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{{For|the work by H. G. Wells|The Outline of History}}
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{{TopicTOC-History}}

The following [[Outline (list)|outline]] is provided as an overview of and topical guide to history: 

'''[[History]]''' – discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented (the beginning of [[recorded history]]).

== Nature of history ==
History can be described as all of the following:
* [[Academic discipline]] – body of knowledge given to – or received by – a disciple (student); a branch or sphere of knowledge, or field of study, that an individual has chosen to specialise in.
** one of the [[humanities]] – academic discipline that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural sciences.
* [[Fields of science|Field of science]]  – widely recognized category of specialized expertise within science, and typically embodies its own terminology and nomenclature.  Such a field will usually be represented by one or more scientific journals, where peer-reviewed research is published.  There are many sociology-related scientific journals.
** [[Social science]]  – field of academic scholarship that explores aspects of human society.

===Essence of history===
* [[Chronology]] &ndash; science of arranging events in their order of occurrence in time, such as in [[historical timeline]]s.
* [[Past]] &ndash; totality of events which occurred before a given point in time. The past is contrasted with and defined by the present and the future. The concept of the past is derived from the linear fashion in which human observers experience time, and is accessed through memory and recollection. The past is the domain of history.
* [[Time]] &ndash; measure in which events can be ordered from the past through the present into the future, and also the measure of durations of events and the intervals between them. Time is often referred to as the fourth dimension, along with the three spatial dimensions. History describes what happened where, but also when (in time) those events took place.

== Historical disciplines ==<!-- This section is accessed by lua module to populate a section on Portal:History. Please do not change this heading, as doing so will break that portal. -->
* [[Archaeology]] – study of past human cultures through the recovery, documentation and analysis of material remains and environmental data
* Archontology – study of historical offices and important positions in state, international, political, religious and other organizations and societies
* [[Art history]] – study of changes in and social context of art
* [[Chronology]] – locating events in time
* [[Cultural history]] – study of culture in the past
* [[Diplomatic history]] – study of the historical foreign policy and diplomacy of states 
* [[History of science]] – study of the emergence and development of scientific inquiry
* [[Economic history]] – the study of economics in the past
* [[Environmental history]] – study of natural history and the human relationship with the natural world
* [[Futurology]] – study of the future: researches the medium to long-term future of societies and of the physical world
* [[Historiography]] &ndash; both the study of the methodology of historians and development of history as a discipline, and also to a body of historical work on a particular subject. The historiography of a specific topic covers how historians have studied that topic using particular sources, techniques, and theoretical approaches.
* [[History painter|History painting]] – painting of works of art having historical motifs or depicting great events
* [[Intellectual history]]
* [[LGBTQ history]] - study of LGBTQ people and their culture around the world
* [[Local history]] – study of history in a geographically local context
* [[Military history]] – study of warfare and wars in history
* [[Naval history]] – branch of military history devoted to warfare at sea or in bodies of water
* [[Paleography]] – study of ancient texts
* [[Philosophy of history]] &ndash; philosophical study of history and its discipline.
* [[Political history]] – study of past political events, ideas, movements, and leaders
* [[Public history]] – presentation of history to public audiences and other areas typically outside academia
* [[Psychohistory]] – study of the psychological motivations of historical events
* [[Social history]] – study of societies and social trends in the past
* [[World history (field)|Universal history]] – study of trends and dynamics in world history
* [[Urban history]] – historical nature of cities and towns, and the process of urbanization
* [[Women's history]] – study of the roles of women throughout history 
* [[World history (field)|World history]] – study of global or transnational historical patterns

=== Auxiliary sciences of history ===

[[Auxiliary sciences of history]] &ndash; scholarly disciplines which help evaluate and use historical sources and are seen as auxiliary for [[history|historical]] research.<ref name=Drake>{{cite book |last = Drake|first = Miriam A. |title = Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science |volume = 3|publisher = [[CRC Press]]|year = 2003|series = Dekker Encyclopedias Series|isbn = 0-8247-2079-2}}</ref> Auxiliary sciences of history include, but are not limited to:

* [[Archeology]] &ndash; study of ancient and historic [[Archaeological site|sites]] and [[Artifact (archaeology)|artifacts]] 
* [[Chronology]] &ndash; study of the sequence of past events
* [[Cliometrics]] &ndash; systematic application of economic theory, [[Econometrics|econometric]] techniques, and other formal or mathematical methods to the study of history
* [[Codicology]] &ndash; study of books as physical objects
* [[Diplomatics]] &ndash; study and textual analysis of historical documents
* [[Epigraphy]] &ndash; study of ancient inscriptions
* [[Faleristics]] &ndash; study of military orders, decorations and medals
* [[Genealogy]] &ndash; study of family relationships
* [[Heraldry]] &ndash; study of armorial devices
* [[Numismatics]] &ndash; study of coins 
* [[Onomastics]] &ndash; study of proper names 
* [[Paleography]] &ndash; study of old handwriting
* [[Philately]] &ndash; study of postage stamps
* [[Philology]] &ndash; study of the language of historical sources
* [[Prosopography]] &ndash; investigation of a historical group of individuals through a collective study of their lives
* [[Radiocarbon dating]] &ndash; assignation of dates to [[Artifact (archaeology)|artefacts]] from the distant past<ref>{{cite web|last1=Weart|first1=Spencer|title=Uses of Radiocarbon Dating|url=http://www.aip.org/history/climate/Radioc.htm|publisher=American Institute of Physics|access-date=21 March 2015|date=2004}}</ref>
* [[Sigillography]] &ndash; study of seals
* [[Statistics]] &ndash; study of the collection, organization, and interpretation of (historical) data
* [[Toponymy]] &ndash; study of place-names

== History by period ==

* [[History of Earth]]
* [[Human history]]
* [[List of decades, centuries, and millennia]]
* [[News]]

===History by chronology===
{{Main|List of timelines|List of time periods}}
* [[Chronology of the Universe]]
* [[Formation and evolution of the Solar System]]
* [[Geological history of Earth]]
* [[Evolutionary history of life]]
* [[Human history]]
* [[World history (field)|Universal history]]
** [[Ancient history]]
*** [[Prehistory]]
*** [[Classical antiquity]]
** [[Post-classical history]]
*** [[Early Middle Ages]]
*** [[High Middle Ages]]
*** [[Late Middle Ages]]
** [[Modern history]]
*** [[Early modern period]]
*** [[Late modern period]]
*** [[Contemporary history]]
* [[Pre-Columbian]]
** [[Mesoamerican chronology]]
* [[Renaissance]]
* [[Future history]]

===Ages of history===
====Prehistoric Ages====
* [[Stone Age]]
** [[Paleolithic]]
*** [[Lower Paleolithic]] &ndash; (''[[Homo]]'', [[Stone tool]]s, [[Out of Africa I|spread of ''Homo Erectus'' to Eurasia]], [[Control of fire by early humans|control of fire]], and later [[spear]]s, [[pigment]]s, constructed [[Shelter (building)|shelter]])
*** [[Middle Paleolithic]] &ndash; ([[Recent African origin of modern humans]], ''[[Archaic humans|Homo sapiens]]'', ''[[Homo neanderthalensis]]''; [[History of clothing and textiles|clothing]], [[bead]]s, [[burial]], [[bedding]], [[bone tool]]s)
*** [[Upper Paleolithic]] &ndash; ([[behavioral modernity]], [[atlatl]], [[Origin of the domestic dog|domestication of dogs]])
** [[Mesolithic]] &ndash; ([[microlith]]s, [[Bow (weapon)|bow]], [[canoe]]s)
** [[Neolithic]] &ndash; ([[domestication]], [[nomadic pastoralism]], [[agriculture]], [[proto-cities]])
*** [[Stone Age Levant]]
**** [[Tell Halaf]]
**** [[Ubaid period]]
*** [[Neolithic Europe]] &ndash; ([[Linear Pottery]], [[Vinča culture]])
*** [[Neolithic China]]
*** [[Neolithic South Asia]]
**** [[Mehrgarh]]
*** [[Paleo-Indians|Paleo-Indians (Americas)]]
** [[Chalcolithic|Chalcolithic (Copper Age)]] &ndash; ([[Yamna culture]], [[Corded Ware]])
*** [[Uruk period]]
*** [[Chalcolithic Europe|Europe]] &ndash; ([[Metallurgy in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica]])

====Historic Ages====<!-- This section is accessed by lua module to populate a section on Portal:History. Please do not change this heading, as doing so will break that portal. -->
* [[Ancient|Ancient Age]]
** [[Bronze Age]]
** [[Iron Age]]
* [[Postclassical Era|Postclassical Age]] ([[Middle Ages]])
** [[Early Middle Ages]]
** [[High Middle Ages]]
** [[Late Middle Ages]]
* [[Modern Age]]
** [[Early modern period|Early modern Age]]
** [[Late modern period|Late Modern Age]]
** [[Contemporary history|Contemporary Age]]

====Other Ages====<!-- This section is accessed by lua module to populate a section on Portal:History. Please do not change this heading, as doing so will break that portal. -->
* [[Axial Age]]
* [[Dark Age]]
* [[Viking Age]]
* [[Age of Discovery]]
* [[17th century philosophy|Age of Reason]]
* [[Age of Enlightenment]]
* [[Industrial Revolution|Industrial Age]]
* [[Atomic Age]]
* [[Information Age]]
* [[Space Age]]

== Regional histories ==
{{Further|Human history}}

[[Regional history]]
* [[Ancient Egypt]]
* [[Babylonia]]
* [[History of India|India]]
* [[Classics]]
** [[Ancient Greece]]
** [[Ancient Rome]]
* [[History of China|Ancient China]]
* [[Mesoamerica]]

===History by continent and country===
* [[List of histories by country]]
* [[Timeline of country and capital changes]] since 1001 CE
* [[Timeline of ancient country changes]] before 1001 CE

{{Africa topic|History of}}
{{North America topic|History of}}
{{South America topic|History of}}
{{Asia topic|History of}}
{{History of Europe}}
{{Oceania topic|History of}}

===Economic history by region===
{{Africa topic|Economic history of}}
{{North America topic|Economic history of}}
{{South America topic|Economic history of}}
{{Asia in topic|Economic history of}}
{{Europe in topic|Economic history of }}
{{Oceania topic|Economic history of}}

===Military history by region===
{{Africa topic|Military history of}}
{{North America topic|Military history of}}
{{South America topic|Military history of}}
{{Asia topic|Military history of}}
{{Europe topic|Military history of}}
{{Oceania topic|Military history of}}

===Eras by region===

[[Era]]
* [[Chinese era name|Chinese Eras]]
* [[Japanese era name|Japanese Eras]]
* [[Korean era name|Korean Eras]]
* [[Vietnamese era name|Vietnamese Eras]]

==History by field==<!-- This section is accessed by lua module to populate a section on Portal:History. Please do not change this heading, as doing so will break that portal. -->

===History of art===
{{see also|Outline of the visual arts#History of the visual arts}}
* [[History of art]]
** [[Performing arts#Western performing arts|History of the performing arts]]
*** [[History of dance]]
*** [[History of film]]
*** [[History of music]]
*** [[Opera#History|History of opera]]
*** [[History of theatre]]
** [[The arts#Visual arts|History of visual arts]]
*** [[History of architecture]] ([[Timeline of architecture|timeline]])
*** [[Design classic|History of design]]
*** [[Drawing#History|History of drawing]]
*** [[History of film]]
*** [[History of painting]]
*** [[History of photography]]
*** [[History of sculpture]]

===History of culture===
{{see also|Outline of culture#History of culture}}
* [[Cultural history]]
** [[History of archaeology]] ([[Timeline of archaeology|timeline]])
** [[History of banking]]
** [[History of cooking]]
** [[History of games]]
*** [[History of chess]]
** [[History of journalism]]
** [[History of literature]]
** [[History of money]]
** [[History of poetry]]
** [[History of rape]]
** [[History of sport]]

===History of mathematics===
{{see also|Outline of mathematics#History}}
* [[History of mathematics]] ([[Timeline of mathematics|timeline]])
** [[History of algebra]]
** [[History of arithmetic]]
** [[History of calculus]]
** [[History of geometry]]
** [[History of trigonometry]]
** [[History of logic]]
** [[History of statistics]]

===History of philosophy===
{{see also|Outline of philosophy#History of philosophy}}
* [[History of philosophy]] (timeline)
** [[Ethics (philosophy)#Greek philosophy|History of ethics]]
*** [[Normative ethics#History|History of normative ethics]]
*** [[Meta-ethics#History|History of meta-ethics]]
** [[Humanism#History|History of humanism]]
** [[History of logic]]
** [[Metaphysics#History|History of metaphysics]]
** [[Transhumanism#History|History of transhumanism]]
** [[History of Western philosophy]]

===History of religions===
* [[History of religions]] ([[Timeline of religion|timeline]])
** [[Axial Age]]
** [[Evolutionary origin of religions]]
** [[The Bible and history]]
** [[History of Buddhism]] ([[Timeline of Buddhism|timeline]])
** [[History of Christianity]] ([[Timeline of Christianity|timeline]])
*** [[Historical Jesus]]
*** [[History of the Catholic Church]]
*** [[History of Protestantism]]
**** [[History of the Puritans]]
** [[History of creationism]]
** [[History of Hinduism]]
** [[History of Islam]] ([[Timeline of Islam|timeline]])
** [[History of Judaism]]
** [[History of Taoism]]
** [[History of Wicca]]

===History of science===
{{see also|Outline of science#History of science}}
* [[History of science]]
** [[History of science|History of science in general]]
*** [[History of scientific method]]
*** [[Theories and sociology of the history of science|Theories/sociology of science]]
*** [[Historiography of science|Historiography]]
*** [[History of pseudoscience]]
** By era
*** [[History of science in early cultures]]
*** [[History of science in Classical Antiquity]]
*** [[History of science in the Middle Ages]]
*** [[History of science in the Renaissance]]
*** [[Scientific Revolution]]
** [[History of natural science]]
*** [[History of biology]]
**** [[Biochemistry#History|History of biochemistry]]
*** [[History of science and technology|History of physical science]]
**** [[History of Earth|History of nature]]
**** [[History of astronomy]] ([[Timeline of astronomy|timeline]])
**** [[History of chemistry]]
**** [[History of ecology]]
**** [[History of geography]]
**** [[History of geology]] ([[Timeline of geology|timeline]])
**** [[Meteorology#History|History of meteorology]] ([[Timeline of meteorology|timeline]])
***** [[History of tornado research]]
**** [[Oceanography#History|History of oceanography]]
**** [[History of physics]]

===History of social sciences===
{{see also|Outline of social science#History of social science}}
* [[History of the social sciences]]
** [[Business history]]
** [[Historiography]]
** [[History of anthropology]]
** [[History of archaeology]] ([[Timeline of archaeology|timeline]])
** [[History of criminal justice]]
** [[History of economic thought]]
** [[History of education]]
** [[History of geography]]
** [[History of linguistics]]
** [[Management|History of management]]
** [[History of marketing]]
** [[History of political science]]
** [[History of psychology]] ([[Timeline of psychology|timeline]])
** [[History of science and technology]]
** [[History of scientific method]]
** [[History of sociology]] ([[Timeline of sociology|timeline]])
** [[Legal history]] (history of [[law]])

===History of technology===
{{see also|Outline of technology#History of technology}}
{{History of technology}}
* [[History of technology]]
** [[Aviation history]]
** [[History of agricultural science]]
** [[History of agriculture]]
** [[History of architecture]] ([[Timeline of architecture|timeline]])
** [[History of artificial intelligence]]
** [[History of biotechnology]]
** [[History of cartography]]
** [[History of communication]]
** [[History of computer science]]
*** [[History of programming languages]] ([[Timeline of programming languages|timeline]])
*** [[History of software engineering]]
** [[History of electromagnetism]]
** [[History of engineering]]
*** [[History of chemical engineering]]
*** [[History of electrical engineering]]
** [[History of materials science]]
** [[History of measurement]]
** [[History of medicine]]
** [[History of transport]]
** [[Industrial history]]
** [[Military history]]
*** [[List of battles]]
*** [[List of wars]]
** [[Timeline of historic inventions]]

=== History of interdisciplinary fields ===

* [[Classics]]
* [[History of ideas]]

==Methods and tools==
* [[Prosopography]] – a methodological tool for the collection of all known information about individuals within a given period
* [[Historical revisionism]] – traditionally used in a completely neutral sense to describe the work or ideas of a historian who has revised a previously accepted view of a particular topic
* [[Historiography]] – study of historical methodology

== General concepts ==<!-- This section is accessed by lua module to populate a section on Portal:History. Please do not change this heading, as doing so will break that portal. -->
* [[Annals]]
* [[Big History]]
* [[Centuries]]
* [[Chronicle]]
* [[Chronology]]
* [[Decades]]
* [[Family history]]
* [[Future]]
* [[Future history]]
* [[Genealogy]]
* [[Historian]]
* [[Historical classification]]
* [[Historical revisionism]] &ndash; reinterpretation of orthodox views on evidence, motivations, and decision-making processes surrounding a historical event. Though the word revisionism is sometimes used in a negative way, constant revision of history is part of the normal scholarly process of writing history.
* [[Historical thinking]] &ndash; scholastic reasoning skills applied to historical content, including chronological thinking, historical comprehension, historical analysis and interpretation, historical research capabilities, and historical issues analysis and decision making.
* [[History is written by the victors]]
* [[History of science and technology]]
** [[Timeline of historic inventions]]
** [[Timeline of electromagnetism and classical optics]]
** [[Timeline of mathematics]]
** [[Timeline of atomic and subatomic physics]]
* [[Cultural identity|Identity]]
* [[Landscape history]]
* [[List of time periods]]
* [[Marxist historiography]]
* [[Millennium]]
* [[Mythology]]
* [[Narrative]]
* [[Oral tradition]]
* [[Oral history]]
* [[Palaeography]]
* [[Past]]
* [[Periodization]]
* [[Political history]]
* [[Prehistory]]
* [[Present]]
* [[Pseudohistory]]
* [[Social history]]
* [[Social change]]
* [[Virtual history]]

==Historians==<!-- This section is accessed by lua module to populate a section on Portal:Historiography. Please do not change this heading, as doing so will break that portal. -->
{{main|List of historians}}

* [[List of historians#Antiquity|Antiquity]]
** [[List of historians#Greco-Roman world|Greco-Roman world]]
** [[List of historians#China|China]]
* [[List of historians#Middle Ages|Middle Ages]]
** [[List of historians#Byzantine sphere|Byzantine sphere]]
** [[List of historians#Latin sphere|Latin sphere]]
** [[List of historians#Islamic world|Islamic world]]
** [[List of historians#East Asia|East Asia]]
** [[List of historians#India|India]]
* [[List of historians#Renaissance to early modern|Renaissance to early modern]]
** [[List of historians#Renaissance Europe|Renaissance Europe]]
** [[List of historians#Early modern period|Early modern period]]
** [[List of historians#Middle East and Islamic Empires|Middle East and Islamic Empires]]
** [[List of historians#East Asia|East Asia]]
* [[List of historians#Modern historians|Modern historians]]
** [[List of historians#Historians flourishing post-1815, born post-1770|Historians flourishing post-1815, born post-1770]]
** [[List of historians#Historians born in the 19th century|Historians born in the 19th century]]
** [[List of historians#Historians born in the 20th century|Historians born in the 20th century]]

==Lists==

* [[Index of history articles]]
* [[Outline of archaeology]]
* [[Outline of classical studies]]
* [[Outline of medieval history]]
* [[Outline of the Renaissance]]
* [[List of historians]]
* [[List of timelines]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Williams, H. S. (1907). [https://books.google.com/books?id=g5sFAAAAIAAJ The historians' history of the world]. (ed., This is Book 1 of 25 Volumes; [https://books.google.com/books/pdf/The_Historians__History_of_the_World.pdf?id=g5sFAAAAIAAJ&output=pdf&sig=fg_jzCIwiXQiuqVE7Q_ciy4ulok PDF version is available])
* Wells, H. G. (1921). ''[https://archive.org/details/outlinehistoryb07wellgoog The outline of history, being a plain history of life and mankind]''. (ed., This is Book 1 of multi-volume set.)

==External links==
{{Sister project links|history}}
* [http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ Internet History Sourcebooks Project] See also [[Internet History Sourcebooks Project]]. Collections of public domain and copy-permitted historical texts presented cleanly (without advertising or excessive layout) for educational use.
* [http://vlib.iue.it/history/index.html WWW-VL: History Central Catalogue] first history on the WWW, located at European University Institute
* [https://www.bbc.co.uk/history BBC History Site]
* [http://www.historyofthings.com History of things] provides quality historical information about countries, sports, brands, music and many other facts and stuff.
*[https://www.britannica.com/topic/historiography/Branches-of-history]

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