Explainer

Portrait of Thomas Cromwell

Your guide to Thomas Cromwell

A model of the face of a Neanderthal woman in front of art depicting a prehistoric environment

General prehistory

When and why did Neanderthals go extinct? Explaining the loss of humanity's ancient siblings

Arthur Hughes as Matthew Shardlake in Disney+ drama Shardlake

Is Shardlake a true story? The real history behind the Disney+ Tudor murder mystery

Slave markets – as shown in this engraving – were a staple of most Roman towns (Image by Alamy)

Ancient Roman slavery: what was life like as an enslaved person?

Benjamin Franklin sits at a desk, reading some papers with one hand under his chin

Benjamin Franklin: the Founding Father who saved America

The American Peace Commissioners negotiating the Peace of Paris at the end of the American Revolutionary War: (from left to right) John Jay, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Henry Laurens and Franklin's grandson William Temple Franklin.

Temple Franklin: the real story of Benjamin Franklin’s grandson

Painting of Lord Byron and his Muse

“Mad, bad and dangerous to know”: the scandalous life of Lord Byron

A black and white photo of Thomas Boston Corbett in front of a blurred drawing of the killing of John Wilkes Booth

Thomas ‘Boston’ Corbett: the man who killed Lincoln’s assassin, John Wilkes Booth

The neutral USA entered World War II only when a Japanese fleet launched a big surprise air raid against its Pacific naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on 7 December 1941. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images)

Second World War

When and why did the US get involved in WW2?

Michael Douglas as American Founding Father Benjamin Franklin in Apple TV+ period drama 'Franklin'

Is Franklin a true story? The real story of Benjamin Franklin and the Franco-American Alliance

Margaret Beaufort, shown in a c16th‐century oil on panel painting

Margaret Beaufort: mother of the Tudors

Mary and George Villiers, played by Julianne Moore and Nicholas Galitzine

Is Mary & George a true story? The real history behind the royal drama

James VI and I, king of Scotland and England

How did James VI and I die?

Ewan Macgregor in 'A Gentleman in Moscow' and the Hotel Metropol in Moscow

The incredible real history of A Gentleman in Moscow’s Hotel Metropol

Newspaper ballad about highwaywoman Susan Higges

The real Renegade Nell? The bloody ballad of female highwaywoman Susan Higges

The real Shirley Chisholm in 1974 and the Regina King in Netflix film 'Shirley'

Is Netflix’s Shirley a true story? The real history behind Chisholm's astonishing achievements

Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington

The Duke of Wellington: “One of Britain’s greatest soldiers, and worst prime ministers”

Portrait of Mary Surratt

The real history of Mary Surratt's controversial role in the Lincoln conspiracy

Portrait of Edwin Stanton (left) next to a still of Tobias Menzies playing Edwin Stanton in Manhunt (right)

The real Edwin Stanton in Manhunt: the true story of Lincoln’s loyal secretary of war

The Protocols of the Elders of Zion

The Protocols of the Elders of Zion: the real history that debunks one of history’s darkest conspiracies

Portrait of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII

Anne Boleyn: your guide to the life and death of Henry VIII's second queen – plus 11 little-known facts

Venetian merchant Marco Polo travels along the Silk Road to Chin

General ancient history

Q&AWhat was traded on the Silk Road?

Death of Abraham Lincoln

The Abraham Lincoln assassination: what really happened?

Portrait of John Wilkes Booth

Why did John Wilkes Booth kill Abraham Lincoln? And how was he caught?

An illustration depicting the assassination of Abraham Lincoln

Q&ACould modern medicine have saved Abraham Lincoln?

Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States of America.

Abraham Lincoln: the greatest US president?

A composite of Elizabethan images

The Elizabethan era: your guide to life during the 'Golden Age'

Olivia Colman as Edith Swan in a scene from Wicked Little Letters with her mouth open, looking shocked.

Wicked Little Letters: the true story of Edith Swan, Rose Gooding and the Littlehampton Libels

James VI and I and his favourites, Robert Carr and George Villiers

James VI and I and his favourites: what were their relationships like?

Mary Villiers and Julianne Moore

Who was the real Mary Villiers?