Maritime history

A German sailor signals Bismarck during manoeuvres in the western Atlantic, some time before the British gave chase. The maimed battleship sank below the waves on 27 May 1941

Second World War

The sinking of the Bismarck: a cat and mouse chase across the Atlantic

Mutiny at sea: the forgotten story of murder and brutality aboard HMS Wager

The exact location at which John Cabot came ashore in North America is the subject of debate. (Photo by © CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)

A tale of Tudor travel: John Cabot’s voyage to America

A union flag flown on HMS Queen Charlotte at the battle known as the Glorious First of June, 1794

Q&A When was the Union Jack or Union flag created?

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Emma Stonex talks about the strange story of the Flannan Isles Lighthouse keepers, who vanished in December 1900. (Image by Getty Images)

The mystery of the vanishing lighthouse keepers . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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In 1845, the Franklin Expedition sailed into the Canadian arctic and never returned. Andrew Lambert explores the real history that inspired the BBC drama The Terror. (Image by Getty Images)

What happened to the Franklin Expedition? The real mystery behind The Terror . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

'Pirate queen' Grace O'Malley. (Illustration by Sue Gent for BBC History Revealed)

Grace O’Malley: the fearless pirate queen of Ireland

A 19th-century depiction of HMS Erebus in the ice, by François Etienne Musin. What exactly happened to the ship and its crew remains a mystery. (Picture by Alamy)

The Franklin Expedition: what happened on the ill-fated Victorian voyage?

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Charles Spencer on the HistoryExtra podcast

The shipwreck that sunk a royal dynasty . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

An Australian Sea Shanty band, c1988

A brief history of sea shanties

Statue of Leif Erikson (Leifur Erikssonn) in front of Eric the Red's home. (Photo by Draper White, Getty Images)

Leif Erikson’s voyage to Vinland

The Beagle sailed with a young Charles Darwin on board, his influential ideas yet to be formulated. (Image by Getty Images)

Charles Darwin and the Beagle: how the voyage transformed our understanding of the world

Nelson's passion for Emma – with whom he had a six-year affair – is writ large in his letters

Nelson in his own words

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Edith Hall on the HistoryExtra podcast.

The ‘lost’ city of Atlantis . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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Podcast Winch Simon Parkin Web large

A secret WW2 wargame . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.