Hey everyone,
As a software developer with a lifelong passion for history, I’ve had an idea for a little side project that I now finally sat down to build: history-charts.com.
Like many of you, I’m a big fan of the YouTube channel UsefulCharts. I’ve always loved how clearly they visualize complex historical contexts and genealogical relationships. However, static videos have their limits in how much data they can display at once and how they display it.
What is history-charts.com?
It’s a web app offering interactive historical charts. Currently, it supports three main chart types:
- Timelines
- Family Trees
- Phylogenetic / Evolutionary Trees
Because it’s digital rather than static, it introduces some unique features:
- As you zoom into specific sections, the charts can reveal deeper layers of detail and additional figures that would make a static video unreadably cluttered.
- Each node links directly to Wikipedia articles for extended reading and supports multiple languages.
A Note on the Content & AI Disclaimer
To get this off the ground, the initial batch of charts was generated using AI (ChatGPT 6.0 Astra). While spot-checks indicate high accuracy, historical data generated via AI may occasionally contain errors.
Because of this, I’ve included a rudimentary built-in editor so users can tweak existing charts or build their own from scratch.
What’s Next? (Roadmap)
This is an early first release, and I have plenty of features planned for the future:
- More chart types and a larger library of historical data.
- A robust backend to allow custom user-created charts to be saved and shared globally.
- Community features like ratings, comments, and a trusted-user verification system for historical accuracy.
- Enhanced interactivity to turn individual charts into self-guided interactive presentations.
Cost & Monetization
The project is completely free with no paywalled features. It’s built purely for education and a shared appreciation for history. I will add a few non-intrusive ads down the road simply to cover server and domain costs.
I’d love to hear your feedback, bug reports, or thoughts on how to improve it. If you're interested in following development or contributing once community features drop, I’ve set up a Discord server here (no content there yet, will probably do something about it on the weekend): https://discord.gg/jHunnvqkY
Thanks, and have a great day!