How do you define history?

A little while ago I saw this boat at the Oxford Canal near the train station. It wasn't the first time I had noticed it but I saw it again a couple of days ago. Each time I see her, she's one step closer towards a complete collapse. I wonder what kind of history this boat has. Where has she been? How many storms did she had to face? Who were her passengers? What did she do to deserve this ending? It's not that I really care about this boat - neither does someone else, I guess - but she reminded me of a quote from a movie I once saw, History Boys. One of the characters is asked how he would define history. His answer? It's just one fucking thing after another......