Portal:History

The History Portal Herodotus (c. 484 BC – c. 425 BC) is often considered the "father of history" History (from Greek ἱστορία, historia, meaning "inquiry; knowledge acquired by investigation") is the study of the past. Events occurring before the invention of writing systems are considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term that relates to past events as well as the memory, discovery, collection, organization, presentation, and interpretation of information about these events. Historians place the past in context using historical sources such as written documents, oral accounts, ecological markers, and material objects including art and artifacts. History also includes the academic discipline which uses narrative to describe, examine, question, and analyze a sequence of past events, investigate the patterns of cause and effect that are related to them. Historians seek to understand and represent the past through narratives. They often debate which narrative best explains an event, as well as the significance of different causes and effects. Historians also debate the nature of history and its usefulness by discussing the study of the discipline as an end in itself and as a way of providing "perspective" on the problems of the present. 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 evidence. However, ancient influences have helped spawn 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 the study of certain topical or thematic elements of historical investigation. History is often taught as part of primary and secondary education, and the academic study of history is a major discipline in university studies. Herodotus, a 5th-century BC Greek historian is often considered (within the Western tradition) to be the "father of history," or, by some, the "father of lies." Along with his contemporary Thucydides, he helped form the foundations for the modern study of human history. 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 known to be compiled from as early as 722 BC although only 2nd-century BC texts have survived. Featured article - This is a Featured article, which represents some of the best content on English Wikipedia.. The Hoysala Empire was a Kannadiga power originating from the Indian subcontinent that ruled most of what is now Karnataka, India between the 10th and the 14th centuries. The capital of the Hoysalas was initially located at Belur but was later moved to Halebidu. The Hoysala rulers were originally from Malenadu, an elevated region in the Western Ghats. In the 12th century, taking advantage of the internecine warfare between the Western Chalukya Empire and Kalachuris of Kalyani, they annexed areas of present-day Karnataka and the fertile areas north of the Kaveri delta in present-day Tamil Nadu. By the 13th century, they governed most of Karnataka, minor parts of Tamil Nadu and parts of western Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in the Deccan Plateau. Read more... 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The Khokhois had settled the region in the 5th century AD, and when Europeans first arrived there in 1652, they were still practicing traditional pastoral agriculture. Here, they are dismantling their huts in preparation for moving to more fertile grazing grounds. Did you know... ... that the anti-religious campaign culminating in the Stalinist show trial of the Kraków Curia (pictured) led to the imprisonment of 123 Polish Roman Catholic priests in just one year? ... that Confederate brigadier general Alfred E. Jackson was pardoned by President Andrew Johnson because of his kindness toward Johnson's family during the Civil War? ... that after HMS Porcupine was nearly split in two by a torpedo, the halves were nicknamed HMS Pork and HMS Pine? ... that the Experiment was a boat powered by horses running on a treadmill and propelled by a then-novel type of screw propeller? ... that one of the highest-ranking generals in China was injured in battle nine times? ... that in Mesopotamian mythology, the Apkallu were sent by the god Enki, from Dilmun to teach human beings various aspects of civilization? ... that Karl Marx's theory of historical trajectory attempted to prove the long-term unsustainability of capitalism? ... that in November 1921, the schooner Cymric collided with a tram in Dublin? Featured biography - This is a Featured article, which represents some of the best content on English Wikipedia.. Bust of Shen at the Beijing Ancient Observatory Shen Kuo (Chinese: 沈括; 1031–1095) or Shen Gua, courtesy name Cunzhong (存中) and pseudonym Mengqi (now usually given as Mengxi) Weng (夢溪翁), was a Chinese polymathic scientist and statesman of the Song dynasty (960–1279). Excelling in many fields of study and statecraft, he was a mathematician, astronomer, meteorologist, geologist, entomologist, anatomist, climatologist, zoologist, botanist, pharmacologist, medical scientist, agronomist, archaeologist, ethnographer, cartographer, geographer, geophysicist, mineralogist, encyclopedist, military general, diplomat, hydraulic engineer, inventor, economist, academy chancellor, finance minister, governmental state inspector, philosopher, art critic, poet, and musician. He was the head official for the Bureau of Astronomy in the Song court, as well as an Assistant Minister of Imperial Hospitality. At court his political allegiance was to the Reformist faction known as the New Policies Group, headed by Chancellor Wang Anshi (1021–1085). In his Dream Pool Essays or Dream Torrent Essays (夢溪筆談; Mengxi Bitan) of 1088, Shen was the first to describe the magnetic needle compass, which would be used for navigation (first described in Europe by Alexander Neckam in 1187). Shen discovered the concept of true north in terms of magnetic declination towards the north pole, with experimentation of suspended magnetic needles and "the improved meridian determined by Shen's [astronomical] measurement of the distance between the pole star and true north". This was the decisive step in human history to make compasses more useful for navigation, and may have been a concept unknown in Europe for another four hundred years (evidence of German sundials made circa 1450 show markings similar to Chinese geomancer compasses in regard to declination). Read more... List of featured biographies Alcibiades Blackbeard Ramón Emeterio Betances Harriet Arbuthnot Samuel Adams Nikita Zotov Pedro Álvares Cabral Isaac Brock Joel Brand Daniel Boone Phan Đình Phùng Jack Sheppard Witold Pilecki Wail al-Shehri John Treloar (museum administrator) Pericles George W. Romney Joan of Arc Malcolm X Jovan Vladimir Cleopatra King Arthur Giovanni Villani Joan of Arc Phan Đình Phùng Malcolm X Ramón Emeterio Betances Jean Baptiste Point du Sable Tom Crean (explorer) Fridtjof Nansen Thomas the Slav Jean-François-Marie de Surville Hasekura Tsunenaga Harriet Tubman On this day October 18: Twin Holy Birthdays begin (Baháʼí Faith, 2020); Feast day of Saint Luke (Christianity); Alaska Day (1867); Independence Day in Azerbaijan (1991) Regency TR-1 radio 320 – Pappus of Alexandria, one of the last great Greek mathematicians of antiquity, observed an eclipse that allowed historians to calculate the approximate dates of his life. 1356 – The most significant earthquake to have occurred in Central Europe in recorded history destroyed Basel, Switzerland. 1954 – The first commercial transistor radio, the Regency TR-1 (pictured), was introduced in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. 1967 – The Soviet space probe Venera 4 became the first spacecraft to perform direct in situ analysis of the environment of another planet (Venus). Baldassare Galuppi (b. 1706) Mehmet Esat Bülkat (b. 1862) Bess Truman (d. 1982) More anniversaries: October 17 October 18 October 19 Selected quote Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration. — Thomas Edison, scientist and inventor Subportals Ancient Egypt Ancient Greece Ancient Rome Middle Ages Anglo-Saxon England British Empire History of science Countries War Modern history General images The following are images from various History-related articles on Wikipedia. Waldseemüller map with joint sheets, 1507 Eugène Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People (1830). The French Revolution inspired a wave of revolutions across Europe. Liberalism and Nationalism were popular ideas that challenged Absolute Monarchies in the 19th century. Spices were among the most luxurious products, the most common being black pepper, cinnamon (and the cheaper alternative cassia), cumin, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. Cishou Temple Pagoda, built in 1576: the Chinese believed that building pagodas on certain sites according to geomantic principles brought about auspicious events; merchant-funding for such projects was needed by the late Ming period. Roman Empire 117 AD. The Senatorial provinces were acquired first under the Roman Republic and were under the Roman Senate's control; the Imperial provinces were controlled directly by the Roman emperor. Largest expansion of Kingdom of Armenia under Tigranes the Great Model for the Three Superior Planets and Venus from Georg von Peuerbach, Theoricae novae planetarum. A late Roman sculpture depicting the four Tetrarchs, now in Venice, Italy Guy of Boulogne crowning Pope Gregory XI in a 15th-century miniature from Froissart's Chroniques The Great Wave off Kanagawa, c. 1830 by Hokusai, an example of art flourishing in the Edo Period Clerics studying astronomy and geometry, French, early 15th century A medieval scholar making precise measurements in a 14th-century manuscript illustration A mosaic showing Justinian with the bishop of Ravenna (Italy), bodyguards, and courtiers. Byzantine Empire in 1265 The Mughal ambassador Khan’Alam in 1618 negotiating with Shah Abbas the Great of Iran. Pharaohs of Nubia Bronze Mirror, from the Yayoi period of Japan India – Indus Valley Civilization Gutenberg reviewing a press proof (a colored engraving created probably in the 19th century) Europe and the Mediterranean Sea in 1190 Map of the approximate political boundaries in Europe around 450 AD A possible representation of a "yogi" or "proto-Shiva", 2600–1900 BCE Map of the Islamic Gunpowders, the Mughal Empire being the orange one. The Bayeux Tapestry (detail) showing William the Conqueror (centre), his half-brothers Robert, Count of Mortain (right) and Odo, Bishop of Bayeux in the Duchy of Normandy (left) A painting depecting the Qing Chinese celebrating a victory over the Kingdom of Tungning in Taiwan. This work was a collaboration between Chinese and European painters. Europe in 814 Gold stag with eagle's head, and ten further heads in the antlers. From a Xiongnu tomb. 4th–3rd century BC Cossacks became the backbone of the early Russian Army. Robert Clive and Mir Jafar after the Battle of Plassey, 1757 by Francis Hayman The Parthenon on the Athenian Acropolis, built of marble and limestone between circa 460-406 BC, is a symbol not just of Ancient Greek architecture, but for Antiquity in general Ottoman Empire 1481–1683 Ferdinand Pauwels – Martin Luther hammers his 95 theses to the door An 11th-century illustration of Gregory the Great dictating to a secretary Joan of Arc in a 15th-century depiction Oracle bone script from the Shang Dynasty. The Age of Migrations in Europe was deeply detrimental to the late Roman Empire. A page from the Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript created in the British Isles in the late 8th or early 9th century The Cantino planisphere (1502), the oldest surviving Portuguese nautical chart showing the results of the explorations of Vasco da Gama to India, Columbus to Central America, Gaspar Corte-Real to Newfoundland and Pedro Álvares Cabral to Brazil. The meridian of Tordesillas, separating the Portuguese and Spanish halves of the world is also depicted Painting of Murong Xianbei archer, in Late Antiquity, nomads across Eurasia, began to use the stirrup. Horse riding warriors could be devastating in combat. The Iron Age kingdom of Israel (blue) and kingdom of Judah (yellow) A political map of the Mauryan Empire, including notable cities, such as the capital Pataliputra, and site of the Buddha's enlightenment. Francis of Assisi, depicted by Bonaventura Berlinghieri in 1235, founded the Franciscan Order. Medieval illustration of the spherical Earth in a 14th-century copy of L'Image du monde Measoamerica – Olmec Sénanque Abbey, Gordes, France Bourgeoisie takes more and more importance throughout the modern era. Andean – Norte Chico Silver, valued as a precious metal, has been used to make expensive ornaments, fine jewelry, high-value tableware and utensils (silverware), and currency coins. Khafre's Pyramid (4th dynasty) and Great Sphinx of Giza (c. 2500 BC or perhaps earlier) Krak des Chevaliers was built during the Crusades for the Knights Hospitallers. The Parthenon, a temple dedicated to Athena, located on the Acropolis in Athens Roman cast terracotta of ram-horned Jupiter Ammon, a form of Zeus 1st century AD. Gods, could sometimes be transferred or adopted by many civilizations, and then adjusted for local conditions. Agricultural calendar, c. 1470, from a manuscript of Pietro de Crescenzi February scene from the 15th-century illuminated manuscript Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry 13th-century illustration of a Jew (in pointed Jewish hat) and the Christian Petrus Alphonsi debating The Gothic interior of Laon Cathedral, France Terracotta Warriors from the time of Qin Shi Huang Charlemagne's palace chapel at Aachen, completed in 805 The Romanesque Church of Maria Laach, Germany Map of Europe in 1360 The ruins of Mesoamerican city Teotihuacan The Cross of Mathilde, a crux gemmata made for Mathilde, Abbess of Essen (973–1011), who is shown kneeling before the Virgin and Child in the enamel plaque. The figure of Christ is slightly later. Probably made in Cologne or Essen, the cross demonstrates several medieval techniques: cast figurative sculpture, filigree, enamelling, gem polishing and setting, and the reuse of Classical cameos and engraved gems. Geographical extent of Iranian influence in the 1st century BC. The Parthian Empire (mostly Western Iranian) is shown in red, other areas, dominated by Scythia (mostly Eastern Iranian), in orange. Map showing growth of Frankish power from 481 to 814 The Chinese Han Dynasty dominated the East Asia region at the beginning of the first millennium AD The Ezana Stone records negus Ezana's conversion to Christianity and conquests of his neighbors. Technical drawing of Roman Ballista mechanism. Barbarian kingdoms and tribes after the end of the Western Roman Empire The Pont du Gard, a Roman aqueduct in France. Engraved world map (including magnetic declination lines) by Leonhard Euler from his school atlas "Geographischer Atlas bestehend in 44 Land-Charten" first published 1753 in Berlin Medieval French manuscript illustration of the three classes of medieval society: those who prayed (the clergy) those who fought (the knights), and those who worked (the peasantry). The relationship between these classes was governed by feudalism and manorialism. (Li Livres dou Sante, 13th century) China – Erlitou 15th century Hanging Houses in Cuenca, Spain from the Early Renaissance, and the Early modern period. John Trumbull's Declaration of Independence, showing the Committee of Five in charge of drafting the Declaration in 1776 as it presents its work to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia Battle of Vienna, 12 September 1683 Nok sculpture of a sitted person The Persian Achaemenid Empire at its greatest extent, c. 500 BC The early Muslim conquests   Expansion under Muhammad, 622–632   Expansion during the Rashidun Caliphate, 632–661   Expansion during the Umayyad Caliphate, 661–750 Mesopotamia – Sumer Portrait of Cardinal Hugh of Saint-Cher by Tommaso da Modena, 1352, the first known depiction of spectacles Gold fueled European exploration of the Americas. Explorers reported Native Americans in Central America, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia were to have had large amounts. Egyptian soldiers from Hatshepsut's expedition to the Land of Punt as depicted from her temple at Deir el-Bahri. Execution of some of the ringleaders of the jacquerie, from a 14th-century manuscript of the Chroniques de France ou de St Denis The Territory of the Adal Sultanate and its vassal states circa 1500. 10th-century Ottonian ivory plaque depicting Christ receiving a church from Otto I World Colonization of 1492 (Early Modern World), 1550, 1660, 1754 (Age of Enlightenment), 1822 (Industrial revolution), 1885 (European Hegemony), 1914 (World War I era), 1938 (World War II era), 1959 (Cold War era) and 1974, 2008 (Recent history). A coin of the Ostrogothic leader Theoderic the Great, struck in Milan, Italy, circa AD 491–501 "If there is something you know, communicate it. If there is something you don't know, search for it." An engraving from the 1772 edition of the Encyclopédie; Truth (center) is surrounded by light and unveiled by the figures to the right, Philosophy and Reason Map of the late Bronze Age collapse, c. 1200 BC Reconstruction of an early medieval peasant village in Bavaria Overview map in the 15th century BC showing the core territory of Assyria with its two major cities Assur and Nineveh wedged between Babylonia downstream and the states of Mitanni and Hatti upstream. Standing Greek-Buddha, Gandhara, 1st century AD. 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