Big history takes a broader view of history from the Big Bang to present day over 13.7 billion years and examines trends and humanity's place in the universe. Conventional history focuses on a narrower timeframe of 5000 BCE to present day, around 7-10 thousand years, and looks at specific civilizations, events, and individuals based primarily on written documents. Big history provides a more macro-level perspective while conventional history focuses on micro-level actual events and persons.