Portal:History

The History Portal Library of Alexandria 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.. Soviet anti-aircraft gunners on the roof of the Moskva Hotel The Battle of Moscow was a military campaign that consisted of two periods of strategically significant fighting on a 600 km (370 mi) sector of the Eastern Front during World War II. It took place between October 1941 and January 1942. The Soviet defensive effort frustrated Hitler's attack on Moscow, the capital and largest city of the Soviet Union. Moscow was one of the primary military and political objectives for Axis forces in their invasion of the Soviet Union. The German strategic offensive, named Operation Typhoon, called for two pincer offensives, one to the north of Moscow against the Kalinin Front by the 3rd and 4th Panzer Armies, simultaneously severing the Moscow–Leningrad railway, and another to the south of Moscow Oblast against the Western Front south of Tula, by the 2nd Panzer Army, while the 4th Army advanced directly towards Moscow from the west. Read more... List of featured articles Western Ganga dynasty 1689 Boston revolt Unification of Germany 1962 South Vietnamese Independence Palace bombing Last voyage of the Karluk Mormon handcart pioneers Ming–Tibet relations To the People of Texas & All Americans in the World Song dynasty Second Crusade Treaty of Devol Inaugural games of the Flavian Amphitheatre History of Poland (1945–1989) History of Minnesota Ancient Egypt Byzantine Empire Act of Independence of Lithuania Plymouth Colony South American dreadnought race Sydney Riot of 1879 Gunpowder Plot Medieval cuisine Empire of Brazil A History of the Birds of Europe Political history of Mysore and Coorg (1565–1760) Anti-tobacco movement in Nazi Germany Peasants' Revolt Mantra-Rock Dance Hoysala Empire Middle Ages Battle of Red Cliffs Manzanar Wage reform in the Soviet Union, 1956–1962 Maya civilization History of biology Parliament of 1327 Ethiopian historiography Hoysala Empire History of Gibraltar Political history of Mysore and Coorg (1565–1760) Uruguayan War Taiwanese indigenous peoples Tang dynasty Slavery in ancient Greece 1957 Canadian federal election History of Lithuania (1219–95) Mozambican War of Independence 1910 Cuba hurricane Manhattan Project History of the Australian Capital Territory Macedonia (ancient kingdom) Amundsen's South Pole expedition Scotland in the High Middle Ages Vijayanagara Empire Second Crusade Paleocene Featured image A photo of the Great Sphinx of Giza, partially excavated, from the late 19th century. The sphinx is a mythical creature with the head of a man and the body of a lion. Constructed in the Old Kingdom of Ancient Egypt during the reign of Khafra, it is the largest monolith statue and monumental sculpture in the world. Despite its prominence, very little is known about the statue; it is not even known what it was originally called, as no references survive in known Egyptian sources, sphinx being the name of a similar classical Greek creature. Did you know... ... that in 1898, the United States government annexed the Kingdom of Hawaii despite protestation from Queen Liliuokalani (pictured)? ... that Jean Thurel was a soldier in the French Régiment de Touraine for more than 75 years? ... that the severed head of Julia Martha Thomas — murdered, boiled and dismembered by her maid in 1879 — was found next door to Sir David Attenborough's house in 2010? ... that the 18th-century Indian automaton Tipu's Tiger shows a near life-size European being mauled by a tiger, and emits wails and grunts as well as containing a pipe organ? ... that Svið, a traditional Icelandic dish, consists of a sheep's head that has been cut in half, singed, and boiled with the brain removed? ... that, despite overseeing the construction of the crematoria and gas chambers at Auschwitz, what specifically shocked SS-Obersturmführer Robert Mulka at the camp was his colleagues' dress sense? ... that Tsar Alexander II of Russia had a special crystal bottle of Roederer champagne made for the Three Emperors Dinner in 1867 so that he could admire the bubbles? ... that the Gudea cylinders are the longest literary composition ever found in the Sumerian language? Featured biography - This is a Featured article, which represents some of the best content on English Wikipedia.. Fridtjof Wedel-Jarlsberg Nansen (Norwegian: [ˈfɾɪ̂tːjɔf ˈnɑ̀nsn̩]; 10 October 1861 – 13 May 1930) was a Norwegian explorer, scientist, diplomat, humanitarian and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. He led the team that made the first crossing of the Greenland interior in 1888, traversing the island on cross-country skis. He won international fame after reaching a record northern latitude of 86°14′ during his Fram expedition of 1893–1896. Although he retired from exploration after his return to Norway, his techniques of polar travel and his innovations in equipment and clothing influenced a generation of subsequent Arctic and Antarctic expeditions. Nansen studied zoology at the Royal Frederick University in Christiania and later worked as a curator at the University Museum of Bergen where his research on the central nervous system of lower marine creatures earned him a doctorate and helped establish neuron doctrine. Later, neuroscientist Santiago Ramón y Cajal won the 1906 Nobel Prize in Medicine for his research on the same subject. After 1896 his main scientific interest switched to oceanography; in the course of his research he made many scientific cruises, mainly in the North Atlantic, and contributed to the development of modern oceanographic equipment. 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 Shen Kuo Cleopatra King Arthur Giovanni Villani Joan of Arc Phan Đình Phùng Malcolm X Ramón Emeterio Betances Jean Baptiste Point du Sable Tom Crean (explorer) Thomas the Slav Jean-François-Marie de Surville Hasekura Tsunenaga Harriet Tubman On this day October 27 Michael D. Higgins 1662 – King Charles II of England sold Dunkirk to King Louis XIV of France. 1942 – World War II: The Imperial Japanese Navy achieved a Pyrrhic victory against the United States at the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands. 1967 – American Catholic priest Philip Berrigan led a protest against the Vietnam War by pouring blood over Selective Service records in Baltimore, Maryland. 1999 – Armed men led by Nairi Hunanyan attacked the National Assembly of Armenia, killing prime minister Vazgen Sargsyan, president of the National Assembly Karen Demirchyan, and six others. 2011 – Michael D. Higgins (pictured) was elected president of Ireland with far more votes than any politician in the country's history. Abulfeda (d. 1331) Rex Shelley (b. 1930) Zoya Phan (b. 1980) More anniversaries: October 26 October 27 October 28 Selected quote It is of the nature of desire not to be satisfied, and most men live only for the gratification of it. — Aristotle, 4th-century Greek philosopher 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. Ferdinand Pauwels – Martin Luther hammers his 95 theses to the door The Pont du Gard, a Roman aqueduct in France. Mesopotamia – Sumer 13th-century illustration of a Jew (in pointed Jewish hat) and the Christian Petrus Alphonsi debating Silver, valued as a precious metal, has been used to make expensive ornaments, fine jewelry, high-value tableware and utensils (silverware), and currency coins. China – Erlitou Execution of some of the ringleaders of the jacquerie, from a 14th-century manuscript of the Chroniques de France ou de St Denis A page from the Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript created in the British Isles in the late 8th or early 9th century Model for the Three Superior Planets and Venus from Georg von Peuerbach, Theoricae novae planetarum. Oracle bone script from the Shang Dynasty. A late Roman sculpture depicting the four Tetrarchs, now in Venice, Italy Portrait of Cardinal Hugh of Saint-Cher by Tommaso da Modena, 1352, the first known depiction of spectacles Gold stag with eagle's head, and ten further heads in the antlers. An object inspired by the art of the Siberian Altai mountain, possibly Pazyryk, unearthed at the site of Nalinggaotu, Shenmu County, near Xi'an, China. Possibly from the "Hun people who lived in the prairie in Northern China". Dated to the 4th-3rd century BCE, or Han Dynasty period. Shaanxi History Museum. Battle of Vienna, 12 September 1683 Map showing growth of Frankish power from 481 to 814 February scene from the 15th-century illuminated manuscript Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry Egyptian soldiers from Hatshepsut's expedition to the Land of Punt as depicted from her temple at Deir el-Bahri. The Great Wave off Kanagawa, c. 1830 by Hokusai, an example of art flourishing in the Edo Period Spices were among the most luxurious products, the most common being black pepper, cinnamon (and the cheaper alternative cassia), cumin, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. India – Indus Valley Civilization Charlemagne's palace chapel at Aachen, completed in 805 Nok sculpture of a sitted person Map of the approximate political boundaries in Europe around 450 AD 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 15th century Hanging Houses in Cuenca, Spain from the Early Renaissance, and the Early modern period. A mosaic showing Justinian with the bishop of Ravenna (Italy), bodyguards, and courtiers. The Parthenon, a temple dedicated to Athena, located on the Acropolis in Athens Cossacks became the backbone of the early Russian Army. The ruins of Mesoamerican city Teotihuacan The Romanesque Church of Maria Laach, Germany Robert Clive and Mir Jafar after the Battle of Plassey, 1757 by Francis Hayman Agricultural calendar, c. 1470, from a manuscript of Pietro de Crescenzi Gutenberg reviewing a press proof (a colored engraving created probably in the 19th century) An 11th-century illustration of Gregory the Great dictating to a secretary Byzantine Empire in 1265 Reconstruction of an early medieval peasant village in Bavaria Joan of Arc in a 15th-century depiction Guy of Boulogne crowning Pope Gregory XI in a 15th-century miniature from Froissart's Chroniques 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. 10th-century Ottonian ivory plaque depicting Christ receiving a church from Otto I Waldseemüller map with joint sheets, 1507 Pharaohs of Nubia 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 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 Measoamerica – Olmec The Age of Migrations in Europe was deeply detrimental to the late Roman Empire. Bourgeoisie takes more and more importance throughout the modern era. Europe in 814 Krak des Chevaliers was built during the Crusades for the Knights Hospitallers. 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) 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. The Gothic interior of Laon Cathedral, France Clerics studying astronomy and geometry, French, early 15th century Largest expansion of Kingdom of Armenia under Tigranes the Great Map of the Islamic Gunpowders, the Mughal Empire being the orange one. Painting of Murong Xianbei archer, in Late Antiquity, nomads across Eurasia, began to use the stirrup. Horse riding warriors could be devastating in combat. Map of Europe in 1360 A political map of the Mauryan Empire, including notable cities, such as the capital Pataliputra, and site of the Buddha's enlightenment. 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. Khafre's Pyramid (4th dynasty) and Great Sphinx of Giza (c. 2500 BC or perhaps earlier) 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. 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. 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). Gold fueled European exploration of the Americas. Explorers reported Native Americans in Central America, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia were to have had large amounts. The Territory of the Adal Sultanate and its vassal states circa 1500. Sénanque Abbey, Gordes, France The Persian Achaemenid Empire at its greatest extent, c. 500 BC 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 and the Mediterranean Sea in 1190 "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 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. A medieval scholar making precise measurements in a 14th-century manuscript illustration Map of the late Bronze Age collapse, c. 1200 BC Barbarian kingdoms and tribes after the end of the Western Roman Empire 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. Andean – Norte Chico A possible representation of a "yogi" or "proto-Shiva", 2600–1900 BCE Ottoman Empire 1481–1683 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) 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. Medieval illustration of the spherical Earth in a 14th-century copy of L'Image du monde The Iron Age kingdom of Israel (blue) and kingdom of Judah (yellow) The early Muslim conquests   Expansion under Muhammad, 622–632   Expansion during the Rashidun Caliphate, 632–661   Expansion during the Umayyad Caliphate, 661–750 Terracotta Warriors from the time of Qin Shi Huang 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 Francis of Assisi, depicted by Bonaventura Berlinghieri in 1235, founded the Franciscan Order. Technical drawing of Roman Ballista mechanism. Bronze Mirror, from the Yayoi period of Japan The Mughal ambassador Khan’Alam in 1618 negotiating with Shah Abbas the Great of Iran. A coin of the Ostrogothic leader Theoderic the Great, struck in Milan, Italy, circa AD 491–501 Topics Categories Select [►] to view subcategories ▼ History ► Past ► History by ethnic group ► History by location ► History by period ► History by topic ► History-related lists ► Historical timelines ► Outlines of history and events ► Chronology ► Historians ► Fields of history ► History awards ► Historical controversies ► History in culture ► History education ► Historical eras ► Historically themed events ► Historical geography ► Geological history of Earth ► Historicity ► Historiography ► Legacies ► Historical objects ► Oral history ► History organizations ► Origins ► People in history occupations ► Philosophy of history ► Historic preservation ► Pseudohistory ► Theories of history ► Historic volcanic events ► Wikipedia books on history ► History images ► History stubs History • By period • By region • By topic • By ethnic group • Historiography • Archaeology • Books • Maps • Images • Magazines • Organizations • Fictional • Museums • Pseudohistory • Stubs • Timelines • Chronology • People • Wikipedia historians WikiProjects WikiProject History • Ancient Near East • Australian History • Classical Greece and Rome • Dacia • Former countries • History of Canada • Chinese history • European history • Heraldry and vexillology • Indian history • Jewish history • Medieval Scotland • Mesoamerica • Military history • Middle Ages • History of Science WikiProject Time • Days of the Year • Years WikiProject Biography • Composers • Political figures • Saints • United States Presidents Things you can do    Here are some Open Tasks : Copy/edit: Hongwu Emperor, Indian independence movement, Modern history, More... 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