The term "history" has a double meaning. 2Originally it
referred to a record of past human events, but in modern times the term
has come to be applied to actual past events in human affairs or in nature.
3 However, human knowledge of past events is based on written records,
oral traditions, and physical evidence, all of which must be interpreted.
4 History, therefore, is most usefully understood to refer to the historian'
s reconstruction of the past.