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Join us for series two of History’s Greatest Scandals, where Ellie Cawthorne and Professor Hannah Greig are uncovering the secrets of the Georgian era. They’ll be following on the trail of forgers, ex...
· 57 sec
Cultural historian and author Breeze Barrington brings to life the fascinating – and often misunderstood – story of Maria, or Mary, of Modena. Born into Italian nobility and raised with quiet ambition...
· 46 min 32 sec
What would it have been like to have witness one of the most spectacular sights of the ancient world first-hand? Speaking to Rachel Dinning, Bettany Hughes explores the extraordinary Temple of Artemis...
· 34 min 13 sec
The assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BC drove tensions sky-high in ancient Rome. As this Long Read written by historian Jessica Clarke reveals, plays staged at his funeral were carefully chosen to...
· 17 min 44 sec
What was life like on the frontier in 19th-century America? Forget Hollywood’s high-noon shootouts and lawless swaggering cowboys – historian Karen Jones paints a far more complex picture of the Ameri...
· 53 min 24 sec
South Asian history is currently in the spotlight, with 2025's South Asian Heritage Month focusing particularly on themes of movement and migration. But what's the value of such dedicated history mont...
· 42 min 42 sec
The decision by the United States to drop atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 remains one of the most controversial moments in modern history. Did the atomic bombs forc...
· 36 min 57 sec
In 2015, the Bank of England asked the British public to nominate a deceased cultural figure they felt deserved the honour of appearing on a banknote. The figure they chose was JMW Turner. So what mad...
· 38 min 40 sec
When Bob Geldof exhorted audiences to fill Wembley Stadium and empty their pockets for famine relief in Ethiopia, he changed the face of charity fundraising – and of live music. Forty years on, this L...
· 19 min 52 sec
At 8.15am on 6 August 1945, an atomic bomb exploded over Hiroshima. It was an event that changed the course of history, but it was also one driven by individuals. Here, in conversation with Spencer Mi...
· 43 min 36 sec
Imagine being torn from your home and sent to live with strangers... well that was exactly what happened for many in the Second World War. To escape the threat of bombing in British cities, thousands...
· 33 min 58 sec
Ever since the 1870s, rumours have swirled around Queen Victoria and her Highland servant John Brown. Were the pair in love? Could they have got married? And might they even have had a secret child? H...
· 41 min 19 sec
From the French Revolution to the social media age, Fara Dabhoiwala charts the surprising history of the idea that people should be able to say what they like From America's founding fathers via John...
· 37 min 32 sec
According to the Vinland Sagas of the early 13th century, Erik the Red was a violent and murderous outlaw. But he was also an explorer, a powerful leader and the father of a famous dynasty. Historian...
· 44 min 21 sec
On 20 July 1969, American astronaut Neil Armstrong famously took one giant leap for mankind. The moon landing may well be the most iconic moment of the 20th century, but did it even happen at all? Mi...
· 28 min 31 sec
When the Battle of Britain erupted, many Luftwaffe pilots anticipated a swift victory. Yet soon that confidence had been replaced by chronic fatigue and a crippling fear of drowning in “dirty water”....
· 24 min 47 sec
In the closing years of the 19th century, scientists began recording strange phenomena – mysterious glowing gas, smudges on photographic plates. Findings like these triggered a process of scientific d...
· 52 min 23 sec
Centred on the island of Crete, the Bronze-Age Minoan civilisation stretched from roughly 3000 to 1200BC, and is probably most famous for its legend surrounding the mythical Minotaur and the fabulous...
· 49 min 37 sec
What was it like to be a child in ancient Rome? Historian, author and broadcaster Bettany Hughes delves into life for young people across the civilisation, unpicking everything from lice combs and goa...
· 20 min 13 sec
As the war in Vietnam spiralled out of control, US president Lyndon B Johnson was confronted by a different type of threat: a fake report so convincing that it tricked Americans into believing dangero...
· 33 min 56 sec