American history

An illustration of the novel ‘The War of the Worlds’ by HG Wells, made by Henri Lanos, 1905. (Photo by Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images)

In thrall to the red planet: 5 facts about our view of Mars through history

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Roots: a necessary portrayal of transatlantic slavery?

Full-length portrait of (left) American showman Phineas Taylor Barnum (1810–91) and entertainer Commodore Nutt (1814–81), c1862. (Photo by HultonGetty/GettyImages)

Circus sensation: PT Barnum’s greatest wheezes

American president Franklin D Roosevelt

Second World War

Life of the Week: President Franklin D Roosevelt

Wrought iron lace adorns many old buildings and houses in the streets of New Orleans. (Getty Images)

My favourite place: New Orleans, Louisiana

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General History

The big question Why did the west dominate history for so long?

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A silhouette in front of a fire.

History quiz – Vikings, mobile phones and the Varangian Guard . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Martin Luther King (centre) rides the Montgomery bus with Rev Glenn Smiley of Texas. (Getty Images)

The Library What was history’s most dramatic year?

Tommie Smith and John Carlos, gold and bronze medalists in the 200-metre run at the 1968 Olympic Games, engage in a victory stand protest against unfair treatment of blacks in the United States. They refuse to recognise the American flag and national anthem. (Getty Images)

The fight for Black America

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Photo of Woody Guthrie c1970. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

My history hero: Woody Guthrie . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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The USS Arizona burning in Pearl Harbor following the Japanese attack. To the left of her are USS Tennessee and the sunken USS West Virginia. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

How did the rest of the world react to the attack on Pearl Harbor? . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Sky covered by smoke from the first H-Bomb explosion at Eniwetok Atoll in the Pacific, 1 April 1954. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)

Winston Churchill: atomic warrior, nuclear peacemaker

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Donald Trump’s unsurprising victory . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump speaks during an election night party at the Hilton Midtown hotel in New York, U.S., on Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016. Trump was elected the 45th president of the United States in a repudiation of the political establishment that jolted financial markets and likely will reorder the nation's priorities and fundamentally alter America's relationship with the world. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

Donald Trump elected president: the historians’ verdict

President Theodore Roosevelt operating an American steam-shovel at the Culebra Cut, Panama Canal, Panama, circa 1906. (Photo by Fotosearch/Getty Images).

America’s devious dream: Roosevelt and the Panama Canal