Abstract Using the method of content analysis, this paper analyzed the contents of chemical history of six sets of senior high school chemistry textbooks published by the People's Education Press in 40 years since China's reform and opening up, and studied the evolution of their content on the number, chemical history images,present position, presentation form,the length of an article, area and age of chemical history, and found the change trend of chemical history in senior high school chemistry textbooks in China. It could be taken as references to the compilation and application of the textbook.