People watching the Royal Wedding

United Kingdom

An oil painting depicting the battle of Camperdown, a "crushing British victory" over the Batavian (Dutch) Republic in the North Sea. (Universal History Archive/Getty Images)

Tales from Nelson's navy. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Abraham Lincoln in 1863. The 16th president of the United States "understood the value of hard work, had deep beliefs and pursued them," says Alastair Campbell. (Ann Ronan Pictures/Print Collector/Getty Images)

My history hero: Abraham Lincoln (1809–65). This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

One of the two 19th-century bronze sphinxes sited next to Cleopatra's Needle, London's oldest monument. (Peter Dazeley/Getty Images)

Where history happened: Egypt in Britain. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

BBC History Magazine

Live genealogy show returns to London Olympia

Richard III discovery. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

BBC History Magazine

Macaulay and Son: Architects of Imperial Britain

The call for the First Crusade was initially made by Pope Urban (pictured) in 1095. (Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images)

Britain and Islam: a matter of faith. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Cosmeston Medieval Village, Glamorgan

Leicester 'not trusted' with Richard III remains

Gawsworth Hall, Macclesfield

General History

Q&AQ&A: Have twins ever been in line for the throne?

"Although the circus as we know it has its roots in the 18th century, the history of its three basic forms (clowning, equestrianism and animals) goes back much further," says Vanessa Toulmin. (Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images)

Where history happened: the circus in Britain. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

An illustration depicting the battle of Naseby, arguably one of the most significant land battles in British history. (Ann Ronan Pictures/Print Collector/Getty Images)

20 important battles that shaped Britain

BBC History Magazine

Elizabeth I's faithful tutor

Vintage Astro lava lamp from the 1960s

50 years of the lava lamp

Q&A: Where does the word ‘crack’, describing military units, originate?

The Wallace Collection, Hertford House, London

A rail revolution: Dan Snow on the meteoric rise of British railways. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

The Bank of England in a late 18th century illustration. A 1783 investigation into malpractice at the Bank is reminiscent of the current financial crisis. (Guildhall Library & Art Gallery/Heritage Images/Getty Images)

Georgian banking blunders. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Winston Churchill, former prime minister of the United Kingdom, gives his 'victory' sign while making a polling day tour of his constituency during an election. (Getty Images)

Are these the most overrated people in history?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

The Black Prince's tomb in Canterbury Cathedral depicts Edward III's son as a resting warrior, a paragon of knightly virtue. The prince conceived the tomb's design himself but not everyone has bought into his favourable assessment of his life's achievements. (Photo by RDImages/Epics/Getty Images)

The Black Prince: hero or villain?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

George Frederick Handel married opera's passion with the respectability of biblical texts, says Tim Blanning. (Photo by The Print Collector/Print Collector/Getty Images)

10 milestones in the history of western music. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

John Linnell's 1816 portrait of Cornish engineer Richard Trevithick. His high-pressure steam engine "was the invention that unleashed power on this planet," says Michael Mosley. (Universal History Archive/Getty Images)

My history hero: Richard Trevithick (1771-1833). This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Effigy of Thomas a Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, Canterbury Cathedral, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Canterbury, Kent, England, United Kingdom, Europe

Where history happened: the cult of Thomas Becket. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

BBC History Magazine

Britain Begins

Rydal Mount, Cumbria

Medieval ploughmen ploughing with oxen

The dark side of the Anglo-Saxons. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

First Textbook

Toys and games that killed in Tudor England. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Historic Helmsley

BBC History Magazine

The Pinecone: The Story of Sarah Losh, Forgotten Romantic Heroine – Antiquarian, Architect and Visionary