 Historian, the historian is a person who studies and writes about the past, and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race, as well as the study of all history and time. If the individual is concerned with events preceding written history, the individual is a historian of prehistory. Some historians are recognized by publications or training and experience. Historian became a professional occupation in the late 19th century as research universities were emerging in Germany and elsewhere.