Postcards from the Past

Mission improbable

It sounds far-fetched enough to come from a Hollywood movie

Snapshots

Recreating a proper habitat for penguins can be tricky for

History in the News

The remains of a suspected slave found near Venice are

Time Piece

A look at everyday objects from the past

History in Colour

Colourised photographs that bring the past to life

Your History

The archaeologist and former Egyptian Minister of State for Antiquities A airs tells us why Imhotep was no villain, and where he hopes to find the next royal tomb

Yesterday’s Papers

Another timeless front page from the archives

This Month In... 1305

Anniversaries that have made history

Time Capsule: 1838

Snapshots of the world from one year in the past

Graphic History

Prior to the 16th century, chocolate was limited to Mesomerica

The Secret Mission of Captain Cook

Pat Kinsella retraces James Cook’s first voyage of discovery, a globe-spanning tale of peril and adventure that took him off the edge of the map

Versailles: Court of the Sun King

Turning a modest hunting lodge into this magnificent palace was the crowning glory that defined Louis XIV’s France. But it was more than a fashion statement, writes Jonny Wilkes. It was the ultimate political power play

Fall of the Romanovs

Spencer Day reveals how a holy man and a bitter radical sealed the fate of Tsar Nicholas II, bringing down a dynasty that had ruled Russia for more than three centuries

Top 10: Weirdest pets

Sometimes, man’s best friend has to take second place, but it’s not always cats that make the cut

Zenobia

Alicea Francis reveals how this third century Palmyrene ruler carved an empire under Rome’s nose – and then lost it all

John Blanke

Henry VIII’s black trumpeter was no slave – the fact he had wages tells us that. But who was he, and where did he come from? Miranda Kaufmann fills in the blanks

Death in the Saddle

As a world champion and a true showman, Tom Simpson was the most popular British cyclist of his generation. But then, as Nige Tassell explains, tragedy struck during the 1967 Tour de France

Ask the Experts

Unknown to Junko Tabei – whose first thought on summiting

What’s On

Stephenson’s Rocket is returning to its birthplace for the first

Britain’s Treasures

BLETCHLEY PARK Buckinghamshire World War II was not only fought with guns and bombs on the battlefields of Europe, but with mathematics and bombes on a quiet 19th-century estate

Books

This month’s best historical reads

Letters

Get in touch – share your opinions on history and our magazine

Photo Finish

This photo is the stu of football legend: Argentinean playmaker