21st Century

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

Plagues of our past

Women protest in London following the death of Sarah Everard, 2021

Walking a dangerous road: women's safety on the streets

Anna Whitelock's Talking PointsFoundational stories

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”

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

Decolonisation to Covid-19: history education today

History in 2021, with Helen Carr and Suzannah Lipscomb

Anna Whitelock's Talking PointsPlot twists

Michael Wood on history festivals“The communal retelling of history is magical. Just ask the kids!”

What’s next for period drama?

The history hidden in British heritage sites

How should we teach the slave trade?

A composite of characters from 21st century period drama

What’s next for period drama?

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

Australian bushrangers: folk heroes or common criminals?

The slave trade: a family history

The piano: a musical history

Should they stand or fall? The great statue debate

The execution of Louis XVI in the Place de la Revolution

What is a revolution?

The merits of meritocracy

Who was Britain’s greatest prime minister? Episode 9: Secrets of being a successful leader

UFO history10 top sightings and a timeline

Wolfson History Prize 2021 special

Why are we living longer than our ancestors?

The rise and fall of Britain’s motor city

Dan Jones on 1,000 years of British history