Historical people

A bust of Marcus Aurelius and a detail on Marcus Aurelius’s column in Rome

Marcus Aurelius: Rome’s reluctant killer

American billionaire Howard Hughes (shown here in a car in 1947) went from a visionary filmmaker to a germ-obsessed recluse, dying in 1976. (Photo by Getty Images)

“His flesh had rotted, and his bed was full of worms”: 5 of history’s most eccentric hermits

Pregnant woman before giving birth in the 13th century

16 things you (probably) didn’t know about the rituals behind royal births, from the medieval era to the present day

Edward I. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Reassessing Edward I: battle-hungry aggressor or dutiful conqueror?

Margaret of Anjou married Henry VI of England in 1445

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

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Biographer Frances Wilson discusses a pivotal decade in the turbulent life of writer DH Lawrence. (Image by Getty Images)

Censorship, contradiction & controversy: a decade in the life of DH Lawrence . 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?

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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.

A scene from Perceval, one of the Arthurian romances attributed to Chretien De Troyes

Who was Chrétien de Troyes, and why are his Arthurian romances important?

Illustration of Brunhilda of Austrasia

The real Brunhild? The Visigothic princess behind the Norse saga

Portrait of Carlo Broschi (stage name Farinelli), the most famous opera singer of the 18th century. (Photo By DEA/A. DAGLI ORTI/De Agostini/Getty Images)

Castrated Georgian opera stars: the stars of the 18th century

A bust of Queen Nefertiti of Ancient Egypt. (Photo by Oliver Lang/AFP/Getty Images)

Your guide to Egypt’s sun queen Nefertiti

The historical drama series Outlander, based on a series of novels by Diana Gabaldon, has become a TV phenomenon. (Image by Outlander/Starz)

Outlander: the real history that inspired the time-slip drama

Explorer Ferdinand Magellan

Dire straits: the story of Ferdinand Magellan’s fatal voyage of discovery

Machiavelli-3-79fe9f6

How Machiavellian was Machiavelli?