How to Use Histolines: A Guide for Historians
Welcome to Histolines, a collaborative historical platform that works like a “social network of history” — but instead of posts about current events, it’s a living, breathing timeline of real historical events.
Whether you’re a professional historian, an academic, a student, or just someone who cares deeply about the past, this guide will walk you through how to navigate Histolines, add content, and help build the historical narrative.
1. Understanding What Histolines Is
A Rich Historical Database Histolines has over a million historical events already indexed.
Open Contribution Model Anyone can add events, quotes, photos, and more.
Structured Data Events are organized by who (person or entity), what (type of event), when, and where.
Collections Related events can be grouped into “Collections” — think of them like thematic hashtags (e.g. “World War One”).
Navigating the Site: Key Features & Views
Here’s how to move around and explore Histolines effectively:
a) By Date
Go to the “Dates” section (or “All Dates”) to browse history by specific dates.
Go to the “Dates” section (or “All Dates”) to browse history by specific dates.
b) By Name / Biographical Timelines
Use the “Pick a name” search to find a historical figure (e.g., “Theodore Roosevelt”).
On their personal timeline, you’ll see life events, images, quotes, and more — from birth, key moments, to death (if applicable).
c) Collections
The site indicates that many events are tagged by location, allowing users to explore by place.
This geographic tagging helps historians trace where events occurred and connect them spatially.
d) Geography (Planned / Partial)
Visit the “Collections” page to see popular clusters of historical events.
Collections help you view history as themes or topics, rather than only by person or date.
3. Contributing to Histolines
Historians are key to making Histolines more accurate, deep, and valuable. Here’s how to add to the platform.
a) Create an Account / Log In
To post an event, photo, or quote, you need to log in or register.
Having an account lets you track your contributions and be part of the community.
b) Adding an Event
Once on a person’s timeline (or on a relevant page), click “Post event”.
Fill out the key fields: Who? What? When? Where?
Once submitted, the event will appear on the timeline for others to see.
c) Editing / Improving Existing Events
If you spot missing or inaccurate data on an event (date, location, description), click the “…” menu on that event.
You can add more details, tag other people, or correct info.
Use the comment section to discuss the event, link reference sources, or suggest modifications.
d) Voting on Events
Histolines lets users vote on how important an event is (star rating) and how accurate it is (true/false voting).
These community votes help surface the most significant and reliable content. Over time, more vetted and highly rated entries will gain visibility.
e) Adding Media
You can upload photos and quotes associated with events.
For photos, ensure you have rights or that they are public domain / properly licensed, and provide source links when possible.
f) Using References
Always link to credible sources when you add or edit an event — this strengthens the reliability of the timeline.
In the comment/reference section of each event, you can include URLs, archival citations, or bibliographic info.
4. Why Historians Should Contribute
If you’re a historian, your involvement is invaluable for several reasons:
Accuracy & Depth
Building a Collaborative Knowledge Base
Open Data
Research & Visualization
Community Engagement
5. Best Practices for Contributing
To make your contributions as effective and valuable as possible, here are some recommended practices:
Start small: Add a few well-sourced events before doing bulk contributions.
Cite generously: Provide links or bibliographic references for every significant claim.
Be collaborative: Use the comment sections on events to discuss or debate interpretations or factual disagreements.
Use collections thoughtfully: When adding an event, consider whether it belongs in an existing Collection (or if a new one should be made).
Leverage family timelines: If you’re researching a historical family, use the family-timeline feature to interconnect individuals.
Engage with others: Vote on accuracy, leave feedback, and help curate the platform’s content quality.
6. Tips to Encourage Other Historians to Join
If you want to help grow the community, here are some ideas:
Write about your contributions: Publish a short piece (on your blog or academic network) about how you used Histolines.
Invite colleagues: Share the platform with other historians, graduate students, or university departments.
Teach with it: Use Histolines in classrooms — have students add events, correct entries, or build timelines.
Host “sprint” sessions: Organize virtual or in-person events where historians gather to fill in gaps, verify events, and improve data.
Use datasets: Leverage open datasets from Histolines (via GitHub or data portals) for research, then feed new data back into the platform.
Histolines is more than just a timeline website — it’s a platform for collective historical memory. By contributing, historians can deepen and refine our understanding of the past, surface underrepresented voices, and build an open, data-rich resource that supports both scholarship and public education. If you’re passionate about history, joining Histolines is a powerful way to make a meaningful impact.
