When you were a child, did you ever sit next to a grandparent or family elder, and ask questions about "the olden days?" Did your family members tell stories of their childhood, exciting events which happened before you were around, or pass along family stories about ancestors long dead? If so, you witnessed an oral history!

Oral histories are the event that takes place when one person tells another about events which affected them personally, generally in the past. For example, a grandparent talking about their childhood to a grandchild can be considered an informal oral history. The organized, systematic interviewing of persons involved in a particular time, place, or event is also an oral history. An oral history allows an individual to express their impression of events, feelings, and situations.