History.
In parallel.
A timeline app for iPhone that lets you explore history side by side.
Instagram’s browser cannot open the App Store. Tap the three dots at the top right and choose Open in external browser.
Get notified when Parallel launches. Rare updates, no spam. By signing up you accept the privacy policy. Stay up to date on all of Anatol's apps. Rare updates, no spam. By signing up you accept the privacy policy.
Three giants. One year.
Three people whose names define the era, and most history books never put them on the same page.
Galileo is born. Three days later, Michelangelo dies.
That same year, Shakespeare comes into the world.
History rarely tells you what else was happening. Parallel does.
“Standing in front of a painting in a museum, I want to know: Who were the artist's contemporaries? Who was in power? What wars were being fought? What else was happening at the time? I want to understand the circumstances under which a work was created. Parallel is the tool I built for exactly those questions.”
Centuries at a glance. Details at a tap.
Most history is told as a single thread. One person, one period, one place.
Parallel layers multiple timelines on top of each other. Zoom out from a single year to 13.8 billion years, or zoom in until you can read every month. Swipe through thousands of years of history with a single gesture.
Double-tap any entry, and the app shows you who else was alive at the same time: Goethe was six when Mozart was born, and Beethoven died while Schubert was still composing.
From the Big Bang to the present day.
Parallel shows much more than the last few centuries.
Zoom out until 13.8 billion years fit on your screen. The free Earth & Life collection fills them completely. The formation of Earth, the first life, the dinosaurs, the evolution of humankind. A single tap brings you back to your own century.
A timeline for many uses.
For the curious
You always wanted to know what else was happening during Mozart's lifetime? Exactly for that.
While reading
A novel set in another century? A biography? Look up who was alive at the same time, across art, science, and politics.
In the classroom
Make history understandable by laying it side by side. Build a collection for each lesson or import one from a spreadsheet.
For your own stories
Family chronicle, oeuvre catalogue: anything that can be told on a timeline.
Parallel at a museum.
Inside the app.
Every entry comes with a short story and a Wikipedia link to read on.
Filter by region, era, or topic. Everything else fades.
Built-in collections and premium packs, all in one tab.
The tool for the curious.
Ten collections to explore
History, cut into ten parts: Earth & Life, Important Events, Empires & Eras, Rulers & Politicians, Painters & Sculptors, Classical Music, Philosophy & Religion, Science & Technology, Literature, and Buildings. 367 entries in total, each with a short note and a Wikipedia source, in English and German from day one.
Your own collections
Build a timeline of your grandparents' lives, every Beethoven symphony, or every Roman emperor. Parallel does not care what you collect. Start with up to 15 entries for free, go unlimited with Pro.
Import your own collections (Pro)
Set up your entries in a spreadsheet and import them into Parallel. Build exactly the collection you need.
How to build your collection →Filter and discover
Filter by contemporaries, categories, or eras. Everything that does not match fades away. A fast way to discover unexpected connections.
Pay once. Keep forever.
You pay once, with no subscription. After that, everything is yours. Family Sharing lets up to five family members use it from the same purchase.
Your data stays with you
Your entries stay on your iPhone. There is no account, no advertising and no tracking. The app works offline after install.
Pay once, no subscription.
Free
- Ten collections to explore (English & German)
- 1 personal collection
- Up to 15 entries
- All filters included
Pro
- Unlimited collections
- Unlimited entries
- Import your own collections
- Timeline export (PDF)
- Copy and customize entries and collections
Premium packs
- Expand built-in collections
- Curated by Anatol
- Bought once, kept forever
Family Sharing supported. Requires iPhone with iOS 18.0 or later. Under 10 MB. Works offline.
Questions? Write to me.
Parallel is built and maintained by me alone. Just send an email to hello@anatol.app.
I also share updates on Instagram. You can follow me on @history.in.parallel.
You'll find the FAQs here.
Enjoying Parallel? A short review on the App Store helps me a lot.