Illustration of strange creatures

Weird and wonderful history

10 dangers of Georgian London.

The daily hustle and bustle in the busy fishing port of Newlyn in Penzance, Cornwall, c1870. (Photo by Gibson/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Top 10 historical Cornish words

In pictures: Blackpool beach through time

Children running down a street

Q&AWhy do we say ‘run amok’?

7 things that happened in August through history

Ancient thinkers and the history of madness.

A virtuous Viking: the medieval legend of Havelok the Dane.

Witch trials and feuding queens.

5 historical space travel facts

5 facts about the history of the Women’s Institute

7 weird and wonderful medieval facts.

Dover Castle, Kent. (Photo by Olaf Protze/LightRocket via Getty Images)

England's 8 most amazing castles

What was the werewolf myth in Ancient Rome?

Photo of ancient public toilets

General ancient history

Q&AHow old is the toilet seat?

'Tomatina' festival in August 1999. (Photo by Müller-Stauffenberg/ullstein bild via Getty Images)

9 weird and wonderful festivals through history.

The perils of piety in Tudor England.

The golden age of murder: Agatha Christie and the Detection Club.

BBC History Magazine

Dressed-up fleas, devil butterflies and the Thames whales: the strange ways nature has influenced human history

Dying well; tears and sorrow on the death of a youth. Treasury of Wisdom, 15th century. (© The Art Archive/Alamy)

Heavenly dew: crying in the Middle Ages.

Love, health and the weather: 9 things medieval Londoners worried about.

Fit for a queen: 3 medieval recipes enjoyed at English and Scottish royal courts.

Blasphemous Bibles and cannibals at sea: 4 bad days in history

8 weird and wonderful Victorian discoveries.

Snail poultices and blood potions: 9 weird medieval medicines

Picture of the Frost Fair on the Thames

Q&ADid the Thames used to freeze over?

Banquet at a wealthy home in ancient Rome. (Photo by North Wind Picture Archives/Alamy)

Dormice, ostrich meat and fresh fish: the surprising foods eaten in ancient Rome.

In pictures: strange creatures through history

BBC History Magazine

In pictures: Frames in focus

The Victorians’ grisly fascination with murder.

Amazing inventions and London after dark.