WHAT DID THE VICTORIANS EVER DO FOR CHRISTMAS?

By royal command

Kings and queens, whether they inherited the throne or snatched

Snapshots

What more could you want from a seasonal welcome than

I Read the News Today

Weird and wonderful, it all happened at Christmas

Top 50 Kings and Queens

From the land of the pharaohs to reigning monarchs, who came out on top?

Dickensian Christmas

When family fortunes took a turn for the worse, a 12-year-old Charles Dickens was put to work in a factory. His experiences would inspire one of the greatest Christmas stories of all time

Battlefield: Pharsalus

It was the ultimate heavyweight contest – Rome’s two greatest leaders in a bloody fight to the finish. Julian Humphrys explains how Julius Caesar emerged as victor

The Profumo Affair

It was perhaps the biggest scandal in British political history, leading to jail sentences, suicide and the fall of a government. Anna Harris delves beneath the headlines…

Top 10 Luckiest People

Most of us will experience at least a little good fortune in our lives, but for some the luck just keeps on coming

In Pictures: Tutankhamun

The discovery of the young Pharaoh’s tomb by Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon in 1922 proved vital to uncovering the secrets of Ancient Egypt

Great Adventures: Che Guevara

Pat Kinsella chases Che Guevara around South America, on the odyssey that shaped the political opinion of arguably the 20th century’s most celebrated revolutionary

History Makers: Attila the Hun

Described as being “born into the world to shake nations”, the king of the Hunnic Empire certainly shook Europe, but he would eventually bow to diplomacy, writes Miles Russell

Ask the Experts

Q&A: YOU ASK, WE ANSWER

In a Nutshell

A Protestant invasion that enshrined the rights of British parliament

How Did They Do That?

The ultimate Ancient Greek war machine - a moveable siege tower

On our Radar

Looking ahead to the big events of the coming year…

Britain’s Treasures

Standing over 150 metres above sea level, this imposing tower, dedicated to the real-life Braveheart, is a fitting tribute to a legendary Scottish hero

Books

This month’s best historical books

Letters

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

A-Z of History

The end of alphabet history is upon us, but here, with as much zeal as ever, is Nige Tassell and his zany list of Zs