Period

Coronation of King Edward III. (Ann Ronan Pictures/Print Collector/Getty Images)

7 medieval kings of England you should know about

Margaret of Anjou married Henry VI of England in 1445

Margaret of Anjou: a brief guide to the 'She-Wolf of France'

Fridtjof Nansen: Explorer, scientist, writer, humanitarian

The first great polar expedition: Fridtjof Nansen’s 1888 traverse of the Greenland Ice Sheet. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Elizabeth Woodville with her husband, Edward IV. According to one medieval document, their marriage only came about “by Sorcerie and Wichecrafte, committed by the said Elizabeth, and her Moder Jaquett Duchess of Bedford”. (Photo by Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Medieval royal witches: from Elizabeth Woodville to Queen Joan of Navarre

The Enlightenment: everything you wanted to know. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

African Europeans. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A depiction of athletes in the torch race, ancient Olympics

What were the ancient Olympics like? Take a visit to the Games of 436 BC

Women secret agents in Nazi-occupied France. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

French cuirassiers charging a British infantry square at the battle of Waterloo, 1815 (1906). From Cassell's Illustrated History of England, Vol. V. (Cassell and Company Limited, London, Paris, New York, Melbourne). Artist P Jazet. (Photo by The Print Collector/Getty Images)

How the French won the battle of Waterloo (or think they did)

A photograph of President John Quincy Adams

Q&AWhat’s the oldest photo of a US president?

Colour portrait of Jane Austen (1775–1817) drawn by her sister Cassandra. Dated 1810. (Photo by Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images)

Jane Austen: a guide to her life, books and death – plus 8 fascinating facts

A man digs a grave in Sarajevo for victims of the war in Bosnia, 1992

Yugoslavia: why shared Slavic identity couldn’t save an idealised nation from fracture and bloodshed. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

"Make love not midnight snacks": a social history of slimming clubs. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Boat diplomacy: Froissart's 'Chronicles' show Richard II acceding to many of the rebels' demands at Mile End, 14 June 1381. The speed with which the rebels flooded London wrong-footed the king's advisors. (Photo by Alamy)

Revealed: the true identity of the rebels of the Peasants' Revolt. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Censorship, contradiction & controversy: a decade in the life of DH Lawrence. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

The battle of Stoke Field – German mercenary Martin Schwarz made a famous last stand in the thick of the fighting even as other elements of the rebel army turned and fled

The battle of Stoke Field, 1487 – the real last battle of the Wars of the Roses

Who was Britain’s greatest prime minister? Episode 9: Secrets of being a successful leader. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A portrait of William Barnes. The accomplished linguist wanted to adopt a form of English purged of foreign imports

QuizWould you be able to speak in National English?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A c1850 satirical illustration of King John signing Magna Charta. (Photo by the Print Collector/Getty Images)

Is 15 June 1215 the true date of Magna Carta? Two historians debate. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Actor Errol Flynn as Robin Hood in the film 'The Adventures of Robin Hood', 1938. (Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)

What's the most accurate Robin Hood film?

Unearthing Britain’s prehistoric secrets. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Henry V’s greatest victory (and it wasn't at the battle of Agincourt). This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Titanic: everything you wanted to know. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

What can we learn from past catastrophes?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Women reporters of WW2. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A depiction of the Haiti Rebellion. From 1791-1804, the Caribbean isle of Hispaniola burned and convulsed as enslaved Africans rose up in rebellion after rebellion – finally emerging as independent Haiti. (Image by Getty Images)

The Haitian Revolution: the enslaved Africans who rose up against France. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Eric Liddell winning the 400-metre final at the 1924 Olympic Games

History heroDan Walker chooses Eric Liddell (1902–45). This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

The battle of Sandwich: England’s medieval Trafalgar. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Knights, dragons and beasts: the strange world of medieval romances. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

UFO history10 top sightings and a timeline