* 4th century BC: Aristotle writes about the importance of history in his work "Poetics." He argues that history is more philosophical than poetry because it deals with real events and people.
* 1st century AD: Roman historian Tacitus writes his "Annals," a detailed account of the Roman Empire from the death of Augustus to the death of Nero. Tacitus is considered one of the greatest historians of all time, and his work is still widely read today.
* 14th century: Italian scholar Petrarch writes his "On the Life of Solitude," in which he argues that history is essential for understanding the present. Petrarch's work helps to revive interest in history in Europe.
* 16th century: Niccolò Machiavelli writes his "The Prince," a political treatise that argues that history is necessary for understanding how to gain and maintain power. Machiavelli's work is considered one of the most influential political treatises ever written.
* 18th century: Scottish historian David Hume writes his "History of England," a multi-volume work that examines the history of England from the earliest times to the 18th century. Hume's work is considered one of the most important works of history ever written.
* 19th century: German historian Leopold von Ranke writes his "The German History of the Reformation," a work that argues that history should be based on primary sources and objective evidence. Ranke's work helps to establish the modern discipline of history.
* 20th century: American historian Carl Becker writes his "Everyman His Own Historian," a work that argues that history is not objective, but rather is always shaped by the perspective of the historian. Becker's work helps to open up new ways of thinking about history.
Literature:
* 8th century BC: Homer writes the "Iliad" and the "Odyssey," two epic poems that tell the story of the Trojan War. The Iliad and the Odyssey are considered two of the greatest works of literature ever written.
* 5th century BC: Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides write their tragedies, which explore themes of human suffering and the role of fate. The tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides are considered some of the greatest works of literature ever written.
* 1st century AD: Virgil writes the "Aeneid," an epic poem that tells the story of Aeneas, a Trojan hero who flees Troy after the fall of the city and eventually founds Rome. The Aeneid is considered one of the greatest works of literature ever written.
* 14th century: Dante Alighieri writes the "Divine Comedy," an epic poem that tells the story of Dante's journey through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven. The Divine Comedy is considered one of the greatest works of literature ever written.
* 16th century: William Shakespeare writes his plays, which explore themes of love, loss, betrayal, and ambition. Shakespeare's plays are considered some of the greatest works of literature ever written.
* 18th century: Samuel Johnson writes his novel "Rasselas," a philosophical novel that examines the problems of human existence. Rasselas is considered one of the most important works of literature from the 18th century.
* 19th century: William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, John Keats, and Percy Bysshe Shelley write their Romantic poetry, which celebrates nature, imagination, and individual experience. The Romantic poetry of Wordsworth, Coleridge, Keats, and Shelley is considered some of the most important literature from the 19th century.
* 20th century: James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, Ernest Hemingway, and William Faulkner write their modernist novels, which experiment with narrative form and explore themes of alienation, isolation, and disillusionment. The modernist novels of Joyce, Woolf, Hemingway, and Faulkner are considered some of the most important literature from the 20th century.