Listicle

Amelia Earhart, Princess Diana, Emmeline Pankhurst, Rosa Parks and Marie Curie. (Photo by Getty Images)

20 inspirational quotes from women through history

Mary Stuart, shown here in a painting after Nicholas Hilliard, might have been a good queen, says Kate Williams, but the odds were stacked against her. (Image by Superstock)

Who betrayed Mary, Queen Of Scots?

Captain Edward Teach, better known as 'Blackbeard', a pirate who plundered the coasts of the West Indies, North Carolina and Virginia. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The most famous and despicable pirates from history

General History

7 real moments in history you might think are made up

Winston Churchill delivering his famous 'iron curtain' speech at Westminster College

Second World War

8 of Churchill’s greatest speeches

A 12th century tapestry showing, on the left, one eyed Odin carrying an axe, with a representation of the tree from which he hung; in the centre, Thor, carrying his symbolic hammer in his right hand; and on the right the fertility god Frey holding an ear of corn

10 incredible Viking stories from Norse mythology

Viking sailors make the long voyage across the Atlantic between Europe and America, in order to bring back timber, circa 1350. The Vikings are thought to have discovered America in around 1000 AD, but never attempted full colonization of the new land, due to the hostile natives. Painting by NC Wyeth. (Image by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

"Vikings didn't wear horned helmets," plus 7 more Viking myths busted

Colourful illustration of 12 historical figures's heads (Winston Churchill, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Thomas Cromwell, Richard III, Elizabeth I, William Shakespeare, Anne Boleyn, William Marshal, Jane Austen, Hatshepsut, Gandhi and Catherine the Great) shown in a grid pattern.

Top historical figures: 100+ of the most famous people through history – in chronological order

First World War

10 surprising facts about First World War uniforms

A mother receives her newborn baby in a c1490 text written for Henry VII. Childbirth in the Middle Ages exposed both mother and child to great peril but, writes Elma Brenner, midwives had the expertise to intervene when complications arose. (Photo by Bridgeman)

The medieval childbirth guide: 6 tips for pregnant mothers in the Middle Ages

8 historical reasons behind Anne Boleyn’s appearance in Princess Diana film Spencer

A mosaic that shows two Roman women exercising, one holds a flower and another holds a leaf

7 things you (probably) didn’t know about Roman women

Tostig Godwinson, brother of King Harold II of England, and King Harald Hardrada of Norway receive the submission of the city of York

Hastings, Stamford Bridge and Gate Fulford: three battles that lost England

A stone bust of the Greek god Dionysius

The gods and their whims: your guide to ancient Greek religion

Ancient Greek statesman Solon sits on a throne, with a subject petitioning him

Who’s who in ancient Greece? Meet 14 influential ancient Greeks

A bas relief fragment portraying Cleopatra

The female 'kings' of ancient Egypt

Soldiers of the Third Reich surround a huge bonfire during a winter solstice festival in December 1936. The Nazis attempted to use elements of pagan beliefs to promote a Germanic ‘national religiosity’. (Photo by Getty Images)

Witches, werewolves and vampires: the Nazi's quest for the supernatural

An illustration of the head of Louis XVI

Guillotined in the French Revolution: the bloody story through 7 severed heads

Pregnant woman before giving birth in the 13th century

16 things you (probably) didn't know about the rituals behind royal births, from the medieval era to the present day

c900 AD, Viking ships invading England. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

5 key Viking discoveries in Britain – and what they reveal about how the Vikings really lived

In partnership with Jorvik Viking Centre

Bodiam Castle. (Getty Images)

How to build a medieval castle: 9 top tips

The German battleship Bismarck of the German Kriegsmarine during early World War II

Second World War

Bismarck: why was the WW2 German battleship so feared? Plus 9 things you didn’t know about its only mission

A portrait of Napoleon

Napoleon: a life in 10 objects

Outlander: the real history that inspired the time-slip drama

Vladimir Ilyich Ulianov

Vladimir Lenin and his lust for power

Troops pictured during the Gallipoli campaign of the First World War

First World War

Gallipoli: 5 reasons why the First World War campaign was a failure

'The Last Supper' by Leonardo da Vinci.

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

Mary Anning (Kate Winslet) and Charlotte Murchison (Saoirse Ronan) in Francis Lee's new film 'Ammonite'. (Photo courtesy of Lionsgate UK / See-Saw Films)

The real history behind Ammonite

Viking women gathered outside a home - illustration

What was life like for Viking women?

A depiction of Robin Hood, the heroic archer in English folklore who supposedly robbed the rich and gave to the poor. (Photo by Culture Club/Getty Images)

Robin Hood: 7 myths about the legendary outlaw of Sherwood Forest