Weird and wonderful

Portrait of Carlo Broschi (stage name Farinelli), the most famous opera singer of the 18th century. (Photo By DEA/A. DAGLI ORTI/De Agostini/Getty Images)

Castrated Georgian opera stars: the stars of the 18th century

An early Christian standing stone situated in an open field at Gelligaer Common near Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. (Getty Images)

Where history happened: the villages that disappeared

A red herring on a plate

Q&A Why do we say ‘red herring’?

St George’s Day: 11 things you might not know about England’s patron saint

Two garden gnomes on grass

A brief history of garden gnomes

Wood engraving from The Graphic magazine features an illustration of a young man running with the ball during a football match on a grassy field, late 19th century. (Photo by Stock Montage/Getty Images)

5 facts about the history of football

17th century engraving showing the execution by hanging of four witches. (Photo by Fototeca Gilardi/Getty Images)

Quiz: Would you have been accused of witchcraft?

Young woman gets hair cut in to a bob

A brief history of changing hairstyles

The Imperial State Crown

Second World War

Q&A Where were the crown jewels kept during World War II?

Cynocephali – Dog-headed men (Photo by Getty)

Basilisks, manticores and more: medieval fantastic beasts (and where to find them)

The Resurrection of Jesus

Eggs, bunnies and Jesus Christ: the history and origins of Easter

Aesop's fables: The Fox and The Crow. Illustration after 1485 edition printed in Naples by German printers for Francesco del Tuppo. (Photo by Culture Club/Getty Images

A ‘superfluity of nuns’ plus 9 more collective nouns that originate from the Middle Ages

Emma Stonex talks about the strange story of the Flannan Isles Lighthouse keepers, who vanished in December 1900. (Image by Getty Images)

The mystery of the vanishing lighthouse keepers

Jerry Brotton describes the astonishing life and career of the Renaissance artist Benvenuto Cellini – a story of murder, plague, imprisonment and even necromancy. (Image by Getty Images)

Cellini: the “supreme scoundrel of the Renaissance”

Picture of a court jester

10 April Fools pranks through history that went wrong