How can I sort a list numerically?

Question

Basically, I want to create a summary for a history class. Therefore a lot of years occur throughout the lectures.
Does LaTeX allow to sort a list if I set it up like in the following  example?
begin{description}
  item[1912] Something good happened
  item[1923] Something bad happened
  item[1901] Something terrible happened
end{description}

Is it possible that LaTeX recognizes the number and reorders it correctly?
Desired output:
1901 Something terrible happened
1912 Something good happened
1923 Something bad happened
LaTeX is able to do so in the bib, so can it be extended somehow?

Cragfelt · Accepted Answer

This approach automatically orders the items by year or any other number, by using an external list on an .csv file.
documentclass{article}
usepackage{filecontents} % To create an external .csv file
begin{filecontents}{jobname.csv}
Order, Text
1912, Something good happened.
1923, Something bad happened.
1901, Something terrible happened.
end{filecontents}

usepackage{datatool}
DTLloaddb{externalcsv}{jobname.csv}

begin{document}

begin{enumerate}
DTLsort{Order=ascending}{externalcsv}%
DTLforeach{externalcsv}{myorder=Order, mytext=Text}{item[myorder.]mytext}
end{enumerate}

end{document}

Output

leandriis · Answer

You could make use of the glossaries package as shown in the following example:

documentclass{article}
usepackage[automake, nonumberlist]{glossaries}

newglossaryentry{1912}{name={1912}, description={Something good happened}}
newglossaryentry{1923}{name={1923}, description={Something bad happened}}
newglossaryentry{1901}{name={1901}, description={Something terrible happened}}
makeglossaries
begin{document}
glsaddall % adds every defined term into the list
gls{1912} % just adds the entry with the key 1912 t the list
printglossary[title={List of Historic Events}]
end{document}

Alan Xiang · Answer

If you prefer the solution to be as close to your syntax as possible:

documentclass{article}
usepackage{expl3}
usepackage{xparse}
usepackage{enumitem}
usepackage{xcolor}

begin{document}

ExplSyntaxOn

seq_new:N l_item_seq

DeclareDocumentCommand{oitem}{om}{
    IfValueTF{#1} {int_set:Nn l_tmpa_int {#1}} {int_set:Nn l_tmpa_int {0}}
    seq_put_right:Nx l_item_seq {{int_use:N l_tmpa_int}{#2}}
}

DeclareDocumentEnvironment{description}{o}{
    seq_clear:N l_item_seq
    IfValueTF{#1}{begin{itemize}[#1]}{begin{itemize}}
}{  
    seq_sort:Nn l_item_seq {
        int_compare:nNnTF { tl_item:nn {##1} {1} } > { tl_item:nn {##2} {1} }
        { sort_return_swapped: }
        { sort_return_same: }
     }
    seq_map_variable:NNn l_item_seq l_tmpa_tl {
        item[tl_item:Nn l_tmpa_tl {1}] tl_item:Nn l_tmpa_tl {2}
    }
    end{itemize}
}

ExplSyntaxOff

begin{description}[left=0mm, font=bfseries]
  oitem[1912]{Something good happened}
  oitem[1923]{Something bad happened}
  oitem[1901]{Something terrible happened}
end{description}

begin{description}[left=0mm, font=color{blue}bfseries]
  oitem[1945]{Something good happened}
  oitem[1967]{Something bad happened}
  oitem[1932]{Something terrible happened}
end{description}

end{document}

How can I sort a list numerically?

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