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An illustration of Henry VII, surrounded by Tudor roses. In the background there are shadows of those who challenged for his throne.

Henry VII: the greatest pretender

Your guide to Ancient Greece: everything you wanted to know

Q&A How dangerous was the penny-farthing?

Ian Keable describes some of the most audacious, bizarre and inventive pranks that fooled Georgian Britain. (Image by Getty Images)

Extraordinary hoaxes of the 18th century

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17 September

Latest articles

In the news

Today’s events in historical context…

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“A dead whale or a stove boat”: whaling in the 19th century

Gareth Williams explores previous efforts to combat lethal diseases, from smallpox to polio. (Image by Getty Images)

The race for vaccines: lessons from history

Vanguard-class submarine HMS Vigilant, the top above water

Britain’s nuclear deterrent: a brief history

Alex von Tunzelmann explores the stories behind some of the world’s most controversial statues – and gives her take on whether they should stand or fall. (Image by Getty Image)

Should they stand or fall? The great statue debate

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Historical Q&As

How did Spanish Flu get its name? When did our ancestors start using toilet paper? Why did the famous Crystal Palace burn down? And where was the WW1 Armistice signed? Here are the top questions about history, answered by historians and experts…

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Q&A Did the Scottish mass-murdering cannibal Sawney Bean actually exist?

A Peep at St. Peter or The Poet in a Pickle

Q&A Why do we say 'Peeping Tom'?

The Statue of Liberty against a blue sky

Q&A Was the Statue of Liberty designed specifically for the United States?

Illustration of German Dominican preacher Johann Tetzel selling indulgences inside a church

Q&A What are indulgences, how were they abused in medieval times, and what do they have to do with the Reformation?

Joep de Beer of Holland throws a javelin at the Stoke Mandeville Games

Q&A When and where were the first Paralympics held?

The Byzantines and a flamethrower

General ancient history

Q&A What was Greek fire?

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HistoryExtra Podcast

The latest episodes from the History Extra podcast

Politicians in suits discuss the Paris Peace Treaty inside the Palace of Versailles

The Paris Peace Conference: everything you wanted to know

Neil Oliver discusses his new book, which takes us on a whistle-stop tour of global history. (Image by Getty Images)

World history in 100 moments

Empress Maria Theresa, a portrait

Maria Theresa: empress, warrior, matriarch

King Arthur and a hand holding the sword Excalibur.

The legends of King Arthur: everything you wanted to know

Pectoral ornament in the form of a double headed serpent, Aztec/ Mixtec, c 1400/1521 (Photo by Getty Images)

The Aztecs: everything you wanted to know

An archetypal country house in its grounds, in the mist

From Roman villas to Downton Abbey: Britain’s country houses

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Trending in the US

Elizabeth I

History quiz: how much do you know about Tudor Queen Elizabeth I?

Atomic bomb damage in the city of Hiroshima, 1945. The atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima on 6 August 1945 “razed and burnt around 70 per cent of all buildings”, according to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Second World War

Was the US justified in dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during the Second World War?

This 16th-century woodcut depicts King James VI at the North Berwick witch trials, the case that first sparked his obsession with hunting. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

James VI and I: the king who hunted witches

A portrait of Henry VII, the first Tudor king of England, by Michiel Sittow. (Photo by Universal History Archive/Getty Images)

Medieval monarchy timeline: from the Norman Conquest to the Tudors

Picture galleries

Explore our historical galleries covering a wide range of historical periods and topics…

England's World Cup-winning captain, Bobby Moore (1941–93) kisses the Jules Rimet World Cup trophy after England's 4-2 win over West Germany in the 1966 World Cup final at Wembley Stadium, London. Also pictured are Moore's team-mates George Cohen, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images)

In pictures: when England won the football World Cup

'The Last Supper' by Leonardo da Vinci.

Leonardo da Vinci’s paintings: a guide to 8 famous works

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In pictures: 150 years of the British Red Cross

Emma Corrin as Princess Diana in season 4 of 'The Crown'. (Photo by Netflix)

The Crown S4 news: Netflix releases first images of Princess Diana and Margaret Thatcher

Latest articles

On this day_Numbers19

19 September

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The death of Domitian: how aristocrats conspired against the Roman emperor

On this day_Numbers18

18 September

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Aids: the epidemic that changed Britain

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History Quizzes

How much do you know about history? Test out your knowledge with our quizzes...

How much do you know about the Vikings? Test your knowledge with our quiz. This mid-19th century painting shows Viking ships on the River Thames. (Photo by Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images)

History quiz: How much do you know about the Vikings?

People praying for relief from the bubonic plague, circa 1350. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Medieval quiz

A medieval illustration showing a doctor bleeding a patient

Kill or cure: can you spot the real historical remedies?

The effects of the disease known as the Black Death

History quiz: how much do you know about the Black Death?

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Popular historic periods

Portrait of King Henry VIII, Jane Seymour and Prince Edward. (Photo by Getty Images)

Tudor

Illustrated Medieval scene from the Romance of Lancelot

Medieval

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Victorian

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20th Century

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Popular people from history

Painting of Henry VIII

Henry VIII

Portrait of Queen Victoria

Queen Victoria

Winston Churchill gives his famous v-sign as he opens the new headquarters of 615 (County of Surrey) Squadron of the RAAF (Royal Auxiliary Air Force) at Croydon, 1948. (Photo by Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Winston Churchill

Golden funerary mask of Tutankhamun, inlaid with lapis lazuli, obsidian and turquoise. (Photo By DEA / G. DAGLI ORTI/De Agostini/Getty Images)

Tutankhamun

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Dockers unloading wine barrels

Social history

Photo of Mabel Capper and Patricia Woodlock advertising a meeting, Manchester, Lancashire, July 1908

Women's history

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Sex and love

The charge of the light, battle illustration

Military history

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