What is the quote about history repeats itself?

Nah, I think you want Marx: "history repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce."

Some ideas and information for you:

"Every generation likes to think they're improving upon the last, that progress is inevitable, that the future holds less misery and suffering than the past.
But the truth is, some things never change.
History has a way of repeating itself.
It's just most people don't live long enough to see it happen."

"You know, I don't believe that.
I mean, not that history doesn't repeat itself, but that we don't have any ability to change it.
Well, how do we do that? Well, how the hell should I know? I'm barely 70 years old."

Quotes from a TV drama named Forever (2014) s01e05

George Santayana is the originator. There are many versions of what he actually said.