Martha Ballard never would have guessed that the diary she faithfully kept from 1785-1812 would make her famous two centuries later. The books and film based on her writings would have been a surprise, sure, but the latest adaptation would have sent her reeling.

The whole world can now read — and learn from — Ballard's diary on the Web. It's the centerpiece of the new Do History site <www.dohistory.org>, recently launched by the Harvard Film Study Center.