For most people, a subject like history has been something that they have never liked. It can be tedious, complicated, and it can feel like it’s useless in this modern world where Google and Wikipedia exist. And I can agree with that to some extent that it can be quite boring at times. However, to me history is one of the most fascinating subjects to learn about, and I’m genuinely passionate about it. I believe that history can tell you a lot about the world. The different cultures, ideologies, and places, the state of the world today, what you see in the news, and what happens in politics.

I had always been interested in the topic of history since I was quite young. When my family would travel to different parts of Myanmar, we would always visit historical sites such as ancient Buddhist temples which I was interested in. I would also visit historically significant places when I go to other countries as well. Though I didn’t know much about history back then, it was always intriguing to try and understand the history of these places, as well as the lives of the people who may have affected it. I never really knew about history back then, and much of the ancient history of Myanmar is more based on myths than it is on real history, but I still found it interesting.

My father is also really passionate about history, constantly reading books about it all the time. He has a collection of hundreds of books ranging from all different types of time periods. I sometimes talk with him about history, and I feel like that has also kept me interested about this topic for a long time too. I also have a lot of books on this topic, mainly about general world history and events rather than about a particular person, or a place. Reading, although I find myself doing less of it these days, is still one of my favorite pastimes, and books about history are my favorite non-fiction genre.

Even when spending my free time, I sometimes watch YouTube videos about history, play games that have a historical setting, and also talk to other people about it online. Of course, it’s not just the only thing I do all day, but it’s still something I enjoy doing. There are some aspects and time periods in history that can make great settings in fiction, games, and movies. I enjoy those mediums much like most other people, so by extension I enjoy the blending of both history and entertainment mediums. Not all movies I watch or games I play with a historical background are great, but I think when done well, it can set themselves apart from others in the genre.

Something that I also enjoy exploring is geography, which ties really well into history. Though I find it to have less depth than history because the concept is quite simple. But much like history, it also has shaped the world in a tremendous way.

I have always been interested in history, but I can’t really tell for certain when I first became passionate about the topic. I’ve always been curious about this topic since I was very young. But my first memory of actually learning about history for the first time was when I was in first grade and my school at the time had a book fair. My father bought me a book about general world history. I thought it was weird because I didn’t read non-fiction books back then. But I read it anyway and I found it interesting. Later on that school year, we had a unit on Mesopotamia, one of the world’s earliest civilizations in the fertile crescent. I remember that my teacher back then (whom I have already forgotten the name of) did a really good job at introducing me to the subject, though I can’t really remember what we actually did. Both of these really made me interested in learning more about history.

Since then most of what I know about history mostly just comes from the internet. Most of it is from Wikipedia, Google searches, documentaries, and especially YouTube videos. There are plenty of YouTube channels out there that cover history in a fun and interesting way that makes the topic easier to understand and easier to approach.

In fact, most of what I know about history comes from what I learn from the internet. The internet is such a useful tool, since it means that you can get as much information and resources that you possibly need immediately when you want to pursue a passion. I probably won’t know as much about this topic as I would if it wasn’t for the internet. I’ve learned more about history from the internet than I have at school, and I think that’s quite incredible. Although due dates and tests are a powerful driving force, I think that curiosity is also a very powerful driving force for someone to learn something new.

Some historical time periods I was first interested in were popular ones. Ancient Egypt, Rome, Medieval Europe, the World Wars, etc. I am still very familiar with these historical time periods, but recently I’ve been trying to learn more about more obscure time periods and places in history. Places such as pre-colonial Americas, Africa, and Asia that just aren’t really that talked about too often. 

I think that learning more about history is important in trying to have a better understanding and evaluation of the world. Everything around you has its own unique story to tell with endless potential for exploration within the subject. It tells you about how different people and places around the world are the way they are today. History might not always repeat itself, but it does rhyme. And I believe that if you want to understand the world today, looking back at history is important. That’s why I find myself being passionate about history.