21st Century

On the evening of 13 March thousands of people in Phoenix, Arizona, and surrounding areas see a triangular formation of lights drifting above the city. Fife Symington, the governor of Arizona at the time, was one of the witnesses and he described the UFO as “otherworldly”. This image shows something similar to what was reported at the time. (Photo by Alamy)

A brief history of UFOs: top 10 sightings & timeline

Pod Wolfson 2021 WL

Wolfson History Prize 2021 special

Steven Johnson explores innovations in science and public health that have led to huge increases in life expectancy.

Why are we living longer than our ancestors?

Mark Evans charts the history of Coventry’s pioneering car industry, from the turn of the 20th century until the present day. (Image by Getty Images)

The rise and fall of Britain’s motor city

Wolfson History Prize 2021 shortlist

Wolfson History Prize 2021: shortlist announced

To mark HistoryExtra’s 1,000th episode, Dan Jones takes us on a whistlestop tour through the last millennium of British history. (Image by Steve Sayers)

Dan Jones on 1,000 years of British history

We mark International Women’s Day with a panel discussion tackling the central issues of women’s history. (Images by Getty Images)

The big questions of women’s history

An illustration of a 17th century plague doctor

‘Fake history’: hunting down false facts about the past

Tod Todeschini

Crafting historical weapons for Wolf Hall and The Witcher

Helen O’Hara highlights female pioneers of film, and reveals some of the challenges faced by women working in Hollywood over the past century. (Image by Getty Images)

The women who fought back against Hollywood

Susan Cohen discusses the highs and lows of the NHS, from its creation in 1948 to the challenges it faces today. (Image by Getty Images)

The NHS: a brief history

Supporters of Donald Trump protest in Pennsylvania as the state’s electoral college casts its votes, December 2020

The constitutional crisis behind 2021’s presidential transition

Ian Kershaw on the Second World War. (Image by Fran Monks for BBC History Magazine)

Editor’s pick: Ian Kershaw on postwar Europe

Robert Tombs on Brexit's long historical roots. (Image by Getty Images)

Brexit’s long historical roots

Professor Robert Tombs, Fellow of French history at St John's College

“Both sides of the Brexit debate have got things wrong about our history”: Robert Tombs on Britain’s complex relationship with Europe