Caspar Hauser died on 17 December 1833, but was it murder or a self-inflicted wound? Hauser’s mysterious death raised as many questions as his mysterious life.

History Today

15.12.2023

Victorian Romantic Rituals and Charms | History Today

The proper pastime for a young lady in the 19th century was the pursuit of marriage – the magical methods she used might be less proper.

History Today

14.12.2023

Why the Oracle of Delphi Still Beguiles | History Today

The Oracle at Delphi influenced Greek politics for a millennium. She continues to speak to us today.

History Today

13.12.2023

‘Jane Austen’s Wardrobe’ by Hilary Davidson review | History Today

Jane Austen’s Wardrobe by Hilary Davidson seeks to provide the context that more than two centuries of changes in fashion have obscured.

History Today

12.12.2023

How the British Council Made a Soft Power Superpower | History Today

The British Council was founded to help the world better understand Britain and to fight fascism. As times changed, so did its remit.

History Today

08.12.2023

How Did Christianity Change the Roman Empire? | History Today

By 380, a small cult originating near the periphery of the Roman Empire had grown to become its official religion: Christianity. Things would change – but in what ways?

History Today

07.12.2023

Saint Nicholas Becomes a Myth | History Today

On 6 December 343, Saint Nicholas died but his miracles continued. Eventually, the man was replaced by the myth of Santa Claus – if he even existed at all.

History Today

06.12.2023

‘One Fine Day’ and ‘Imperial Island’ review | History Today

One Fine Day: Britain’s Empire on the Brink by Matthew Parker and Imperial Island: A History of Empire in Modern Britain by Charlotte Lydia Riley are both full of ambition, but do they deliver?

History Today

05.12.2023

Was the 1926 Floating University a Failure? | History Today

In 1926 an American university went to sea and caused an international scandal. Could it still be considered a success?

History Today

03.12.2023

France’s Long March Against Racism | History Today

In 1983 the March for Equality and Against Racism from Marseille to Paris marked the coming of age of a new French generation.

History Today

30.11.2023

The Lost Years of Jesus | History Today

Did Jesus have a difficult childhood? Was his youth spent in Egypt or England, India or Japan? The four canonical gospels are quiet on his early life, leading some to speculate.

History Today

28.11.2023

The Yellow Trade in Counterfeit Coins | History Today

How Yorkshire’s Yellow Trade of coin clippers and counterfeiters changed Britain’s economy in the 18th century.

History Today

25.11.2023

Volcanoes on Tour: Recreating Vesuvius | History Today

In the age of enlightenment, the public developed a taste for sheer spectacle. Suitably awe-inspiring, dazzling versions of the world’s most famous volcano, Vesuvius, could soon be found across Europe and North America.

History Today

24.11.2023

Sokol: An Exercise in Czech Nation-Building | History Today

In the late 19th century a new trend captured the Czech people –gymnastics. But sokol was more than just exercise: a healthy body was a healthy nation and the Czechs wanted independence.

History Today

24.11.2023

Books of the Year 2023 | History Today

Revolutions and rubles, godlings and fascist symbols, Shakespeare and silk: ten historians choose their favourite new history books of 2023.

History Today

23.11.2023

First World War: The Fight on the Home Front | History Today

Soldiers on the front line in France and Flanders saw their fight as the only legitimate one. But in Britain, the mobilisation of the domestic workforce was integral to winning the First World War.

History Today

22.11.2023

Archbishop Wulfstan: England’s Forgotten Lawmaker | History Today

As Anglo-Saxon England faced conquests and apocalypse, Archbishop Wulfstan saw hope for the kingdom in a radical restructuring of society.

History Today

21.11.2023

Zambi of Palmares is Beheaded | History Today

On 20 November 1695, Zambi of Palmares – ruler of an ‘invincible’ community of former slaves in the Brazilian jungle – was killed by the Portuguese.

History Today

21.11.2023

The 50 Years that Made America | History Today

Fifty years separate the Boston Tea Party and the Monroe Doctrine. How did a group of British colonies become a self-proclaimed protector of continents within half a century?

History Today

17.11.2023

Edmund of Abingdon’s Dream Job | History Today

How a vision led Edmund of Abingdon to elevate the role of Medieval teacher to saintly levels.

History Today

17.11.2023

Power and Populism in Ancient Greek Courts | History Today

In ancient Greece the ‘least dangerous’ branch of government – the courts – wielded serious political power.

History Today

15.11.2023

‘The Revolutionary Temper’ by Robert Darnton review | History Today

The Revolutionary Temper: Paris, 1748-1789 by Robert Darnton is a sweeping account of events from the Parisian perspective, from disastrous wars to fights for religious toleration.

History Today

14.11.2023

London Necropolis Railway Opens | History Today

On 13 November 1854, the Victorians combined their love of heavy industry and heavy mourning, with the opening of the London Necropolis Railway.

History Today

11.11.2023

‘Eli and the Octopus’ by Matt García review | History Today

Eli and the Octopus: The CEO Who Tried to Reform One of the World’s Most Notorious Corporations by Matt García is a human story amid mergers, sales, profits and losses.

History Today

10.11.2023

The English Plan to Colonise Russia | History Today

When England’s search for a Northwest Passage via sea failed, an audacious plan to forge a land route was hatched by the Muscovy Company.

History Today

07.11.2023

‘The Weimar Years’ by Frank McDonough review | History Today

The Weimar Years: Rise and Fall 1918-1933 by Frank McDonough is a lucid overview of Germany’s tumultuous interwar years.

History Today

01.11.2023

The Bruneri-Canella Case | History Today

The curious case of an apparent amnesiac in Collegno paved the way for forensic science to become one of the pillars of Italian law.

History Today

01.11.2023

‘The Bone Chests’ by Cat Jarman review | History Today

The Bone Chests: Unlocking the Secrets of the Anglo-Saxons by Cat Jarman is an enthusiastic guide through England’s early medieval past.

History Today

31.10.2023

The Welfare of Pit Ponies | History Today

Concern for animal welfare can be precarious, as the history of Britain’s pit ponies shows.

History Today

27.10.2023

Why Is the United States Hostile to Socialism? | History Today

The question asked by Werner Sombart in 1906 grew in relevance as the 20th century progressed. Why are leftist politics anathema to Washington – both at home and abroad?

History Today

27.10.2023

The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral Becomes Legend | History Today

On 26 October 1881, three men were shot dead in Tombstone, Arizona. A survivor, Wyatt Earp, turned it into a legend.

History Today

25.10.2023

‘Hunting the Falcon’ by John Guy and Julia Fox review | History Today

Hunting the Falcon: Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn and the Marriage That Shook Europe by John Guy and Julia Fox is a well-told account that shies away from debate.

History Today

24.10.2023

How to Leave the House of Lords | History Today

Members of the House of Lords are traditionally prohibited from giving up their seats. What if a move to the Commons becomes a political necessity?

History Today

21.10.2023

The Beer Hall Putsch: What Hitler Learnt | History Today

In the aftermath of the Munich Beer Hall Putsch of November 1923, Hitler was in prison and the Nazi Party banned. But its failure taught him valuable lessons.

History Today

21.10.2023

Deaf Expression in Renaissance Art | History Today

Seen to be less capable because of their deafness, deaf artists in the Renaissance used their art as a powerful means of expression.

History Today

21.10.2023

The Flies, Fleas and Rotting Flesh of Medieval Monks | History Today

Repulsive revelations of bodily infestations were viewed by some in medieval Europe as proof of sanctity. But for most, parasites were just plain disgusting.

History Today

21.10.2023

Christianity’s Bloody History in Japan | History Today

Japan has had a vexed relationship with Jesus ever since European missionaries arrived on its shores. Banned until 1873, successive leaders have asked whether love of the ‘two Js’ is compatible.

History Today

21.10.2023

What Killed Kennedy? | History Today

Was it the mob? A coup? Cuban dissidents? War hawks? 60 years after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the theories are still debated. Do any of them hold up?

History Today

21.10.2023

Adelaide Casely Hayford’s African Education | History Today

Colonial schools eroded national identity and pride; in Sierra Leone a new way of teaching had to be found.

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History Today - History

On the Spot: Penelope J. Corfield | History Today

The Death of Caspar Hauser | History Today

Victorian Romantic Rituals and Charms | History Today

Why the Oracle of Delphi Still Beguiles | History Today

‘Jane Austen’s Wardrobe’ by Hilary Davidson review | History Today

How the British Council Made a Soft Power Superpower | History Today

How Did Christianity Change the Roman Empire? | History Today

Saint Nicholas Becomes a Myth | History Today

‘One Fine Day’ and ‘Imperial Island’ review | History Today

Was the 1926 Floating University a Failure? | History Today

France’s Long March Against Racism | History Today

The Lost Years of Jesus | History Today

The Yellow Trade in Counterfeit Coins | History Today

Volcanoes on Tour: Recreating Vesuvius | History Today

Sokol: An Exercise in Czech Nation-Building | History Today

Books of the Year 2023 | History Today

First World War: The Fight on the Home Front | History Today

Archbishop Wulfstan: England’s Forgotten Lawmaker | History Today

Zambi of Palmares is Beheaded | History Today

The 50 Years that Made America | History Today

Edmund of Abingdon’s Dream Job | History Today

Power and Populism in Ancient Greek Courts | History Today

‘The Revolutionary Temper’ by Robert Darnton review | History Today

London Necropolis Railway Opens | History Today

‘Eli and the Octopus’ by Matt García review | History Today

The English Plan to Colonise Russia | History Today

‘The Weimar Years’ by Frank McDonough review | History Today

The Bruneri-Canella Case | History Today

‘The Bone Chests’ by Cat Jarman review | History Today

The Welfare of Pit Ponies | History Today

Why Is the United States Hostile to Socialism? | History Today

The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral Becomes Legend | History Today

‘Hunting the Falcon’ by John Guy and Julia Fox review | History Today

How to Leave the House of Lords | History Today

The Beer Hall Putsch: What Hitler Learnt | History Today

Deaf Expression in Renaissance Art | History Today

The Flies, Fleas and Rotting Flesh of Medieval Monks | History Today

Christianity’s Bloody History in Japan | History Today

What Killed Kennedy? | History Today

Adelaide Casely Hayford’s African Education | History Today

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