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History, in its broadest sense, is the totality of all past events, although a more realistic definition would limit it to the known past. Of all the fields of serious study and literary effort, history may be the hardest to define precisely, because the attempt to uncover past events and formulate an intelligible account of them necessarily involves the use and influence of many auxiliary disciplines and literary forms. The concern of all serious historians has been to collect and record facts about the human past and often to discover new facts. They have known that the information they have is incomplete, partly incorrect, or biased and requires careful attention. All have tried to discover in the facts patterns of meaning addressed to the enduring questions of human life.

A sense of the past is a light that illuminates the present and directs attention toward the possibilities of the future. Without an adequate knowledge of history the written record of events as well as the events themselves today's events are disconnected occurrences. History is a science a branch of knowledge that uses specific methods and tools to achieve its goals. To compile a history records are needed. Some of these are written records: government papers, diaries, letters, inscriptions, biographies, and many others. For ancient history, especially of the Middle East and China, there are lists of kings, of wars, and of significant events such as the building of temples or natural disasters. Archaeology uncovers many of these records. The laws promulgated by the Babylonian king Hammurabi (18th century BC) were inscribed on a stone pillar. The pillar, or stela, was discovered in 1901 (see Archaeology; Hammurabi).

In the modern period written records are much easier to obtain. Governments and other institutions keep records of nearly everything they do. Sometimes records are discovered by chance. When Germany was defeated in World War II, the fleeing Nazis left behind a huge amount of material documenting the Nazi era. These have been used to reconstruct the history of Germany between 1933 and 1945.

Records today are mostly written or printed on paper. In the past they could be inscribed on stone, written on parchment or papyrus, or drawn on buildings, monuments, or even household pottery or coins. Much has been learned about the reign of the Indian emperor Asoka because of the many edicts he issued. These were inscribed on pillars or rocks at public meeting places around India (see Asoka).

The modern science of historiography history writing developed as recently as the 19th century. It emerged in Germany, first at the University of Gottingen, then at other schools. Gradually the German influence spread to the rest of Europe and the United States. Behind the German decision to take a methodical and scientific approach to history there lie thousands of years of experience in dealing with history in many quite different societies.