Culture
BBC History Revealed
Æthelstan and the foundation of England
Danny Bird reveals everything you need to know about the Anglo-Saxon ruler regarded as the first true 'King of the English' – from his battlefield achievements to his political reforms -
4 min |
July 2023
BBC History Revealed
Joseph Bologne: French musical maestro
Nige Tassell tells the story of the celebrated Caribbean-born violinist and composer whose spectacular rise to the top of 18th-century French society is the subject of an upcoming Hollywood biopic
3 min |
May 2023
BBC History Revealed
The 1918 Sedition Act
The United States' entry into World War I triggered a wave of frenzied patriotism across the country. However, as Danny Bird reveals, this hysteria set the nation on a collision course with its most cherished principles
4 min |
May 2023
BBC History Revealed
Deadly riots break out in London
The radical MP John Wilkes attracted loyal support for his outspoken criticism of the government. However, as Danny Bird explains, outrage at his 1768 arrest for libel paved the way for bloodshed and anarchy
3 min |
May 2023
BBC History Revealed
GREAT BRITISH CASTLES
Looking for a castle to visit? You could do no better than to add these spectacular structures to your checklist
10+ min |
May 2023
BBC History Revealed
WHAT IF...RICHARD THE LIONHEART HAD RECAPTURED JERUSALEM?
Nige Tassell and Professor Rebecca Rist consider the consequences for history had the Third Crusade returned the Holy City to Christian control
4 min |
May 2023
BBC History Revealed
WHAT GREAT PAINTINGS SAY
Alice Neel's bold, unapologetic works bared the souls of men, women and children living on the fringes of society
2 min |
May 2023
BBC History Revealed
GRAND DESIGNS
Part fortress, part luxury home, constructing the perfect castle required colossal amounts of money, men and patience
6 min |
May 2023
BBC History Revealed
SEX, LIES AND LUCKY ESCAPES
From illicit affairs to assassination attempts, Felicity Day reveals the scandals that rocked the court of King George III and Queen Charlotte, whose relationship is the focus of a new Bridgerton spin-off series
7 min |
May 2023
BBC History Revealed
7 THINGS YOU (PROBABLY) DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE VIETNAM WAR
Jem Duducu shares facts about the era-defining conflict in which the US attempted to halt the spread of communism in southeast Asia
6 min |
May 2023
BBC History Revealed
A AN Z OF CORONATIONS
On the eve of King Charles III’s coronation, Nige Tassell takes us on an alphabetical tour through the history of the royal ritual in all its glory
10+ min |
May 2023
History Revealed
PROFESSOR BILL SILLAR ON THE LEGACY OF THE INCA EMPIRE
The empire harnessed an extraordinary diversity of cultures, languages and environments
2 min |
April 2023
History Revealed
CONQUEST AND CONVERSION
A bloody civil war, deadly new diseases and cunning Spanish tactics resulted in the end of the once-mighty Inca empire
4 min |
April 2023
History Revealed
THE EARLY PIONEER PEOPLES OF PERU
The Inca were certainly not the only civilisation to leave a lasting impression on the Andes
4 min |
April 2023
History Revealed
EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT THE INCA EMPIRE
Professor Bill Sillar answers key questions about the rapid rise and fall of the South American civilisation
6 min |
April 2023
History Revealed
EVERYDAY LIFE IN AN EXTRAORDINARY EMPIRE
Professor Bill Sillar reveals how technology and textiles were among the many triumphs of the Inca
5 min |
April 2023
History Revealed
SEEING THINGS
_ A picture tells a thousand words, so they say. But it doesn’t always follow that those words speak the truth, as the stories _ behind these remarkable hoax photographs demonstrate
3 min |
April 2023
History Revealed
INTO THE JAWS OF HELL
In the final days of World War II, a US Navy crew endured unimaginable horrors when they were left stranded in the waters of the Pacific, facing hypothermia, madness and sharks. Jonny Wilkes tells the story of USS Indianapolis, and reveals how its sinking inspired a speech in a Spielberg masterpiece
7 min |
April 2023
History Revealed
Bessie Coleman: boundary-breaking pilot
Jonny Wilkes delves into the life of the fearless female aviator who refused to be held back by discrimination, and who did her utmost to ensure that other people of colour could follow in her footsteps
3 min |
April 2023
History Revealed
The Chinese Exclusion Act
In the late 19th century, rising anti-Chinese prejudice paved the way for one of the most controversial laws in US history. Danny Bird explains how the legislation was passed and why its legacy is still felt today
4 min |
April 2023
History Revealed
'Princess Caraboo' appears in Almondsbury
In 1817, a Gloucestershire village was dazzled by the arrival of a mysterious royal visitor. But, as Danny Bird reveals, not all was what it seemed in this strange tale of a woman who duped high society
4 min |
April 2023
History Revealed
WHAT IF...HANNIBAL HAD TAKEN ROME?
Professor Greg Woolf talks to Nige Tassell about what might have happened to Rome and the Romans had the Carthaginian military mastermind managed to conquer the city
4 min |
February 2023
History Revealed
PUNISHMENT FROM ON HIGH
An unshakeable certainty that the plague was God's punishment for sin led to desperate, and terrible, measures
4 min |
February 2023
History Revealed
GOING INTO LOCKDOWN
Helen Carr explores the measures used across the centuries to curb the spread of the deadliest disease in human history
6 min |
February 2023
History Revealed
GRIEF AND DESPERATION
The Black Death triggered untold panic across Europe, causing people to desert their loved ones and seek out scapegoats
5 min |
February 2023
History Revealed
THE SHADOW OF DEATH DESCENDS
Originating in eastern or central Asia, plague ravaged Europe - and people were helpless to stop it spreading
6 min |
February 2023
History Revealed
EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT THE BLACK DEATH
Professor John Hatcher answers keys questions about the global spread, symptoms and long-term impact of plague
10+ min |
February 2023
History Revealed
Pauli Murray: civil rights lawyer
Trailblazing attorney Pauli Murray devoted her legal career to tackling racial and gender discrimination in the US. But what drove the civil rights icon and LGBTQ+ pioneer to take up the fight in the first place?
4 min |
February 2023
History Revealed
The French Wars of Religion
In the late 16th century, France was torn apart by a series of violent religious conflicts between Catholics and Protestants, with several noble families competing for mastery over the kingdom's salvation
4 min |
February 2023
History Revealed
Alexander Selkirk is finally rescued
Marooned on a remote desert island for more than four years, Scottish mariner Alexander Selkirk survived against all the odds, gaining fame, fortune and a lasting influence on popular culture
3 min |