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Francisco Franco, who ruled Spain as dictator from 1939 to 1975, raises his arm in salute

Francisco Franco: is it accurate to call the Spanish dictator a fascist?

People gather around the Mona Lisa painting after its return in January 1914

Mona Lisa heist: how do you steal the world’s most famous painting?

The pilgrim fathers

Your guide to the Pilgrim Fathers, plus 6 interesting facts

Print of Hannibal ferrying his elephants over the Rhone on rafts during the Second Punic War

Your guide to... the Punic Wars

Edward the Confessor, depicted on the Bayeux Tapestry

Edward the Confessor: 9 fascinating facts

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Afua Hirsch with the Samburu people, Kenya

Africa’s cultural liberation . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Genghis Khan

Genghis Khan: the Mongol warlord who almost conquered the world

Roman republic

Your guide to the Roman Republic

Iron Age bronze head

The Celts in Britain: everything you need to know

A watercolour version of a mural showing Henry VIII (front left) with his father, Henry VII, his wife Jane Seymour (front right) and his mother, Elizabeth of York. The mural, which aimed to validate Henry's right to the throne, adorned Whitehall Palace before being destroyed by fire. (Photo by Bridgeman Royal Collection)

Henry VIII: confident young king or insecure son?

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The eyes of American actress Gene Tierney. (Photo via John Kobal Foundation/Getty Images)

The history of seduction . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

The then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump taking part in the final presidential debate at the Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of the University of Nevada in Las Vegas, 19 October 2016. Trump repeatedly claimed that the election was “rigged” against him. (Photo by Joe Raedle/AFP/Getty Images)

A brief history of election “rigging” in the United States

Mosaic showing gladiators, Roman Civilization, 4th century

Bread and circuses: what happened in the amphitheatres of the Roman empire?

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Male and female militia fighters on the march at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War, July 1936. (Photo by Getty Images)

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

Marble relief depicting the Praetorian Guard, legionnaires and elite soldiers. In the Louvre, Paris, France. (Photo by Leemage/Corbis via Getty Images)

The Praetorian Guard: the emperors’ fatal servants