The Department of History, University of Calicut was started in 1963 as the PG study centre of the Kerala University. It was started at Zamorin's Guruvayurappan College, Kozhikode. When the University of Calicut was founded in 1968, the PG Centre became the Research Department of the University. Prominent scholars like M G S Narayanan, T K Ravindran, Ibrahim Kunju, A Sreedhara Menon and M P Sreekumaran Nair. Later scholars like K K N Kurup, V C Moidu, K J John, S M Mohammed Koya, V Kunhali, E K G Nambiar, K P Velayudhan, K Gopalankutty, K N Ganesh etc., gave leadership to the academic activities of the Department. The Research Centre organised UGC Summer Institute, Indian History Congress, South Indian History Congress and more than one time. A large number of international and national seminars and workshops were also organised by the Department. Professor T K Ravindran, Professor and K K N Kurup became the Vice-Chancellors of the University.
The Department is running a peer-reviewed publication called Journal of South Indian History, and several research findings were published by the Research Centre under the title 'Calicut University Historical Series'. Research Scholars and students of the Department are receiving fellowships, research grants and other scholarships for meritorious student activity. The Library of the Department, Digital Archives, Kerala History Museum and the Computer Lab have become distinct facilities of the Social Science Department. The recently launched 'Community Archives' programme of the Department is accepted by the Kerala Government for Statewide implementation. A large number of visitors come to the Department for conducting the 'History Exhibition' of the Department and the holding of 'Oral History Workshops'. Students of various courses are selected through the process of entrance tests and interviews. In 2017, the Department was selected as the 'Centre with Potential for Excellence' by the University and was allotted One Crore Rupees for its overall development.