All About History

French aviator and inventor Louis Blériot made history when he completed the first aeroplane flight across the English Channel, flying in his pioneering aircraft the Blériot XI. The flight from Calais to Dover only took 37 minutes, and for his achiev

I don’t know about you, but I’ve found myself thinking a lot about how we’re living right now in a moment that will be heavily studied, considered and examined by future generations. Between the global pandemic, the varied response to it around the w

The story of Gyeongbokgung is full of splendour and hardship. As the largest of the Five Grand Palaces that were constructed by the Joseon Dynasty it was the primary residence and seat of government for most of the era, but that also made it the targ

Waist belts, usually gold, silver or black bands, were an important part of a government official’s uniform as they were another way to identify the rank of the wearer. First-rank officials wore seodae belts made from rhino horn, which were considere

Usually remembered by his pen name Dasan, Jeong Yak-yong was one of the greatest thinkers of the Joseon Dynasty. He passed the state exam to become a high-ranking official at the age of 28 and was a trusted advisor and confidant of King Jeongjo, who

Q. IT IS OFTEN ARGUED THAT JAPANESE COLONIAL RULE RESULTED IN THE MODERNISATION OF KOREA. HOW DID THIS NARRATIVE BEGIN AND WHY HAS IT PERSISTED TO THIS DAY? A. Japanese officials and intellectuals constructed this narrative in the early 20th century

The construction of the Fortress Wall began in 1396, at the beginning of the Joseon Dynasty, to defend the boundaries of Hanyang (modern-day Seoul). In total, 200,000 labourers took part in building the wall, which is 18.6km long and between five to

Buddhism spread through the three kingdoms of Korea – Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla – between the 4th and 5th centuries after arriving from China. It became the official state religion and remained so for over 1,000 years until the fall of the Goryeo Dy

What exactly is The Ghost Club and what is its mission? The Ghost Club is essentially a private body of friends and members who are particularly interested in ghosts and the paranormal. It’s a place where sceptics and believers can meet on common g

On 1 April 1848, ten-year-old Catherine Fox and her sister Margaret, 14, received a mysterious visitor at their home in New York – a ghost. The spirit, which went by the name Mr Splitfoot (a popular name for the devil at the time) communicated with t

Towards the end of 1803, several people claimed to have been attacked by a malevolent spirit in the Hammersmith area of London. Believed to be a suicide victim whose soul could not rest as they hadn’t been buried in consecrated ground, two female vic

Hypatia of Alexandria was a Neoplatonist philosopher, astronomer and mathematician who is hailed as the first female mathematician whose life is reasonably well-recorded. She was beloved by the people of Alexandria and she advised and taught the city

It was German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel who once claimed that the continent of Africa was “no historical part of the world; it has no movement or development to exhibit”. This dismissal of the contribution of this entire region to the

On the morning of 6 August 1945, seven American aircraft head towards the Japanese city of Hiroshima. As part of Special Mission 13, the Enola Gay is the only one fitted for weapons delivery – this is no ordinary bombing raid. The city has been on al

To achieve critical mass of the radioactive plutonium core, a perfectly encompassing shock wave was created by the surrounding explosives, compressing the plutonium sphere. During the chain reaction, excess neutrons were reflected back into the core

The materials that a community deems suitable or unsuitable for consumption by its citizens is an interesting and ever-evolving conversation. As we can see in our own media landscape, there are some films and TV shows that were once considered risque

The Golden Age of Piracy has come to describe the decade between 1715 and 1725 where, with the Treaty of Utrecht bringing an end to Britain’s involvement in the War of the Spanish Succession, a number of enterprising and ruthless commodores had taken

A supply of fresh water ensured that New Providence was a fine safe haven for outlaws. The island offered the pirates coneys (rabbits), pigs and plenty of fruit. The New Providence farmers also grew corn, peas, yams, onions and a variety of other pro

While the poor performance in Normandy would see Erskine lose his command, he still managed to regain trust and important roles in the war effort as Head of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force Mission to Belgium and later GOC 43rd Inf

As one of the largest cities in Normandy, Caen was a communications hub at the centre of a major road network, connected to the English Channel through a canal. Its seizure after D Day would anchor the left flank of the Allied perimeter and deny the

Starting as a staff officer along with Erwin Rommel in the Afrika Korps, Major General Fritz Bayerlein went on to command Panzer divisions in Europe. He was among the German troops who managed to escape the Falaise Pocket, but ultimately surrendered

Attacking south-westward on 11 June, the British 51st (Highland) Infantry Division runs into stiff resistance from the veteran German 21st Panzer Division, thwarting the advance of Field Marshal Montgomery’s left, or eastern, pincer attack during the

What was the situation in China leading up to the communist takeover in 1949? China, on the eve of the communist takeover, was in terrible shape. The ruling KMT [Nationalist Party] government had descended into corruption on many levels and there wa

They’re everywhere. They surround us, consume us and influence us – sometimes without us even noticing. Advertisements have long been a part of daily life, even more so today as companies employ the latest in social media and technology to promote th

An exhaustive examination of the mystery surrounding the assassination of civil rights leader Malcolm X Creators Rachel Dretzin, Phil Bertelsen Distributor Netflix Released: Out now On 21 February 1965, Malcolm X was addressing the Organisation of

Author Damien Lewis Publishers Audible Studios Price: Free Released Out now Stories of perseverance, determination and improvisation during World War II are commonplace, but you will find few as heart-pounding, tense and fraught as those told in th

Author Greg Woolf Publisher Oxford University Press Price £25 Released Out now When we think about cities of the ancient world, we tend to think of the great cities whose physical remains have survived to this day such as Athens, Persepolis, Alexan

Author Robert Cooper Publisher Weidenfeld & Nicolson Price £25 Released Out now Diplomacy is by no means an easy feat. It requires a calm head while emotions and tension simmer under the surface, and at times peace negotiations can cause further co

Director: Joe Wright Starring: Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Lily James Country: United Kingdom Released: 2017 This look at Churchill’s first challenges as PM in 1940 plays fast and loose with the details, but gets the broader truths right 01 A

It is believed that kimchi originated during the Three Kingdoms period (57 BCE – 668) when picking vegetables helped to preserve food for longer. The earliest kimchis consisted of radishes fermented in brine, although this changed as new vegetables s