The concept of a journal, a daily record of events, was already present in ancient civilizations, but the term "journal" as we know it today evolved in the 14th century, when it began to refer specifically to a daily record of events.
Interestingly, the word "journal" also has a connection to the French word "jour", meaning "day". This connection reinforces the root of the word as being related to the concept of daily occurrences.