How did the Titanic sink?
From the early tragedies to the last recorded words, discover the events of the ‘unsinkable’ ship (Image source: Wikimedia Commons) The air was buzzing with excitement ahead of the launch of Titanic in 1912....
Category: History
A history of doping in sport
Uncover the methods some athletes have used to cheat their sport and how science has risen to stop them (Image credit: Steven Lelham) In 1954, physician John Ziegler was meeting with a colleague from...
The world’s first radio telescope
How Jodrell Bank Observatory was used to prove Einstein’s theories and even spy on the Russians Image credit: Rosser1954 Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Situated 30 kilometres south of Manchester, England, is...
Military animals
From anti-tank dogs to exploding rats, discover history’s failed attempts at drafting animals into the armed forces Throughout history, humans have enlisted the help of animals to conquer countries, defend territories and defeat adversaries....
The Medieval Le Mont Saint-Michel
This monastery is a fortified marvel and one of France’s most iconic historic sites Image credit: Getty Images The island of Mont Saint-Michel has survived sieges, fires and revolutions over the centuries. While it...
Heroes of History: Sophia Duleep Singh
This princess of a stolen empire became one of Britain’s most high-profile women’s rights activists Born and raised in England, Sophia was the daughter of Maharaja Duleep Singh, the exiled Emperor of the Sikh...
How did the Black Death spread?
Fleas, rats and puss-filled boils – find out how the bubonic plague killed millions Plague doctors wore protective dress to treat victims of the plague History has seen many pandemics, but the bubonic plague,...
History of the Vatican
Nestled inside Rome, the bustling Italian capital, this tiny city-state has remained the centre of the Catholic world for centuries (Image source: Pixabay) Vatican City is the spiritual and physical centre of Catholicism and...
How did trebuchets work?
At the height of its power the trebuchet was an unstoppable force, crushing fortifi cations, buildings and men alike (Image credit: ChrisO) The setting: King Richard’s crusades in the latter half of the 12th...
Evolution of the bicycle
How we learnt to get on our bikes The name bicycle was coined in 1869 but bicycle-like machines were built much earlier in this century. The walking machine of 1817 didn’t have pedals, but...
