The branch of knowledge that deals with past events. Understanding history can help us understand the present and it can help us understand the complexity of things that happen around us every day.
History is the study and interpretation of the recorded past.
We often think of history as a set of dates, names, and facts to be memorized. Facts do help us study history, but they are nothing more than trivia until we try to make some sense out of them. Thoughtful, informed interpretation and synthesis of these facts will help us understand the development and interrelationships of human societies. History helps us understand many events that at first seem inexplicable, and it also helps us understand that the causes and effects of these events are often very complex. There are many ways to look at history, and we all have a unique perspective we can bring to studying it.