period.
Infoplease World History Information is organized by period
World History-FactMonster.com Information organized by periods
History Central The Major Events in World History Information is organized by periods
History of the World - Wikipedia Roughly organized by period.
Timelines of HistoryHas detailed, day-to-day information on events in recent history.
World History Compass has not been updated since 2001 but still has useful information. Mostly organized by region.
World History Archives Organized by region.
History: Academic InfoMostly organized by region and topic
HistoryWorld Information is organized by region and topic.
Worldhistory.com Does not have an outline, but instead a searchable database of geo-coded historical events.
World History Matters An advanced educational site.
Education World History CenterEducation oriented site. Miscellaneous topics.
ALA Great Web sites for Kids - World History Education oriented site. Miscellaneous topics.
Best of History Web Sites

Personal studies

History is most closely linked to biography. Since every person has a place in history, there is little point in duplicating the biography list here. Prominent historians may be mentioned.

Psychology is mostly indirectly connected to history. social psychology, personality, mental disorders, development psychology, behavioral patterns, and mind have a mostly indirect relationship to history. Behavioral elements such as sensation, perception, and motor activity can possibly be connected to history.

The human body has an indirect relationship to history. Form and appearance seems to be minimally important. Life cycle is somewhat significant. Disease is fairly important in human history. Body functions can be connected. Body systems including structural, vital, reproductive, and control systems are especially useful in prehistory.

Science

Biology is indirectly useful. Biohistory is somewhat useful. Precambrian life, Paleozoic life, and Mesozoic life are only indirectly connected. Cenozoic life is more useful, and there are connections with Pliocene, Pleistocene, and Holocene epochs. Some historical events are linked to ecology, including behavioral ecology, population ecology, community ecology, system ecology, evolution, ecosystems including aquatic ecosystems and terrestrial ecosystems, and biogeography including oceanic biogeography and terrestrial biogeography. Systematics including microbes, protists, plants, and fungi can be considered. Animals such as sponges and jellyfish, protostomes and deuterostomes, fish and tetrapods may be referred to in history. Biology of organisms may help organize historical information. Cell biology and molecular biology seem to be only indirectly useful.

Earth science is also useful. Most of earth history, including the Precambrian era, Paleozoic era, and Mesozoic era is only weakly and indirectly useful. All human history has take place in the Cenozoic era. Events of the Pliocene epoch are obscure, but the ice ages of the Pleistocene epoch are related to history. All recorded human history is confined to the Holocene epoch Physical geography including mapping, oceanic geography, and terrestrial geography can also be indirectly connected. Atmospheric science is also useful. Atmospheric structure is of little direct concern, but meteorpology including the weather with storms and climatology are important in history. Hydrospheric science is somewhat useful. Oceanography has become more important in recent history, and glaciology was more important in prehistory than today, but studies of freshwater including floods and the like and groundwater are also important. Geology is mostly indirectly useful. Mineralogy and Petrology are not directly useful, but landforms and events such as volcanic eruptions and earthquakes are. Geologic history is rather indirectly useful.

Astronomical events may be considered. The focus in this section is more on human history than the so-called "big history" of the universe, which is considered under cosmology. Galactic astronomy is far removed from human events and is not immediately useful. Stellar astronomy is a little less useful. The Interstellar medium is mostly invisible to most people, but the visible stars, star clusters, and astrocartography can be connected. Events of solar system astronomy are also sometimes helpful in history. The sun occupies a place in the background of history. Planetary systems and related events such as eclipses can be identified, although it may be difficult to distinguish the inner planets from the outer planets. Minor bodies and passages of comets are also sometimes helpful in history. Solar system history is of limited use. Chemistry and physics are not immediately useful to history.

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