When Does the Past Become History?

A recent BBC History Magazine survey asked readers, "When do events in the past become history?" The survey received 1,897 votes. The most popular answer, with 31 percent of the vote, was that the past becomes history a second ago. The next most popular answer also considered the past turning to history quite quickly, with 28 percent of the voters responding that the past turns to history within ten years. Answers that ranged from 20 to 50 years ago each received one to six percent of the vote. A few (4 percent) believed that events were only history if they occurred before that individual was born.

When do you think past events become history?