10 Downing Street, the residence of the prime minister of the United Kingdom. (Photo by Getty Images)

Politics

A colour illustration of Lemuel Gulliver bound to the ground with ropes while tiny Lilliputians climb over him, from Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels

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Lands of make believe? How Gulliver's Travels highlighted tensions in Georgian Britain. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Blue-duotone photograph of a crowd of smiling soldiers in military caps gathering around a man playing an acoustic guitar

Second World War

Why did thousands of Spaniards risk their lives to fight for Hitler?

Historical black-and-white photograph of four cheering service members and civilians celebrating outdoors while spinning noisemakers and waving flags

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Is British history too woke? This historian certainly thinks so. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A white shield-shaped road sign reading "TEXAS" above a black silhouette map of the state of Texas against a bright blue sky with white clouds

General History

In 1845, Texas wanted to join the United States – so why was it rejected?

Ancient tomb fresco depicting a row of soldiers standing in a procession, holding spears and round, colourful shields

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In 197 BC, the Romans faced their greatest enemy. You won't believe what they did next. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Graphic photo collage of early 20th-century women engaged in sports—a mountaineer holding a rope, two women practicing jujitsu or grappling, and a golfer swinging a club—set against diagonal pink and blue stripes

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"No votes, no golf!": how the suffragettes made sport a political battlefield. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Illustration of a Renaissance minstrel playing a lute as a swirling speech banner filled with question marks flows out

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These are history's greatest unsung heroes. How many have you heard of?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

British historian and author Simon Sebag Montefiore sitting indoors on a light-colored sofa. He is bald with a light beard, wearing a dark blue button-down shirt and brown trousers

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"The Iraq War was a disaster": a historian's view on the modern Middle East. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A photo collage featuring historical figures and athletes arranged around a red and white 1-2-3 winner's podium set against a yellow background.

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Are these history's greatest losers? 19 people who had glory snatched away from them. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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The making of the modern Middle East. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Two overlapping circular portraits on a bright orange background: a black-and-white vintage headshot on the left and a contemporary colour headshot with glasses on the right. The circles intersect with a magenta-tinted overlap in the centre.

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"He came out of the Valleys like a projectile" – and altered the course of British history. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A warmly lit interior staircase with a decorative metal railing curves upward beside a yellow wall covered in framed portraits. Three large formal portraits hang on the left, while a person on a ladder on the right arranges a neat grid of smaller framed photos, suggesting the gallery is being updated or expanded.

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Why does Britain keep changing prime ministers? The answer lies in history. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A stylised illustration of a rally or public gathering. In the foreground, dark silhouettes of people hold up smartphones, their screens glowing as they record a central speaker on a stage. The speaker stands with a microphone, flanked by two figures in dark clothing and sunglasses. Behind them, a large blank flag is raised, and a dramatic red backdrop shows an enlarged shadow of the speaker, creating a sense of spectacle and media attention.

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Are there still fascists in the 21st century? Six experts weigh up the evidence. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A collage of famous footballers from different eras shown in colour against a black‑and‑white stadium. Players appear in dynamic poses: one mid‑bicycle kick, one lifting the World Cup, another holding the Champions League trophy, and others in action wearing kits from Argentina, the Netherlands, England, and the United States.

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These are the 27 most important soccer players in history. You probably won't agree with our choices. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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Episode 4Catherine the Great: How to survive on the Russian throne. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

An illustration of a hand drawing a flowering plant with a fountain pen on a sheet of paper. The sketched plant rises off the page as a lifelike stem with green leaves, pink blossoms, and a butterfly perched on one leaf. Books sit stacked on the wooden table, and a soft countryside scene with a stone house, gate, rolling hills, and palm trees stretches into the background under a partly cloudy sky.

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"He plugged into the electric current of history": why Rudyard Kipling still matters in 2026. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A historical workshop scene with three men working among stacks of rectangular metal bars. One man sits at a desk writing, another operates a large mechanical device with gears and levers, and a third stands nearby wearing an apron as if supervising. Metal ingots are piled on a wheeled cart and a wooden pallet in the foreground, and a tall stack of papers rises against the back wall.

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In WW2, Britain smuggled all of its gold to Canada. How on earth did they do it?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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Episode 3Tokugawa Ieyasu: Know when to prepare – and when to act. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A “TOP SECRET” folder sits between the U.S. flag and the Soviet flag, with two green missiles placed in front.

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Sexual pleasure and smear campaigns: spreading fear and loathing during the Cold War. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A group of women work in an early 20th‑century industrial laundry, standing around large wash basins filled with clothing. The high‑ceilinged room has pipes, machinery, and washing equipment visible in the background.

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"This would be your place for the rest of your life": the haunting history of Ireland's Magdalene laundries. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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Episode 2Winston Churchill: How to use dynamism to beat the odds. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Two circular portraits overlap against a bright yellow background. The left circle shows a black‑and‑white photo of an older man in a suit and tie, smiling as someone beside him puts an arm around his shoulder. The right circle shows a colour photo of another older man outdoors, also smiling, wearing a collared shirt and jacket. The circles intersect slightly, visually linking the two men.

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"We will not go down this road": the tragic Serbian politician who tried to stop Milošević. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Andy Burnham's leadership comes at a time when Downing Street has expanded its policy and communications operations, while prime ministers increasingly diverge from the norms of the 20th century | Credit: Getty Images

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The UK is about to get a new prime minister. But is the country now impossible to govern?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A stylised illustration shows six figures in flowing robes gathered around a large tree bearing blue, teardrop‑shaped fruits. The tree stands on patterned ground, its green canopy contrasting with a warm pink‑orange sky. To the left, dark silhouettes of oil rigs release smoke; to the right, a distant city with domes and minarets rises against the horizon. The composition blends natural and industrial elements, suggesting themes of water, scarcity, and cultural landscape.

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"A civilisation lasting over 3,500 years possesses huge cultural resilience": turmoil and tenacity in Iran. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A crowd gathers outdoors at a public rally. In the foreground, a bright yellow protest sign reads “Stand Up to Racism – No to Racism, No to Fascism – Unite against the far right.” Behind it, people wearing jackets and backpacks face a small stage where a speaker addresses the audience. A large banner on the stage reads “Southall Resist.” Some attendees hold phones to record the event. The atmosphere is peaceful and focused, with participants standing close together in support of anti‑racism activism.

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"It was just an Asian": the racist killing that fuelled a civil rights movement. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Two large battleships sit in coastal waters while tall plumes of water rise between them, suggesting incoming fire. Smoke drifts from the ship on the right, and hazy landforms appear in the distance under a muted sky.

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In 1940, Winston Churchill made a decision that may have won WW2. So why did it make him cry?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A split image shows two portraits side by side. On the left is a colour photograph of a person wearing an eighteenth‑century British military uniform: a red coat with gold trim, brass buttons, and a white cravat, set against a softly lit indoor background. On the right is a black‑and‑white historical illustration of a person in similar period clothing, including a tricorne hat and a military‑style coat. The pairing contrasts a modern photographic depiction with an older engraved representation of figures from the same era.

Period

Is Young Washington a true story? Here's the real history behind the Founding Father

A stylised illustration of an astronaut in a bulky white spacesuit, shown from the chest up. The helmet’s reflective visor fills most of the image, capturing a vivid view of Earth’s curved horizon — blue oceans, green landmasses and bright sunlight against the blackness of space. The background around the astronaut is dark, emphasising the planet’s glow.

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We haven't set foot on the moon for more than 50 years. Our expert explains the surprising reason why. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

It's a black and white image of a group of soldiers holding a swastika flag

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"Weimar's citizens cheered on Hitler": why the home of German democracy was easy prey for the Nazis. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Adolf Hitler stands at a podium addressing the Reichstag while giving the Nazi salute. Senior Nazi officials and uniformed officers around him return the salute during the session in Berlin.

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This is the Nazi-era mistake that Putin wants the West to repeat. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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