I'm somewhat of an amateur history buff, specifically the tumult of Irish history but also other places. Several things fascinate me, how much there is always left to know, even of events you thought yourself perfectly familiar with, and also the apparent general level of ignorance of one's own and world history amongst people.
I suppose it's just one of those things which I find interesting that others don't but it chagrins me when I hear or read commentary on a current or historical event that displays a distinct lack of knowledge of the historical context. The events of the past obviously have very real repercussions on the present and it serves us well to know how things have happened, that the world, its structures, its people didn't just spring into existence on the day we were born. I understand that we all only have finite time in which to find out about stuff. I think wikipedia has been a boon for those casually interested in historical events.
By dint of being extraordinary occurrences some historical events interest many people much more than others. Witness the endless churning out of books and television series on the events of 1939-1945, even within this area of interest it seems the actions of the Nazis get the bulk of coverage. It will be interesting to see in coming decades with this interest continue or falter, will unborn generations find the events of those bloody years as intriguing or like WWI and previous conflicts will it fade from public interest?
There are numerous historical lacunae from the past century that intrigue me too. The relative dearth of interest in the Korean War for example.
I don't really have a huge axe to grind in this thread, so think of it as a hybrid crucible/lounge beast. What are your areas of interest in history? How much interest do you have? Do you or anyone you know have only marginal interest in your country's history?