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This 19th-century chromolithograph depicts flagellants in Tournai in 1349, publicly scourging themselves in response to the Black Death. Known as the Brothers of the Cross, such groups believed self-punishment could help cleanse society of divine wrath.

It felt like the end of the world, but this medieval ‘apocalypse’ left a legacy no one saw coming

The history of women's football: everything you wanted to know. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

St. Pancras Smallpox Hospital.

QuizHow much do you know about the history of disease?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Episode 2Was it possible to be neutral in World War One?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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The Bayeux Tapestry shows Harold Godwinson, Earl of Wessex — and future king — with a hawk, riding to Bosham for hunting and sea fishing. This scene offers a rare glimpse into elite pastimes on the eve of the Norman Conquest

After 1066, a medieval millionaire buried his fortune underground – why did he never reclaim it?

In a white hexagonal frame, there is a black and white image of a playground, with a young boy on a white rocking horse. The background is green

Swings and roundabouts: a history of Britain's playgrounds. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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This mosaic from the Villa Romana del Casale in Sicily depicts women exercising — a rare glimpse of female leisure in the Roman Empire. (Photo by Getty Images)

Are you healthier than a Roman? These ancient secrets for longevity are still shockingly relevant

Nancy Mitford

The real Nancy Mitford: meet the bestselling novelist who betrayed her sister

When was the worst time to be alive? You'll be surprised at what our expert has to say. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Hand-coloured engraving of someone being tortured on the wheel.

Stretched, crushed and impaled10 shocking torture methods from medieval history

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Lucius Marcius Septimus, a Roman officer active during the Second Punic War in 3rd-century BC Hispania.

Could you have survived as a Roman soldier? Here's the surprising truth about life in the ancient army

This 7th-century BC relief from the palaces of Nineveh shows Assyrian king Ashurbanipal hunting lions — a dramatic symbol of strength and kingship in ancient Mesopotamia.

General ancient history

On ancient battlefields, the world's oldest civilisations turned beloved pets into weapons of war

A female agent serving in Special Operations Executive (SOE) during the Second World War.

Second World War

Step inside the covert WW2 spy network that trained women to kill with their bare hands

Cold War-era President John F Kennedy leaves St Stephen Martyr Catholic Church in Washington DC — just hours before Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev agreed to withdraw missiles from Cuba, defusing the Cold War’s most dangerous standoff.

The CIA’s most unlikely Cold War weapon? A secret smuggling operation that terrified Soviet censors

A portrait of James Bond author Ian Fleming

Second World War

Think James Bond's pure fantasy? His creator's real WW2 missions were more outrageous than you'd believe

Archaeologist Buzz Busby alongside two Roman swords.

A hidden Roman villa? A pair of "remarkable" swords might have just unlocked its ancient secrets

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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)

QuizHow much do you know about the Vikings?

Flagellants or Brothers of the Cross in Netherlands scourging themselves as they walk through streets

QuizHow much do you know about medieval history?

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Quiz of the weekWho became the king of France on 14 July 1223?

The effects of the disease known as the Black Death

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

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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)

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

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