I have reconstructed the first global star formation history (SFH) of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), based on our UBVI photometric database of six million of its stars. The SFH analysis was performed independently on >500 12 x 12 arcmin subregions which tile the 4 x 4.5 degree region of our photometric survey. The ensemble of these SFHs comprises a detailed map of the past star formation activity throughout the SMC.

Our reconstructed SFH exhibits several interesting features, which we have begun to understand in the context of the dynamical interaction history of the SMC and its neighbors, the Large Magellanic Cloud and the Milky Way. The SMC is providing a shining example of the idea that nearby galaxies can provide unique insights into the general questions of galaxy formation and evolution.

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