21st Century

Expert history articles and analysis about the global events of the 21st century…

From transfusions of lambs’ blood to tooth replacements, Paul Craddock chronicles the strange history of transplant surgery

Transplant surgery: an eye-opening history

Vanguard-class submarine HMS Vigilant, the top above water

Britain’s nuclear deterrent: a brief history

Historian Bettany Hughes in front of the Rock of Gibraltar

Bettany Hughes “We were trying to find stories that tell us about resilience – history as a kind of therapy”

Historian Alex Von Tunzelmann. (Photographed by Fran Monks for BBC History Magazine)

Alex Von Tunzelmann “Debates about statues are often posed in simplistic primary colours”

A plane crashes into the South Tower of the World Trade Center

9/11: Twenty years on

A panel of experts discuss the big issues facing history education in 2021

Decolonisation to Covid-19: history education today

Public historians Helen Carr and Suzannah Lipscomb explore how we should make sense of studying the past in 2021

History in 2021, with Helen Carr and Suzannah Lipscomb

A panel of experts tackle the big questions surrounding period drama in the 21st century and ask: what’s next? (Images by Getty, Channel 5 and Alamy)

What’s next for period drama?

Fatima Manji talks about objects and landmarks that are often obscured by the traditional stories told in many heritage sites. (Photographed by Sophie Davidson)

The history hidden in British heritage sites

Teachers Richard Kennett and Tom Allen discuss how they have worked with six other teachers to create a new textbook on Bristol and the transatlantic slave trade. (Image by Getty Images)

How should we teach the slave trade?

A composite of characters from 21st century period drama

What’s next for period drama?

Martin Johnes tackles listener questions about the history of modern Wales, from the Industrial Revolution to devolution. (Image from Getty Images)

Modern Welsh history: everything you wanted to know

A runner is helped across a finish line

21 key moments in the history of the modern Olympics

Meg Foster discusses the bandits that lived outside the law in Australia’s bush – from Ned Kelly to surprising lesser-known figures. (Image by Getty Images)

Australian bushrangers: folk heroes or common criminals?

Alex Renton shares the story of his own family’s involvement in the slave trade, and considers how best to deal with this unwanted inheritance. (Image from Getty Images)

The slave trade: a family history