History of Statistics

The history of statistics traces back thousands of years, beginning with early societies collecting data for taxation and land management. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the field evolved through efforts to understand population, economics, and disease. Pioneers like John Graunt analyzed birth and death records, laying groundwork for vital statistics. In the 19th century, figures like Francis Galton developed methods to analyze inheritance and variation. The 20th century saw the formalization of probability theory and the development of modern statistical techniques used across science, government, and industry. Today, statistics is essential for decision-making in nearly every field, driven by advances in computing.