The extraordinary history of ordinary things

Sam Willis and James Daybell explore the history of several everyday items

Sam Willis and James Daybell. (Photo by David Hampton for BBC History Magazine)

Published: September 17, 2018 at 5:27 PM

Try something new this year and get your first 6 copies of BBC History Magazine for just £9.99 + FREE HistoryExtra and Academy access

Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on whatsapp
Email to a friend

Historians Sam Willis and James Daybell explore some of the fascinating stories that appear in their Histories of the Unexpected book and podcast, from signatures to lions.

Try something new this year and get 6 issues for £9.99 when you subscribe today, includes HistoryExtra Membership

Get 6 issues for £9.99

Sign up for the weekly HistoryExtra newsletter

Sign up to receive our newsletter!

Email address

By entering your details you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Get 6 issues for just £9.99

PLUS Access to FREE HistoryExtra Academy

Find out more

USA Subscription offer!

Save 69% on the shop price when you subscribe today - Get 13 issues for just $45 + FREE access to HistoryExtra.com

Subscribe now

HistoryExtra podcast

Listen to the latest episodes now

Listen here

Visit us on Facebook
Visit us on Twitter
Visit us on Instagram
Visit us on Youtube
Visit us on Rss

About Us
Terms & Conditions
Privacy Policy
Cookie Policy
Code of Conduct
History Magazine Subscriptions
FAQ
Contact Us
Vacancies
Licensing
Find Us
Manage Privacy Settings

History Extra is owned and published by Immediate Media Company Limited. BBC History Magazine and BBC History Revealed are published by Immediate Media Company Limited under licence from BBC Studios Distribution.© Immediate 2025