History was launched on January 1, 1995 as The History Channel, its original format focused entirely on historical series and specials. The channel has consistently produced decent prime-time ratings in the U.S.

On February 16, 2008, a new logo was launched on the U.S. network as part of a major rebranding effort. While the trademark "H" was kept, the triangle shape on the left acts as a play button for animation and fly outs during commercials and shows. On March 20, 2008, as part of that same rebranding effort, The History Channel dropped the "The" and "Channel" from its name to become simply "History”.