The Histomap of History

A selective history of humanity from 2000 B.C. to 1955.

This controversial diagram claims to present ‘The Rise and Fall of Peoples and Nations for Four Thousand Years.’ The chart was first designed by John B. Sparks and published by Rand McNally in 1931, but this edition has been updated to include events up to 1955.

The image presents a chronological history of various ethnographic groups, each shown by a bright color, the width of which represents their relative world power. For example, the Egyptians start with a broad, pink bar at the top of the page, but it tapers narrowly after about a millennia. The brief existence of the United States saw meteoric growth, culminating with its position as a postwar superpower. Notable current events reflect the ongoing Cold War and include H-Bomb testing (both Russian and American), the 10th Inter-American Conference, and resumption of relations with Yugoslavia.

Also of interest is the clear bias expressed within the chart, which presents world history from a clearly Western, Christian perspective. The ‘broadest’ point at any period was the Roman Empire and the founding of the church in the 1st century, China’s band is conspicuously narrow, and the entire continent of Africa has almost been completely omitted from mention!

Sources: David Rumsey Map Collection; Visual Capitalist;