One of the more interesting developments that has resulted from the unprecedented access to information via the technological revolution of the past 20 or so years is the near instantaneous access to vast swathes of historical information. A number of sites dedicated to the preservation and availability of information from days gone by are now available – great for those wanting to experience a bit of nostalgia or some more serious research!

http://www.archive.org/, the Internet Archive, is the granddaddy of all such sites on the Internet. Founded in 1996, the Internet Archive has a range of resources, from the Wayback machine providing online archives of a surprisingly large number of websites dating back to 1996, to the moving pictures archive, which has an amazing array of videos – of particular interest the collection of movies from the 1940s-60s.

For a local flavour, http://www.archives.govt.nz/ is the NZ government organisation charged with preserving historical information about New Zealand and has some fantastic information available – check out the Exhibitions & Events section or also pay a visit to http://www.nzhistory.net.nz for some great national history.

Finally, the Vatican has begun delving into the Secret Archives and is providing a growing amount of information online at http://asv.vatican.va/home_en.htm. With records stretching back to the 8^th century, it’s safe to say that this is one of the premiere historical research centres in the world, and is well worth spending some time checking out.

So, with that in mind, use some modern technology to check out some great history!