If you could live in any era or period in history, which would it be & why?
Your BQ is impossible to answer, Felix. But I'll take a stab at the other question, if you don't mind. :P So many, but here's a sampling of some of my fantasies in traveling through time. A: Tudor Age: Where women were looked down on but a time when they actually did have power (whether it was seducing the king or claiming the throne) - lots of intrigue and excitement - having to live on a knife's point purely by your wits and wisdom. Yeah, sounds like my kind of thing! I'd be a court lady, of course. Perhaps moonlight as a spy. B: Victorian Era. Generally bad for women but surely there were, ahem, loopholes. I'd be a high class young lady with amusing pursuits that (shhh) few people knew about. And if I could track down Gemma Doyle, I would. ;) C: Bohemian French Era - Moulin Rouge, and all that. Becoming a nude model for painters was always a passion of mine. D: Ancient Greece/Rome. I always wanted to meet those philosophers, and Greek/Roman culture and mythology fascinates me. I'd be a noble (you had to be to get anything done) and just traipse around (women's freedom in that age was generally more than - the Middle Ages, for instance) asking questions. Fun question. LuthienX
What is the history of the Common Era (CE) time period?
CE for Common Era is a modern alternative for AD, meaning Anno Domini.Traditionally, the western calendar has divided dates into BC (Before Christ) and AD ("In the Year of Our Lord" in Latin). In other words, after Christ.There are enough doubts on when Jesus was born* that the calendar may have been inaccurate for centuries. It is possible that Jesus was born 6 years BC. And in any case, assuming a Christian perspective is somewhat culturally chauvinist. Why not a calendar based on the birth of the Buddha? Or the al-Hejira calendar in use in the Islamic World?Thus, for these and other reasons, we now say CE instead of AD.In sum: the entire history AD is the history of CE per definition.And that's a BIG period. Where would you like to start? With the Roman Empire?
Poll: What was your favorite time period in history?
Modern Era. I'd say generally the more recent, the more interesting because of the possibilities opened up by new technology, and science. Past people couldn't have imagined what we've achieved in space and with computers. But WWII and the classical era are very close seconds for me. Although temporally remote the classical era is fairly easy to relate to because then there were great State actors, with a rational, secular outlook, unlike in the medieval period of political fragmentation and otherworldliness.
What are some of the best history documentaries about time periods and eras?
When Ken Burns' The Civil War first aired it had people everywhere riveted to the TV when it was on. People who previously had little or no interest in history or the Civil War were mesmerized by the series. Some readily admitted to crying during parts. The theme song entered regular rotation on many radio stations. While the impact has faded some over the years, I think it changed how many people viewed historical documentaries. Truly an American documentary masterpiece, IMHO.
Why do historians use names for periods?
It makes different time periods easier to recognize. It properly separates different eras of social change, great political change, incredible discoveries that had international implications, major tragedy,etc. It helps give a time period DEFINITION. Instead of using dates...... which no one in the world can remember .... especially men, we use names for eras. Renaissance is simply French for "rebirth", and it WAS a much, much brighter period of time. It got brighter and brighter and was so dramatically different than a short few years ago that it was called "The Renaissance" during its own time period! Time periods CAN change that quickly. Even recently from the year 1975 to 1985 .... it was a different world. If someone had gone into a coma in 75 and woke up in 85, they would have thought they woke up on Star Trek, well, not quite Star Trek but damned close. The technological advances in a matter a 3-5 were incredible. In 1977 most people had only 4-5 TV channels, some only 3 ....1981 we had MTV, Cable television, Sony Walkman's, VCRs, cellular phones .... 1984 Bose speakers that could fit in your hands, CDs, personal computers, etc. In 1980 we entered into another era. They started calling this time period the "Information Age" in the later 1970's.... also the Computer Age or Information Era, or as many say today ... the Digital Era. In 1980 we woke up in the Digital Era ... literally over night.
What was the period of history between ancient times and modern times known as?
The Middle Ages Medieval History both terms are widely used by academic historians, the vast majority of which date them from 476 AD (fall of the Western Roman empire) to 1492 (discovery of the New World by Columbus).
What is the most boring era of history in your opinion?
The present day. Living history is boring. When you study past events you leave out all the boring parts and jump right into the action. When you a living through history there is still the day to day routine of earning a living, paying your taxes, and waiting for something to happen. In the future this will be looked at as an exciting time because history students will jump from the passage of Obama Care to its consequences in a paragraph. They won't have to wait for it to be enacted, run it course, and see what happens. I'm a 64 year old history-buff, and I have lived though some recent history. Believe me, it is a lot more exciting studying it now than it was living through it then.