Universal history (genre)

A universal history is a work aiming at the presentation of a history of all of humankind as a whole. Universal historians try to identify connections and patterns among individual historical events and phenomena, making them part of a general narrative. A universal chronicle or world chronicle typically traces history from the beginning of written information about the past up to the present. Therefore, any work classed as such purportedly attempts to embrace the events of all times and nations in so far as scientific treatment of them is possible.

Siegfried of Ballhausen was the first to use the title Historia universalis (universal history) in 1304.