Period

A depiction of an ensign and drummer recalls the German Peasants’ War of 1525, when rural rebels rose against feudal oppression.

In 1525, an army of revolting peasants seemed unstoppable – but a brutal end was on the horizon

A pair of swords in a cross shape, on top of an orange background that features warriors fighting on horses

The assassins' reign of terror: how these 12th-century killers spread fear in the Middle East. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

11th-century Europe: not just the Norman Conquest. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Did Queen Victoria and John Brown have a SECRET child?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Episode 1Was Richard II really a TYRANT?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

This 2nd-century AD Roman mosaic from Mérida’s Casa del Anfiteatro depicts workers treading grapes to make wine. Scenes like this captured the rhythms of daily life across the Roman world, celebrating both agricultural labour and the pleasures of wine culture.

The ingenious Roman invention that sparked the ancient empire’s obsession with luxury

William Shakespeare: life of the week. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Episode 7Tudor love and sex: inside the 16th-century bedroom. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Episode 4Tudor childhood: what were children's lives like in the 16th century?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Episode 6Keeping clean in the 16th-century: how often did ordinary Tudors wash?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Episode 5What did ordinary Tudors eat?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A painting showing a man dressed in armour, with a blue and red flag over him, riding a white horse amongst a busy battlefield

5 things you (probably) didn't know about the Tudors. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Tudor life with Ruth Goodman. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Two men in historical clothing crouch in a small boat on a river, one pouring from a barrel while the other gestures urgently toward him, with distant buildings and ships in the background

Who laid the fuse for the Gunpowder Plot?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A portrait of F Scott Fitzgerald, author of The Great Gatsby who evoked the glamour and restlessness of the Art Deco era in his fiction.

Glitz, glamour and Gatsby? Not quite. Here’s why the Art Deco movement is darker than you think

A montage of moments and faces from history.

General History

What are the best history podcasts? These picks are the perfect way step into the past

Reagan's plan to 'make America great again'. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Beyond the podcastThe Gunpowder plot

A detail of a depiction of a lavish pageant staged in Paris in 1514 celebrated the royal entry of Mary Tudor, sister of Henry VIII, on her marriage to King Louis XII of France.

Tudor England had no standing army, but this humble hobby kept its people ready for war

'History behind the headlines' banner

Why is it so hard for Israelis and Palestinians to make peace?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

This portrait shows Elizabeth Vassall Fox, Baroness Holland (1771–1845), a prominent figure in early 19th-century British political and social circles. As the wife of Whig politician Henry Vassall-Fox, 3rd Baron Holland, she was known for her intelligence, influence — and for the controversy surrounding her affairs.

She held wealth, power and prestige: so why did this Georgian aristocrat fake her daughter’s death?

How enslaved people fought for freedom across the Atlantic. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Aneurin Bevan: life of the week. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A collaged picture shows a marble statue of Elizabeth I wearing a large crown on the left, and a portrait of King James I, dressed in a red and white robe and crown on the right

The lie of succession: did James I steal Elizabeth I's crown?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Bandits & blasphemers: crime in 17th century Scotland. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

This replica painting from the Cave of Altamira in northern Spain recreates some of the remarkable Upper Palaeolithic images created by early humans between 35,000 and 14,000 years ago. Celebrated for their vivid depictions of animals and handprints, Altamira’s cave paintings are among the earliest known examples of human artistic expression.

General prehistory

Think men were always the hunters? Stone Age women took down mammoths too – and that's not all

How Julius Caesar's funeral drama fuelled the mob. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

This 1st-century BC mosaic from the House of the Faun in Pompeii depicts a tragic dramatic mask, a powerful symbol of Roman theatrical culture. Masks like this were central to performances, allowing actors to embody gods, heroes, and emotions on stage.

Ancient Roman theatre was a powerful weapon of empire, so why were actors' lives so tragic?

Isabel Allende and Inés Suárez

My history heroIsabel Allende chooses Inés Suárez. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A painting shows a topless woman sitting up in bed, holding her hand against the face of the man leaning over her

What did the Tudors think was ‘good’ sex? These tips and tricks were key to relationships in the 16th century