diff --git a/src/history/base.rs b/src/history/base.rs
index 63b5bd4..16b8b49 100644
--- a/src/history/base.rs
+++ b/src/history/base.rs
@@ -165,6 +165,8 @@ pub trait History: Send {
         id: HistoryItemId,
         updater: &dyn Fn(HistoryItem) -> HistoryItem,
     ) -> Result<()>;
+    /// delete all history items
+    fn clear(&mut self) -> Result<()>;
     /// remove an item from this history
     fn delete(&mut self, h: HistoryItemId) -> Result<()>;
     /// ensure that this history is written to disk
@@ -322,4 +324,52 @@ mod test {
 
         Ok(())
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn clear_history() -> Result<()> {
+        let mut history = create_filled_example_history()?;
+        assert_ne!(history.count_all()?, 0);
+        history.clear().unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(history.count_all()?, 0);
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    // test that clear() works as expected across multiple instances of History
+    #[test]
+    fn clear_history_with_backing_file() -> Result<()> {
+        #[cfg(any(feature = "sqlite", feature = "sqlite-dynlib"))]
+        fn open_history() -> Box<dyn History> {
+            Box::new(
+                crate::SqliteBackedHistory::with_file("target/test-history.db".into()).unwrap(),
+            )
+        }
+
+        #[cfg(not(any(feature = "sqlite", feature = "sqlite-dynlib")))]
+        fn open_history() -> Box<dyn History> {
+            Box::new(
+                crate::FileBackedHistory::with_file(100, "target/test-history.txt".into()).unwrap(),
+            )
+        }
+
+        // create history, add a few entries
+        let mut history = open_history();
+        history.save(create_item(1, "/home/me", "cd ~/Downloads", 0))?; // 1
+        history.save(create_item(1, "/home/me/Downloads", "unzp foo.zip", 1))?; // 2
+        assert_eq!(history.count_all()?, 2);
+        drop(history);
+
+        // open it again and clear it
+        let mut history = open_history();
+        assert_eq!(history.count_all()?, 2);
+        history.clear().unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(history.count_all()?, 0);
+        drop(history);
+
+        // open it once more and confirm that the cleared data is gone forever
+        let history = open_history();
+        assert_eq!(history.count_all()?, 0);
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/history/file_backed.rs b/src/history/file_backed.rs
index 7026036..ca4d491 100644
--- a/src/history/file_backed.rs
+++ b/src/history/file_backed.rs
@@ -178,6 +178,19 @@ impl History for FileBackedHistory {
         ))
     }
 
+    fn clear(&mut self) -> Result<()> {
+        self.entries.clear();
+        self.len_on_disk = 0;
+
+        if let Some(file) = &self.file {
+            if let Err(err) = std::fs::remove_file(file) {
+                return Err(ReedlineError(ReedlineErrorVariants::IOError(err)));
+            }
+        }
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
     fn delete(&mut self, _h: super::HistoryItemId) -> Result<()> {
         Err(ReedlineError(
             ReedlineErrorVariants::HistoryFeatureUnsupported {
diff --git a/src/history/sqlite_backed.rs b/src/history/sqlite_backed.rs
index 9aafe23..d5c9e3c 100644
--- a/src/history/sqlite_backed.rs
+++ b/src/history/sqlite_backed.rs
@@ -136,6 +136,14 @@ impl History for SqliteBackedHistory {
         Ok(())
     }
 
+    fn clear(&mut self) -> Result<()> {
+        self.db
+            .execute("delete from history", params![])
+            .map_err(map_sqlite_err)?;
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
     fn delete(&mut self, h: HistoryItemId) -> Result<()> {
         let changed = self
             .db
diff --git a/src/result.rs b/src/result.rs
index 4a88d72..5170381 100644
--- a/src/result.rs
+++ b/src/result.rs
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ pub(crate) enum ReedlineErrorVariants {
         history: &'static str,
         feature: &'static str,
     },
+    #[error("I/O error: {0}")]
+    IOError(std::io::Error),
 }
 
 /// separate struct to not expose anything to the public (for now)