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Flames and smoke are seen billowing from the roof at Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris, 15 April 2019. Yet despite the devastation, the fire is “not the worst chapter in its 850-year history”, argues Dr Emily Guerry. (Patrick Anidjar/AFP/Getty Images)

Notre-Dame fire"It's extraordinary what has survived"

Notre-Dame cathedral, which dates back to 1163. (Alberto Pizzoli/AFP/Getty Images)

Notre-Dame10 facts about Paris's famous cathedral

Episode 7Scandals break. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Kavita Puri"There are other medieval women who we can bring to the foreground". This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Sir Graham Brady (centre), chairman of the 1922 Committee, announces that Theresa May has survived an attempt by Tory MPs to oust her as party leader with a motion of no confidence

1922 CommitteeWhy are the Tory 'men in grey suits' so influential?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Episode 3Life & death of the boy king. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Dakota Johnson stars as Anne Elliot in Netflix's 2022 adaptation of Persuasion, the final completed novel by Jane Austen

Persuasion“The essence and spirit of Austen’s work are fundamentally changed”

Charley WilsonVictorian transgender working-class man. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Paratroopers over Dien Bien Phu

Dien Bien Phu: the battle that split Vietnam

Count von Stauffenberg

Why we should remember…The plot to assassinate Hitler and install a new German government. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

The first Vietnam War. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

An emu stares into the camera

Q&AWhat was the Emu War?

A painting showing a man and woman side by side with somber expressions. The man holds a pitchfork.

What great paintings sayAmerican Gothic By Grant Wood, 1930. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Powerful pages: the beguiling history of books. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

The origins of the Conservative Party can be traced to the ‘Tory’ group in parliament which emerged in the last quarter of the 17th century and, led by Lord Bolingbroke (pictured) and Robert Harley, held power during the final years of Queen Anne’s reign. (Photo by Culture Club/Getty Images)

Why are they called Tories?A brief history of the Conservative Party. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Ross Kemp and Jesse Owens

My history heroRoss Kemp chooses Jesse Owens. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Marie Tharp stands at a table, drawing her map of the Atlantic Ocean's floor

15 minutes of fameJerry Brotton chooses Marie Tharp. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

c1400 farmer ploughing a field.

6 of the most catastrophic weather events in British history

The Inca empire: everything you wanted to know. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Kavita Puri"Many south Asian diasporic families don’t know of their First World War links". This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

The vanishing inventor. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A black-and-white photograph of men walking down a road lined with shops. They are armed with guns

The Irish Civil War: 100 years on. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Episode 2Egypt in the era of the boy king. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A portrait of King Henry VIII

Henry VIIIThe life and rule of the Tudor king, plus 5 surprising facts

Britain’s century of political nightmares. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Newspaper front page with headline 'Gen. Ramey Empties Roswell Saucer'

Why we should rememberThe Roswell Incident. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Portrait of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, showing his pronounced Habsburg jaw

Q&AWhat was the Habsburg jaw?

Estelle Paranque

Estelle Paranque“Elizabeth I was in charge of her fate. Perhaps that’s why Catherine de Medici despised her”. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Royal rivals? Medieval England and France’s tempestuous relationship. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

My history heroRory Stewart chooses Thomas More. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.