Assuming the fundamental importance of division algebras, we introduced the division algebra of quaternions as a framework for description of four-dimensional space-time intervals. We derived the quaternion form of the Lorentz time dilation and presented an intuitive physical interpretation of the space-time transformations in the source and observer reference frames. We showed that the resulting physical interpretation is inseparable from experimental measurements. Also, we suggested that the positive direction of the quaternion stationary time is the arrow-of-time and that the length of the quaternion space-time interval is positive in the direction from the beginning to end. Then, we used quaternion algebra to develop quaternion calculus by choosing the correct quaternion form of the differential operators. We applied the new differentiation to the generalized potential function and suggested that the results can be interpreted as the two unified force fields. We repeated the differentiation, assuming that the second derivative of the potential function can be interpreted as the unified matter density. This resulted in the four unified matter density equations and a unified quaternion form of Maxwell equations. Then, we applied the unified fields and unified Maxwell equations to electromagnetic and gravitational interactions. Notably, the expressions for electromagnetic and gravitational interactions are similar as they they were derived from the same quaternion potential function, pointing to a possible procedure for unification of electromagnetism and gravitation. The novel components appearing in expressions for the force fields and Maxwell equations originated from scalar fields and velocity dependent potentials, and require further theoretical and experimental investigation. In particular, we showed that the gradient of the scalar field generates the main current density component for slow varying fields. Consequently, the proposed quaternion framework may be suitable as the foundation for a classical unified theory of space-time and matter, while enhancing the traditional theories of special and general relativity.