diff --git a/Doc/library/site.rst b/Doc/library/site.rst
index 44f90a3b9e496f..0996f6f5f2ee96 100644
--- a/Doc/library/site.rst
+++ b/Doc/library/site.rst
@@ -144,15 +144,25 @@ Readline configuration
 On systems that support :mod:`readline`, this module will also import and
 configure the :mod:`rlcompleter` module, if Python is started in
 :ref:`interactive mode <tut-interactive>` and without the :option:`-S` option.
-The default behavior is enable tab-completion and to use
-:file:`~/.python_history` as the history save file.  To disable it, delete (or
-override) the :data:`sys.__interactivehook__` attribute in your
+The default behavior is enable tab-completion and to use history file from
+platform defined directory.
+For Windows, it is :file:`%APPDATA%\\Python\\history`;
+for Mac OS, it is :file:`~/Library/Application Support/Python/history`;
+for other POSIX platforms, it is :file:`$XDG_STATE_HOME/python/history` or
+:file:`~/.local/state/python/history`;
+otherwise, it is :file:`~/.python_history`.
+Note that for compatibility, if :file:`~/.python_history` is readable, it will
+always be taken as default and other paths are ignored. To disable it, delete
+(or override) the :data:`sys.__interactivehook__` attribute in your
 :mod:`sitecustomize` or :mod:`usercustomize` module or your
 :envvar:`PYTHONSTARTUP` file.
 
 .. versionchanged:: 3.4
    Activation of rlcompleter and history was made automatic.
 
+.. versionchanged:: 3.13
+   Prefer platform defined data directory instead of :file:`~/.python_history`.
+
 
 Module contents
 ---------------
diff --git a/Doc/tutorial/interactive.rst b/Doc/tutorial/interactive.rst
index c0eb1feec4eb4d..208421a8c303d2 100644
--- a/Doc/tutorial/interactive.rst
+++ b/Doc/tutorial/interactive.rst
@@ -25,7 +25,11 @@ the expression up to the final ``'.'`` and then suggest completions from
 the attributes of the resulting object.  Note that this may execute
 application-defined code if an object with a :meth:`__getattr__` method
 is part of the expression.  The default configuration also saves your
-history into a file named :file:`.python_history` in your user directory.
+history into a file under platform defined data directory (
+:file:`%APPDATA%\\Python\\history` for Windows;
+:file:`~/Library/Application Support/Python/history` for Mac OS;
+:file:`$XDG_STATE_HOME/python/history` or
+:file:`~/.local/state/python/history` for other POSIX platforms like Linux).
 The history will be available again during the next interactive interpreter
 session.
 
diff --git a/Lib/site.py b/Lib/site.py
index 672fa7b000ad02..b2e300296804cc 100644
--- a/Lib/site.py
+++ b/Lib/site.py
@@ -430,7 +430,7 @@ def enablerlcompleter():
     registering a sys.__interactivehook__.
 
     If the readline module can be imported, the hook will set the Tab key
-    as completion key and register ~/.python_history as history file.
+    as completion key and register history file.
     This can be overridden in the sitecustomize or usercustomize module,
     or in a PYTHONSTARTUP file.
     """
@@ -460,14 +460,18 @@ def register_readline():
             pass
 
         if readline.get_current_history_length() == 0:
-            # If no history was loaded, default to .python_history.
+            # If no history was loaded, load history file from
+            # platform defined directories.
             # The guard is necessary to avoid doubling history size at
             # each interpreter exit when readline was already configured
             # through a PYTHONSTARTUP hook, see:
             # http://bugs.python.org/issue5845#msg198636
-            history = os.path.join(os.path.expanduser('~'),
-                                   '.python_history')
+
+            history = get_readline_history_path()
+            history = os.path.abspath(history)
             try:
+                _dir, _ = os.path.split(history)
+                os.makedirs(_dir, exist_ok=True)
                 readline.read_history_file(history)
             except OSError:
                 pass
@@ -482,6 +486,30 @@ def write_history():
 
             atexit.register(write_history)
 
+    def get_readline_history_path():
+        def joinuser(*args):
+            return os.path.expanduser(os.path.join(*args))
+
+        # If the legacy path "~/.python_history" is readable, always use it.
+        legacy = joinuser('~', '.python_history')
+        if os.access(legacy, os.R_OK):
+            return legacy
+
+        # Otherwise, use platform defined data directory.
+        if os.name == 'nt':
+            base = os.environ.get('APPDATA') or '~'
+            return joinuser(base, 'Python', 'history')
+
+        if sys.platform == 'darwin':
+            return joinuser('~', 'Library', 'Application Support', 'Python', 'history')
+
+        if os.name == 'posix':
+            base = os.environ.get('XDG_STATE_HOME') or joinuser('~', '.local', 'state')
+            return joinuser(base, 'python', 'history')
+
+        # Unknown platform, use the legacy path.
+        return legacy
+
     sys.__interactivehook__ = register_readline
 
 def venv(known_paths):
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2021-05-26-19-13-49.bpo-44239.AN0IcD.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2021-05-26-19-13-49.bpo-44239.AN0IcD.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..966aab117a2829
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2021-05-26-19-13-49.bpo-44239.AN0IcD.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Use platform defined data directories instead of :file:`~/.python_history`