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General prehistory

12 alternative giant leaps for mankind – from carnivorism to Magna Carta

History Explorer The Holy Island of Lindisfarne

7 things you (probably) didn’t know about Henry VIII’s flagship, the Mary Rose

Simon was found with his whiskers burned off and hurt by four pieces of shrapnel. The medical officer thought he wouldn’t survive the night (Photo by Keystone Pictures USA / Alamy Stock Photo)

10 top cats in history

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The moon landing: 50 years on

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin on the moon's surface

The history of the moon landing: everything you need to know

Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin stands beside an American flag, soon after landing on the Moon as part of the Apollo 11 mission. (Photo by NASA/Liaison)

Opinion Was the Moon landing really a great leap for mankind?

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Science Focus podcast Why is the Moon landing still relevant 50 years on?

Striking machinists at Dagenham's Ford plant. (Photo by Getty Images)

Back on Planet Earth: what world did Neil Armstrong leave behind in 1969?

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Q&A Did NASA really pick the brains of the Tower of London armoury when designing the first space suits?

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BBC Sky at Night Magazine Where did the Apollo astronauts land on the Moon?

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Ye final frontier: the 17th-century space race

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BBC Sky At Night Magazine Sir Patrick Moore’s memories of Apollo 11

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BBC Science Focus Magazine Small steps: How NASA prepared for the first moonwalk

Launch of the Apollo 16 mission, 1972. ((Photo by SSPL/Getty Images)

The Space Race: The Cold War rivalry that put humans on the Moon

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Today’s events in historical context…

One of the earliest and most famous examples of extremism comes from ancient Rome. Starting in 264 BC and continuing for more than a century, Rome engaged in a series of wars with neighbouring Carthage. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

A brief history of extremism – from ancient Rome to al Qaeda

Kendrick Oliver explores the space race that led to the 1969 moon landing and considers the legacy of the momentous events of July 1969. (Credit: PictureLux / The Hollywood Archive / Alamy Stock Photo)

The race to the moon

Richard Nixon announces his resignation from the White House, 9 August 1974. Nixon resigned less than two years into his second term, before his near-certain impeachment following the Watergate scandal. (Photo by Dirck Halstead/Liaison via Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

A brief history of presidential impeachment

Crowds flock to the beach at Hastings in August 1938. (Photo by Photo12/UIG/Getty Images)

Holiday revolution: We’re all going on a summer holiday

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Winner takes all: A painting shows the French ship 'Redoutable' clashing with the British 'Temeraire'. "Regardless of the victory off Cape Trafalgar, it was another decade before Britain and her allies defeated Napoleon. (Photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images)

Trafalgar, a futile victory? Why Nelson’s triumph didn’t turn the tide on Napoleon

(Illustration: Clair Rossiter for BBC History Magazine)

When beans were the food of lust

The distinctive polygon towers of Caernarfon Castle. (Photo by Gail Johnson/Getty Images)

History explorer The conquest of Wales

A 14th-century Flemish illustration depicting the burying of plague victims in coffins in Tournai in 1349. (Photo by Granger Historical Picture Archive/Alamy Stock Photo)

Black Death: “Oh father, why have you abandoned me?”

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An Indian cricket team in imperial Britain

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Clash between the English Temeraire and the French Redoutable ships during the Battle of Trafalgar, October 21, 1805. (Photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images)

The battle of Trafalgar

Simon Sebag Montefiore on letters from history. (Photo by Dreamstime)

Letters that changed the world

Charles I. (Photo by World History Archive/Alamy)

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Nelson: the unhappy admiral

Victorian surgeon Robert Liston during an operation

An appointment at the house of death: the horror of the early Victorian hospital

Floral tributes to Diana, Princess of Wales, outside Kensington Palace. (Photo by Liba Taylor/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)

Princess Diana: when grief gripped a nation

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Call the medieval sex doctor

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Brexit

The history behind Britain’s decision to leave the European Union…

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Why has Britain decided to leave the EU?

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Brexit lessons from history

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The big question: has the European Union been a success?

“The anglocentric view we have of British history is unsustainable,” says Misha Glenny

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Issue 17 of BBC World Histories is out now

(Image courtesy of NASA)

NASA’s unknown Welsh hero: the story of Tecwyn Roberts

The last Russian royal family, Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra and their five children, were shot and bayonetted to death by their Bolshevik guards in the early hours of 17 July 1918. (Photo by Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images)

The legacy of the Romanovs: how is the last Russian royal family remembered in Russia?

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Q&A When did the leopards on the royal arms of England become the lions depicted today?

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

Medieval quiz

A depiction of a witch on a broomstick. (Photo by: Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images)

History quiz – Halloween

The results of the poll: 100 women who changed the world. (Photos by Getty Images/Alamy)

Quiz: 100 Women Who Changed The World

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Great Fire of London quiz – how much do you know?

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