Period

A young girl in an ancient Roman fresco

Q&AWere girls educated in ancient Rome?.

The Popes Palace, or Palais des Papes, in Avignon, France.

Q&AWhy did the papacy move to Avignon in the 14th century?

Neil MacGregor photographed in London. “It seemed a good juncture, as Britain sets to leave the EU and operate alone on the world stage, to get a sense of how other countries view us,” he says. (Image by Chris McAndrew)

Neil MacGregor: “A consistent element of Britain’s image has been the lonely fighter standing against foreign tyranny”.

Courtiers dancing La Volta in a scene from 1953 film The Sword And The Rose

Strictly shocking: the dances that shook the world.

A 16th-century portrait of Mary, Queen of Scots. (Photo by The Print Collector/Print Collector/Getty Images)

Mary, Queen of Scots: the real history behind the film

Poles watch the first of the German invasion planes over Warsaw, 1939. (Photo by Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)

Poland, 1939: World War Two begins.

Adolf Hitler watches German troops march in central Poland

Roger Moorhouse: How Hitler’s diplomatic miscalculation led to WW2.

A photo which was believed to be of the Loch Ness Monster

The quest for the Loch Ness Monster.

Brendan Simms photographed by Ian Farrell

Hitler’s war with Anglo-America.

Engraving depicting Chinese opium smokers in a saloon

What caused the First Opium War?.

ExploreYangon, Myanmar: City of Golden Pagodas.

The siege of Sevastopol

Q&AWhy did Britain fight the Crimean War?

American business magnate JD Rockefeller sits at a desk

Q&AWho was the first billionaire?

Robin Hood statue outside Nottingham Castle (Photo by Getty)

The many faces of Robin Hood.

Men play kemari ball game

Q&AWho played the sport of kemari?

The card game cribbage

General Early Modern

Q&AWhy do we say 'level pegging'?

The engine houses of Botallack mine in Cornwall

A visit to Botallack Mine, Cornwall.

Bottles of snake oil

Q&ADid salesmen really sell snake oil?

The Pearl Harbour attack

Second World War

The 11 most significant battles of WW2

A real Peaky Blinder mug-shot

In pictures: what did the real Peaky Blinders look like?

Portrait of Prince Albert

8 fascinating facts about Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert

The humble G&T truly sustained the troops of the British Empire. (Photo by ahirao_photo/iStock/Getty Images Plus)

Q&AWhen did people start drinking gin and tonic?

A woman on a medieval ducking stool

Q&AQ&A: Were ducking stools ever used as punishment for crimes other than witchcraft during the Middle Ages?

An 18th-century public execution and crowd

Q&AWhen did people stop attending public executions in Britain?

Four soliders of the 36th Sikhs, various ranks, 1896. The regiment was led in January 1897 to occupy the Samana posts, says Captain Jay Singh-Sohal. (Reproduced with permission from australiansikhheritage.com)

The battle of Saragarhi: when 21 Sikh soldiers stood against 10,000 men

Statue of Lady Godiva

Q&ADid Lady Godiva ride naked in Coventry?

The fact that so many cultures have a myth about a devastating flood has led some historians to wonder if there may have been a real event that explains the myths. (Photo by Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images)

General prehistory

Q&AWas there really a 'Great Flood'?

Great Pyramid of Giza

5 facts about the Great Pyramid of Giza

Photo by Klaus Vedfelt via Getty Images

Top tips for studying history at university

Ladies-in-waiting

General History

Q&AWhat did a lady-in-waiting actually do?