Historical Figures
169 sourced historical stories, arranged by subject.
Historical FiguresOne machine could both film and project
The Lumière brothers' cinematograph could be used for filming, printing, and projection. In 1895, they held commercial screenings in Paris that presented several short films.
Historical FiguresMonet returned to the same subject in changing light
Claude Monet painted series exploring how a single subject changes at different times and under different light. Haystacks, Rouen Cathedral, and water lilies all became recurring subjects.
Historical FiguresThe Compendium of Materia Medica reorganized names and earlier records
Li Shizhen compiled the Compendium of Materia Medica, organizing numerous medicinal substances, names, and earlier accounts, correcting some confusion, and incorporating his own investigations.
Historical FiguresNapoleon placed the crown on his own head
At his coronation in Paris in 1804, Napoleon crowned himself and then Josephine. The ceremony combined the pope's participation with a display of the emperor's personal authority.
Historical FiguresCrime and Punishment centers on the mind after a crime
Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment goes beyond asking who committed a murder. It follows the offender's ideas, fears, and moral conflicts in a complex psychological narrative.
Historical FiguresCopernicus rearranged the planets around the Sun
In On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres, Copernicus treated Earth as a planet orbiting the Sun, explaining celestial motions around a new center rather than a stationary Earth.
Historical FiguresDiary of a Madman used diary form for a modern story
Lu Xun's Diary of a Madman appeared in New Youth in 1918. Its diary form and unreliable perceptions portray social oppression and fear.
Historical FiguresDante wrote the Divine Comedy in the vernacular
Dante wrote the Divine Comedy in the Italian vernacular, using a journey through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise to bring together religion, politics, and personal experience. Figures including Virgil guide the poem's journey. The work greatly influenced the development of Italian literary language, but it is not a modern scientific map of the cosmos.
Historical FiguresDon Quixote made chivalric fiction a subject of reflection
Cervantes' Don Quixote explores the conflict between ideals and reality through a protagonist captivated by tales of chivalry, while questioning a popular storytelling tradition of its time.
Historical FiguresDream of the Red Chamber first circulated in manuscripts
Dream of the Red Chamber initially circulated in handwritten copies. Annotations and differing texts left a complex relationship among versions, which should not all be treated as identical.
Historical FiguresDream Pool Essays recorded observations and practical knowledge
In Dream Pool Essays, Shen Kuo discussed astronomy, geography, medicine, crafts, and more. His subjects included Bi Sheng's movable-type printing and observations of a magnetic needle's direction.
Historical FiguresPoetry left detailed records of life in troubled times
Many of Du Fu's poems describe warfare, migration, hunger, hardship, and family experiences. His personal life is intertwined with changes in Tang society, leading later readers to call his work poetic history.