About Trace the Roots
A library of how we got here. Every event is linked to what made it possible, so any modern thing can be traced back, link by link, to the Big Bang.
What this is
Wikipedia explains things one article at a time. Trace the Roots connects them. Each event lists what it was built on and what it led to, the primary documents and books behind it, and the community's notes and debate. Contested history isn't hidden: the consensus comes first, then every serious alternative, labeled by the evidence.
The timeline started with 1,390 events compiled from the mainstream scholarly record in 2026. Dates marked "c." are approximate. Importance tiers and "built on" links are editorial judgments about direct enablers, and the community can challenge any of them.
The charter
- Free to read, forever. No paywall on knowledge.
- Money never buys ranking. Supporting the site unlocks contributing sooner and higher limits. It never changes how your votes count, where your posts rank, or what anyone sees first.
- The record is public. Ranking rules are published here, and every change to the timeline is logged.
- Labels, not deletion. We remove only what the law requires. Everything else stays, ranked and labeled.
- Your email stays private. It's never shown to anyone or sold.
How ranking works
Votes. Every note, document, video and book can be voted up or down. A vote counts for more when it comes from someone whose own contributions others rated helpful. That's reputation, from 1 to 4, and it can only be earned.
Score. Items are ordered by the lower bound of a confidence interval on their share of upvotes, so ten votes at 90% beat one vote at 100%. Editor's picks start with a small head start. New contributions get a boost for 72 hours so they're seen.
Notes. Modeled on Community Notes. A note needs at least three ratings. At 70% weighted helpful it shows as "Rated helpful", and as "Helpful across perspectives" when two raters who usually vote differently both rated it up. Mixed ratings show as "Disputed". Below 35% it's hidden behind a click.
Explore feed. Events are ranked by how close they are to what you just opened, their importance, community activity, whether you've seen them, contested history and some randomness. Topics and eras don't repeat back to back.
Who can contribute
Anyone can read and explore without an account. A free account lets you vote, save events, follow the discussion, earn achievements and comment. To add notes and sources, rate 10 contributions over 3 days, or become a supporter. Proposing new events unlocks at reputation 2, or right away for supporters. New members' notes and sources are reviewed before they go live.
Community rules
Disagree as hard as you like about history. Cite what you can. Label your own content: if you made the video, check "I made this". These are removed:
- Sexual content, and anything sexualizing minors (reported to authorities)
- Threats, incitement and harassment of real people
- Private personal information: home addresses, phone numbers, ID numbers
- Accusing a named living person of a crime or wrongdoing without a published source
- Spam, scams and undisclosed self-promotion
- Material that infringes copyright
Everything else stays. Every submission is screened automatically. Anything the screen isn't sure about waits for a weekly human review.
Copyright and takedowns
We link to sources rather than host them. If something on the site infringes your copyright, email hello@tracetheroots.com with the page, the material, and your contact details. We respond to valid notices under the DMCA.