Period

Leicester 'not trusted' with Richard III remains

Leicester car park skeleton 'is that of Richard III'

Gawsworth Hall, Macclesfield

General History

Q&AQ&A: Have twins ever been in line for the throne?

BBC History Magazine

Win an iPad mini with our reader survey

LA Times photo from newspaper report 1942

A big day in history: Japanese planes attack Los Angeles. Or do they?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

"Although the circus as we know it has its roots in the 18th century, the history of its three basic forms (clowning, equestrianism and animals) goes back much further," says Vanessa Toulmin. (Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images)

Where history happened: the circus in Britain. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

An illustration depicting the battle of Naseby, arguably one of the most significant land battles in British history. (Ann Ronan Pictures/Print Collector/Getty Images)

20 important battles that shaped Britain

Image by Jonty Clark.

Ye olde travel guide: Calcutta 1905. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

My history hero: Clara Schumann (1819-96). This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A view of Valletta during the Second World War, showing its harbour filled with naval hardware. (Photo by Picture Post/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The LibraryBritain's island weapon: Malta in the Second World War. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A big day in history: A speck of glitter triggers the California Gold Rush. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Why Magna Carta matters. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

BBC History Magazine

Shortlist announced for Young Historians' Podcast Competition

BBC History Magazine

Elizabeth I's faithful tutor

Vintage Astro lava lamp from the 1960s

50 years of the lava lamp

200-year-old diary posted online

Q&A: Where does the word ‘crack’, describing military units, originate?

The Wallace Collection, Hertford House, London

A rail revolution: Dan Snow on the meteoric rise of British railways. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

The Bank of England in a late 18th century illustration. A 1783 investigation into malpractice at the Bank is reminiscent of the current financial crisis. (Guildhall Library & Art Gallery/Heritage Images/Getty Images)

Georgian banking blunders. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Winston Churchill, former prime minister of the United Kingdom, gives his 'victory' sign while making a polling day tour of his constituency during an election. (Getty Images)

Are these the most overrated people in history?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

BBC History Magazine

January issue out now

The Black Prince's tomb in Canterbury Cathedral depicts Edward III's son as a resting warrior, a paragon of knightly virtue. The prince conceived the tomb's design himself but not everyone has bought into his favourable assessment of his life's achievements. (Photo by RDImages/Epics/Getty Images)

The Black Prince: hero or villain?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

John Linnell's 1816 portrait of Cornish engineer Richard Trevithick. His high-pressure steam engine "was the invention that unleashed power on this planet," says Michael Mosley. (Universal History Archive/Getty Images)

My history hero: Richard Trevithick (1771-1833). This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

George Frederick Handel married opera's passion with the respectability of biblical texts, says Tim Blanning. (Photo by The Print Collector/Print Collector/Getty Images)

10 milestones in the history of western music. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A portrait of Jane Austen. (Photo by: Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images)

Where history happened: Jane Austen. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Ye olde travel guide: Aksum AD 537. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Effigy of Thomas a Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, Canterbury Cathedral, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Canterbury, Kent, England, United Kingdom, Europe

Where history happened: the cult of Thomas Becket. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

BBC History Magazine

Britain Begins