BBC History Magazine

I was interested to discover that, in the afterglow of being the second person on the moon, Buzz Aldrin remembered to submit his expense claim for the trip – a mere $33.31 (page 39). In her winning article on the history of games, Kelly Clancy highli

“We can learn a lot about people by studying what fascinates them, and games have enthralled people for millennia. In my feature, I explore what five such games tell us about the people who played them.” Kelly reveals how games have helped humans mak

“The transatlantic slave trade is one of the bleakest episodes in history and there's no denying that Britain played a major role in it. But following the British abolition of the trade in 1807, a dramatic volte-face ensued and the Royal Navy was unl

Few school history teachers make a national impact on the shape of the subject, but Nicolas Kinloch, head of history for many years at Netherhall School, Cambridge, was a major influence on the development of government policy on history teaching, as

I'm pleased that Helen Cowie covered the work of the RSPCA across 200 years (April). She explained that “pets had initially been excluded from the RSPCA's operations'’. But MP Joseph Pease secured the protection of dogs and “other domestic animals” i

EDITORIAL Editor Rob Attar robertattar@historyextra.com Deputy editor Matt Elton mattelton@historyextra.com Senior production editor Spencer Mizen Production editor Jon Bauckham Staffwriter Danny Bird Picture editor Samantha Nott samnott@historyextra

The city-states of the Greek territory of Ionia submit and pay tribute to Cyrus the Great. Cyrus, founder of the ‘Achaemenid’ Persian empire, is killed by the Massagetae tribe. Darius I of Persia launches an invasion of Scythian territories on the Eu

In early 1940, a conman persuaded General Franco (below right), the Spanish dictator, that he could produce petrol by mixing water with a variety of plant extracts. Working in tandem with the general's chauffeur, who told his employer that his offici

The seizure of a slaving vessel was a cause for celebration for the West Africa Squadron. But what fate awaited the enslaved Africans crammed aboard these ships? The British crown colony of Sierra Leone was often the first destination for those relea

After the Roman invasion of Britain in AD 43, Britain was named a province and given its first governor, Aulus Plautius. However, Septimius Severus, or possibly his son Caracalla, split the province of Britannia into two by AD 213: Britannia Superior

Cecil was the younger son of Elizabeth I's leading minister, William, Lord Burghley, and became his father's political heir in the 1590s. In 1601, he began to correspond secretly with James VI of Scotland and pledged to manage his accession to the En

Listen ad-free at historyextra.com/podcast or with ads wherever you get your podcasts With the latest series of Bridgerton now streaming on Netflix, the show's historical advisor, Hannah Greig, delves into the real-life inspiration behind the scandal

Estelle Paranque (left) discusses her new take on Anne in a podcast episode set to air later in June. She's a spirited defender of the queen, and suggests that the misconception of her as a homewrecker obscures a more complex story of a woman determi

The first instalment in your new Nero trilogy follows the experiences of his mother, Agrippina (pictured). Why did you decide to focus on her story? Agrippina is the ultimate survivor. How could she be anything but ruthless, given her family and upbr

They're both fascinating writers but why focus on George Orwell and Franz Kafka in particular? This year marks 75 years since the publication of Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, and the centenary of Kafka's death. The thing that connects them, of cours

As the weather heats up, it's time to cool down with an ice cream. Our favourite summer treat originated from the sweet cool drinks known as ‘sherbets’ made since medieval times in the Middle East, which Italians froze into a dessert in the 17th cent

6 Ancient Greek mathematician and astronomer who remained a dominant influence in science until the 16th century (7) 7 US political slang for an independent voter, derived from the word for ‘big chief’ in the Algonquin language (7) 10 Female ruler of

Crusader criminals Steve Tibble describes how the medieval holy wars spawned an enormous crimewave Catherine Fletcher takes a trip along the highways that once connected the mighty ancient empire Nadine Akkerman and Pete Langman reveal the ingenious