History vs the Past
History and the Past are two words that are often confused due to the close similarity in their meanings. History is primarily recorded facts of the happenings of the past. On the other hand the expression ‘the past’ refers to some events that took place not too long ago. This is the main difference between history and past.
The events of history are normally not perceived but only read in the books and other media. On the other hand the simple events of the past might have been perceived and experienced by not too long ago. This is another important difference between the two terms.
The various events that took place under the rule of so many kings, emperors and monarchs of the past, the struggle for independence in the case of many countries of the world, the formation of civilizations and their destruction, the causes for the decline of the various kingdoms and dynasties, the foundation of several kingdoms and empires and the like belong to history. Many of these things are not experienced or perceived by us in our life. They are to be known only through books and other sources.
On the other hand events such as formation of a new state, earthquakes, other types of calamities, victories in sporting events, major tournaments won by a boxer and other sportsmen, political victories, debacles are all perceived by us in the recent times and they all come under the expression ‘the past’. Some of the events discussed above might have taken place say 10 to 15 years ago. They cannot be called history. They can of course figuratively be called as history as in the expression ‘part of history’. These are the important differences between the two words history and ‘the past’.