20th Century - Getty Images

20th Century

Andrew Carnegie (1835–1919), the Scottish-American industrialist who built a steel empire in the late 19th century, speaks with colleagues in this photograph. Renowned for both his business success and later philanthropy, Carnegie championed education, libraries, and scientific advancement as part of his belief in the philanthropy. (Photo by Getty Images)

History’s smallest billionaire? Meet the tiny titan who was, briefly, the richest man alive

Author/veterinarian Dr. James Alfred Wight (pen name James Herriot) holding up a black cat that he is examining at his veterinary surgery. (Photo by Ian Cook/Getty Images)

Who was the real James Herriot?The true story behind All Creatures Great and Small

Art Deco: everything you wanted to know

On 27 January 1943, ARP wardens attend the funeral of victims killed in a daylight bombing raid — including several children and teachers. Such scenes were tragically common during the Second World War, as civilian areas remained vulnerable to Luftwaffe attacks despite improved air defences.

Second World War

Why were these British Second World War burials draped with Nazi flags?

America in Korea: a failed occupation?

The real Miss Moneypennys: the secret history of Britain's female spies

On 31 August 1939, children from Chelsea line up with their belongings, ready to be evacuated from London as war looms. Part of a nationwide effort to move civilians — especially children — to safety, the evacuation began just days before Britain entered the Second World War.

Second World War

The biggest misconceptions about WW2 evacuees? This historian has the answers

Wages for housework: the daring 1970s campaign that challenged women's roles

How the Cold War made the modern world

Katya Adler and Rita Levi-Montalcini

My history heroKatya Adler chooses Rita Levi-Montalcini

Soviet dissidents who challenged the Kremlin

English author Agatha Christie, pictured at a dinner in 1957. By this time, she was one of the world’s best-selling writers, renowned for her detective fiction featuring characters such as Hercule Poirot.

A real Thursday Murder Club? How a team of crime fiction writers tried to save the genre (and solve crimes)

A black and white photograph shows a group of Japanese military men on a train, while some young women prepare to get on the carriage. A young woman looks back over her shoulder

Kavita Puri on VJ Day: "We don't talk about the war in Asia – which was a messy, complicated conflict"

Why the Maginot Line couldn't save France in WW2

The spy next door: Moscow's century-long plot to infiltrate the west

Dame Stephanie Shirley and Tommy Flowers

My history heroDame Stephanie Shirley chooses Tommy Flowers

On 10 March 1945, Tokyo residents who lost their homes in the devastating US air raid gather amid the ruins. Known as Operation Meetinghouse, the raid was the most destructive bombing in history, part of a wider firebombing campaign during the Pacific War. (Photo by Getty Images)

Second World War

Before the atomic bombs, the USA hit Japan with one of the most overlooked (but deadly) campaigns in WW2

Many brightly coloured teacups with triangular handles sit on top of a white table. To the left, one of them is being picked up. The person is wearing a green bracelet on the arm they are using to hold the cup

Designs for life: the lasting impact of Art Deco

Zoot suits, mashers & New Romantics: the evolution of the dandy

Was the atomic bomb necessary to end war with Japan?

A picture of Freddie Mercury. He is wearing a white vest top with white jeans and he is holding a guitar behind his head. At the top of the guitar, a bright white light shines

The Age of Spectacle: Live Aid at 40

Hiroshima: in the shadow of the bomb

WW2 evacuees: everything you wanted to know

A woman dressed in a grey top and a green and orange bandana holds a black and white photograph of a young man against her chin. She stands in front of a plain, yellow wall

The Srebrenica massacre: the worst atrocity committed on European soil since the Second World War

Power & terror: a history of the nuclear age

Michelle Akers-Stahl, who scored twice in the final, celebrates with teammates Julie Foudy and Carin Jennings after the United States won the inaugural FIFA Women’s World Cup on 30 November 1991, defeating Norway 2–1. The tournament marked a turning point in the global recognition of the women’s game.

How a forgotten law helped women’s football conquer the world – but only by accident

In a televised address on 15 August 1973, President Richard Nixon proclaimed his innocence in the Watergate affair and urged Americans to reject efforts to exploit the scandal. This photograph was taken after the broadcast, as cameras were barred during the speech.

Watergate is the ultimate American conspiracy – but what if we’ve been misunderstanding it all along?

Iron Mountain: the conspiracy that duped America

Captain Robert S. Johnson, a former cabinet-maker from Oklahoma, stands beside his aircraft during the Second World War. With 25 confirmed kills, he was the US Air Force’s leading fighter ace in the European theatre and the recipient of numerous decorations.

Second World War

On one of WW2’s deadliest air routes, pilots’ biggest fear was surviving a crash – here’s why

Mein Kampf: Hitler's dark vision for the future