General History

‘Inkhorn’ was the term for an inkwell made out of a small horn and became a nickname for the new words being created by playwrights and poets, such as William Shakespeare. (Photo by GraphicaArtis/Getty Images)

The evolution of the English language

Edward Jenner performs a vaccination, in an 1802 cartoon that lampoons the notion that being vaccinated will turn you into a cow

The race for a cure: how we found vaccines for 4 of history’s most dangerous diseases

(L to R) Isaac Newton, Henry VIII and Bal Gangadhar Tilak

General History

How did people cope with ‘lockdowns’ of the past? And were they really all so productive?

Elizabeth I preferred thoughtful new year gifts suited to her own tastes such as cloth, personal jewellery and trinkets. (Photo by Ann Ronan Pictures/Print Collector/Getty Images)

General History

Sobriety, royal presents and Victorian-era musings on failure: an unexpected history of New Year

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HistoryExtra Christmas quiz 2020

2020 Christmas history podcast quiz . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Almond Hedgehog: A debonair addition to the hostess’s armoury in the Georgian period. (Illustration by Clair Rossiter for BBC History Magazine)

General History

What was the best meal in history?

Buckland Abbey, Devon, UK. (Image by Alamy)

The colonial secrets of Britain’s stately homes

Even the ancient Egyptian played board games – this fresco from the tomb of Nefertari shows the queen playing Senet

8 of the best historical board games for history lovers

'Merry Christmas' Victorian illustration of Santa Claus holding toys and blowing on a trumpet, chromolithograph, 1915. (Illustration by GraphicaArtis/Getty Images)

Father Christmas and Santa Claus: a brief history of two Christmas champions

Claudia Jones at the Brixton offices of 'The West Indian Gazette'

General History

Black British history Britain's black trailblazers

Roman toilet

General History

Tales of the toilet: a historical A–Z

Glamis Castle is said to be the most-haunted castle in Scotland. (Photo by mpalis via Getty Images)

General History

A royal ghost tour: 5 haunted sites around Britain

A photograph of the Tower of London, from the river

Anne Boleyn, Beefeaters, Guy Fawkes and the princes: a brief history of the Tower of London

A medieval king dining

General History

Pig-chickens, beavers’ tails and turtle soup: 8 fascinating foods through history

Left: Prince Charles and Princess Diana on their wedding day, 29 July 1981. Right: Prince William and Catherine Middleton on their wedding day, 29 April 2011. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

The 8 most famous royal weddings in British history