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US Army 7th Division's tanks equipped with flame throwers climbing a ridge on Okinawa. (Photo by W. Eugene Smith/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images)

Okinawa: the battle and the bomb . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Portrait of Queen Anne

Queen Anne’s reputation: why isn’t she more fondly remembered?

Two scenes from the Chronique de St Denis, late 14th century. The left-hand scene depicts the marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Louis VII of France in 1137. The scene on the right shows Louis departing by ship to go on the Second Crusade in 1147. (Photo by Ann Ronan Pictures/Print Collector/Getty Images)

Eleanor of Aquitaine: the medieval queen who took on Europe’s most powerful men

A portrait of the young Elizabeth I. (Photo by Art Collection 2/Alamy Stock Photo)

Elizabeth I’s personality: the unfathomable queen

A pile of books

How to write a historical novel and get it published: 9 tips from bestselling authors Alison Weir, Hilary Mantel and more

The Eiffel Tower was built by Gustave Eiffel for the International Exhibition of Paris in 1889. (Photo by Underwood Archives/Getty Images)

From ‘eyesore’ to icon: a brief history of the Eiffel Tower

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A woman in riding gear breaks out in a grin in the c1860s.

Smiling Victorians: why it’s a myth that our ancestors didn’t smile for pictures . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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A group of young female Red Army snipers, East Prussia, February 1945 (Photo by Sovfoto/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Women at war . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

'Self Portrait' by Vincent van Gogh, autumn 1887 (Photo by Marc DEVILLE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

Why did Vincent van Gogh cut off his ear?

The effects of the disease known as the Black Death

Black Death quarantine: how did we try to contain the most deadly disease in history?

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A visitor looks at the Bayeux tapestry in Bayeux, western France. (Photo by LOIC VENANCE/AFP via Getty Images)

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

Photo of the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles

The palace of Versailles: Sun King Louis XIV’s ultimate power play

Two lovers embrace in this 18th century painting.

How has dating changed over time? A brief history of courtship

American soldiers in Vietnam

The war that America could never win? Opposition, dissent and the Vietnam War

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The French actress Sarah Bernhardt

Greg Jenner on the history of celebrity . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.