These posters (click on each for a larger version!) are designed to be printed, laminated and displayed outside your classroom so that passers-by can get a flavour of what’s being studied in your history classroom. They can be changed at appropriate points and they are a great way of highlighting the great topics that your…
Category: Other
New Historical Pictures Widget for your blog / website!
This brand new ActiveHistory widget provides a rolling gallery of historical images shared by some of my favourite people on Twitter. A great way to add a visual element to your blog or website, or to have on the screen as your students enter the room! Just click the widget icon at the top left…
Widget for your blog – Today in History
This new widget displays SIGNIFICANT anniversaries in history each day (e.g. 100 years today, 50 years today rather than the pointless type of ’73 years ago today’ announcements common in similar widgets). You can customise the size, font and colourscheme to match your own blog, website or wiki.
History in the News: Weekly Email Digest!
This new service from ActiveHistory allows you to sign up for a weekly newsletter providing you with essential upcoming anniversaries from NewHistory.
Fake SMS Text Message Generator
Use the icons in this new template to create a chat between two historical or fictional characters. You can save your work for future changes. You can drag and drop, edit and delete entries by hovering over them. After saving, you will also be able to get a QR Code or embed the chat into…
IB History Extended Essay: Samples and Guidance
IB History Extended Essay: Samples and Guidance – an extensive new section on the website!
20th Century Dictators: Historiography – Why do dicators emerge?
Historiography – Why do dictators emerge? This activity encourages students to investigate the theories of six different historians (Marx, Davies, Huntington, Gurr, Tilly, Skocpol) whom have formulated theories regarding the causes for the rise of dictators. These theories are compared, contrasted and linked: structuralists are separated from intentionalists. Finally, students consider which of the dictators…
20th Century Dictators: Feedback Process
Feedback Process In this lesson, students start to compare and contrast the different methods and conditions used by different dictators to obtain power. Working in pairs, small groups and then as a class, they identify the most prevalent methods and conditions. They then identify exactly which dictators match these criteria and makes notes from the…
20th Century Dictators – Research Template
Research Template Students use this template to record their findings about the key “Methods” and “Conditions” which led to the rise to power of the dictator they have researched.
20th Century Dictators: Introductory Historiography and Research Task
Introductory Historiography and Research Task Each student chooses one dictator from the IB Syllabus Africa: Kenya-Kenyatta; Tanzania-Nyerere Americas: Argentina-Peron; Cuba-Castro Europe and the Middle East: Germany-Hitler; USSR-Stalin; Egypt-Nasser Asia and Oceania: China-Mao; Indonesia-Sukarno
Glossary: Historiographical and Subject-Specific Terminology for History Extended Essays
Glossary: Historiographical and Subject-Specific Terminology for History Extended Essays – a new addition for IB History students.
Critical Thinking – The 6-Hat Technique (Worksheet/Lesson Plan)
Part of the ‘Critical Thinking’ PSHCE unit. In this activity, the teacher will take the role of someone with a “Green Hat”. They will choose (or ask the class to vote on) one of the “Imagine a world…” discussion point which are listed overleaf (or invent one of their own). When the discussion point has…
Markscheme and Guidance: The Extended Essay in History
Markscheme and Guidance: The Extended Essay in History – a new addition for IB History students.
Harvard Citation Generator
Other citation generators need YOU to do most of the hard work – and only look for books. This one searches for books, websites and films. All it needs is a web address or a title / author of a book / film.
Step-by-Step Advice: Writing your Extended Essay in History
Step-by-Step Advice: Writing your Extended Essay in History – a new addition to the website for IB HIstory.
Facebook Template
The popular ‘Fakebook’ template allows for the creation of Facebook profiles for students and teachers. It now has an ‘animate’ feature and there is an extensive list of sample profile pages to draw inspiration from.
ActiveHistory Site Search Facility
Following feedback from subscribers I have added a custom site search facility. You will see the search box included at the bottom of all main menu pages in the website including the homepage. Hope you find it useful!
Search by Topic / Period page – fully updated
I’ve completely rewritten the ‘Search by Topic / Period’ page of ActiveHistory today to ensure it includes all the latest topics I’ve included since last year.
50 Years Ago Today (31st May 1962) – Death of Adolf Eichmann
Death of Adolf Eichmann, German Nazi leader who organised the identification and transportation of Jews from occupied Europe to extermination camps. (Executed)
25 Years Ago Today (28th May 1987) – Red Square Scandal
Mathias Rust, a 19-year-old amateur pilot from West Germany, illegally landed his plane in Red Square, Moscow
75 Years Ago Today (28th May 1937) – Neville Chamberlain became British Prime Minister
Neville Chamberlain became British Prime Minister.
Introducing “Fakebook Animated”
One of the most popular applications I’ve developed in the past couple of years has been “Fakebook“, a Fake Facebook Profile Generator that students can use to create engaging narratives of people, places and concepts. I’ve been working on developing the code over the past fortnight so that the application is much quicker (for example…
50 Years Ago Today (19th May 1962): Marilyn Monroe Sings to JFK
American actress Marilyn Monroe famously sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to President John F. Kennedy during a birthday party/fundraiser at Madison Square Garden, New York
100 Years Ago Today (22nd April 1912) – First edition of Pravda
‘Pravda’, the official newspaper of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, was first published. (Ceased publication 1996)
100 Years Ago Today (20th April 1912): Death of Bram Stoker
Death of Bram Stoker, Irish novelist and short story writer, best known for his novel ‘Dracula’.
100 Years Ago Today (15th April 1912): Titanic Sinks
The British liner ‘RMS Titanic’ sank in the Atlantic after hitting an iceberg on her maiden voyage to New York. More than 1,500 people were killed.
200 Years Ago Today (6th April 1812): Birth of Herzen
Birth of Alexander Herzen, Russian political thinker, activist and writer, known as the ‘father of Russian socialism’, his work led to the emancipation of the serfs
100 Years Ago Today (29th March 1912) – Death of Scott
Death of Robert Falcon Scott, British Antarctic explorer. He and his team perished while returning from his second Antarctic expedition
125 Years Ago Today (23rd March 1887): Birth of Prince Felix Yusupov
Birth of Prince Felix Yusupov, Russian nobleman and mining heir, best known for killing Rasputin
100 Years Ago Today (16th March 1912) – Death of Lawrence Oates
Death of Lawrence Oates, British Antarctic explorer, a member of Scott’s ill-fated expedition, who famously said ‘I am just going outside and may be some time’ as he walked into a blizzard where he faced certain death
150 Years Ago Today (9th March 1862) – Merrimack v. the Monitor
American Civil War: the first battle between two ironclad warships – the ‘USS Monitor’ versus the ‘CSS Virginia’, at Hampton Roads, Virginia. Result: indecisive
50 Years Ago Today (7th March 1962): First Beatles Radio Broadcast
The Beatles gave their first performance on BBC radio in the UK, on the show ‘Teenagers’ Turn: Here We Go’. (Recorded 7th March, broadcast 8th)
100 Years Ago Today (7th March 1912): First Paris-London Flight
French aviator Henri Seimet made the first non-stop flight from Paris to London
200 Years Ago Today (1st March 1812): Birth of Augustus Pugin
Birth of Augustus Pugin, British architect, designer, design theorist and writer, best remembered for his use of the Gothic Revival style in the Palace of Westminster and many churches
200 Years Ago Today (27 Feb 1812): Byron’s Maiden Speech
British poet Lord Byron gave his maiden speech in the House of Lords, in which he defended Luddite violence against industrialisation, saying they had been driven to it because they had no other choice.
History on TV and Radio: Email Alerts now Available
I have added an email newsletter facility to alert you of the latest history TV programmes coming up!
40 Years Ago Today (21 Feb 1972): Nixon goes to China
U.S. President Richard Nixon became the first president to visit China. His visit led to a significant improvement in U.S. – Chinese relations
Email Newsletter for ActiveHistory now available
If you’d like automatic email alerts whenever something new is added to the ActiveHistory blog, just follow this link!
50 Years Ago Today (20 Feb 1962): First American to orbit the Earth
John Glenn became the first American astronaut to orbit the Earth, making 3 orbits in the space capsule ‘Friendship 7’
150 Years Ago Today (11 Feb 1862): Death of Lizzie Siddal
Death of Elizabeth Siddal, British poet, artist and artists’ model. Wife of the artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti and model for Millais’ “Ophelia”
50 Years Ago Today (10 Feb 1962): Gary Powers Released
American spy plane pilot Gary Powers was released from jail in the USSR in an exchange deal with the USA, who released Soviet spy Rudolf Abel.
100 Years Ago Today (10 Feb 1912): Death of Lister
Death of Joseph Lister, British surgeon who pioneered the use of antiseptics in surgery and promoted sterile surgery.
175 Years Ago Today (10 Feb 1837): Death of Pushkin
Death of Aleksandr Pushkin, Russian poet, novelist, dramatist, and short story writer, widely considered to be the greatest Russian poet and the founder of modern Russian literature
150 Years Ago Today (1 Feb 1862): The Battle Hymn of the Republic
Julia Ward Howe’s poem ‘The Battle Hymn of the Republic’ was first published in ‘The Atlantic Monthly’. Set to the music of ‘John Brown’s Body’, it became a popular Union song during the American Civil War
“Fakebook” – Gallery of examples for inspiration!
I have created an auto-updating gallery of ‘Fakebook’ examples created by students and teachers around the world in a wide variety of subjects. Why not try Fakebook out with your own classes as a way of getting thinking about timelines of events / biographical summaries and relationships between historical figures?
10 Years Ago Today (29th Nov 2001): Death of George Harrison
Death of George Harrison, British rock guitarist, singer and songwriter (The Beatles)
25 Years Ago Today (29th Nov 1986): Death of Cary Grant
Death of Cary Grant, British-born American film actor (‘Bringing Up Baby’, ‘Gunga Din’, ‘His Girl Friday’, ‘The Philadelphia Story’, ‘To Catch A Thief’, ‘North by Northwest’, and more)
75 Years Ago Today (25th Nov. 1936): Anti-Comintern Pact
Germany and Japan signed the Anti-Comintern Pact, an agreement to collaborate against the threat of Soviet Communism
20 years ago today (24th Nov 1991): Death of Freddie Mercury
Death of Freddie Mercury, Zanzibar-born British rock singer and songwriter (Queen)
75 Years Ago Today (20th Nov. 1936): Death of Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera
Death of Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera, Spanish politician, founder of the Spanish fascist party, the Falange. (Executed)
200 Years Ago Today (16th Nov 1811): Birth of John Bright
Birth of John Bright, British politician and political reformer, co-founder of the Anti-Corn Law League, and a campaigner for free trade
25 Years Ago Today (8th Nov 1986): Death of Vyacheslav Molotov, Russian statesman and diplomat
Death of Vyacheslav Molotov, Russian statesman and diplomat
150 Years Ago Today (7th Nov. 1861): American Civil War: Battle of Belmont, Missouri
American Civil War: Battle of Belmont, Missouri. A minor battle with an inconclusive outcome, but notable as it was Ulysses S. Grant’s first experience of battlefield command. (He would later become commander of the Union Army, and U.S. President)
25 Years Ago Today (6th Nov 1986): Alex Ferguson was appointed manager of Manchester United FC
Alex Ferguson was appointed manager of Manchester United FC
100 Years Ago Today (1st Nov 1911): The first aerial bombing raid
The first aerial bombing raid. In the Italo-Turkish War, Italian pilot Giulio Gavotti dropped 4 small bombs on Turkish troops in Libya
400 Years Ago Today: (1st Nov 1611): ‘The Tempest’ was first performed
William Shakespeare’s play ‘The Tempest’ was first performed, at Whitehall Palace, London, UK
50 Years ago Today (31 Oct 1961) – Stalin’s body removed from Lenin’s Mausoleum
De-Stalinisation: former Soviet leader Joseph Stalin’s body was removed from Lenin’s mausoleum in Red Square, Moscow and reburied within the Kremlin walls, out of public view.
50 Years Ago Today (25 Oct 1961): The British satirical magazine ‘Private Eye’ was first published
Private Eye is a fortnightly British satirical and current affairs magazine, edited by Ian Hislop. Since its first publication in 1961, Private Eye has been a prominent critic and lampooner of public figures and entities that it deemed guilty of any of the sins of incompetence, inefficiency, corruption, pomposity or self-importance and it has become…
20 Years Ago Today (24 Oct 1991): Death of Gene Roddenberry
Death of Gene Roddenberry, American screenwriter and producer, creator of ‘Star Trek’
10 Years Ago Today (23 Oct 2001): Apple Computer released the first iPod digital music player
Apple Computer released the first iPod digital music player
50 Years ago today (17 Oct 1961): Algerian War – Paris massacre
Algerian War – Paris massacre: French police attacked Algerian protesters who were staging a peaceful demonstration in Paris. (The exact number of Algerians killed is unknown – at least 40, but possibly more than 200)
10 Years Ago Today (16 Oct 2001): Galileo visits Jupiter’s moon Io
NASA’s Galileo spacecraft flew within 112 miles (181 km) of Jupiter’s moon Io, sending back images and data
25 Years Ago Today (12 Oct 1986): Cold War – Reykjavik summit
The Reykjavik summit in Iceland, aimed at reducing the nuclear arsenals of the USA and USSR, ended in failure. U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev failed to reach agreement on the USA’s Strategic Defence Initiative (SDI) – also known as ‘Star Wars’
20 Years Ago Today (24th Sep. 1991): Death of Dr. Seuss
Death of Theodor Geisel, ‘Dr. Seuss’, popular American children’s writer, illustrator and film-maker (‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’, ‘The Cat in the Hat’, ‘Green Eggs and Ham’, and many more)
20 Years Ago Today (24th Sep. 1991): Nirvana release ‘Nevermind’
The American rock band Nirvana released the album ‘Nevermind’.
20 Years Ago Today (19th Sep. 1991): Discovery of Otzi the Iceman
Ötzi the Iceman, a 5,300-year-old mummified body, was discovered by a tourist in the Tirolean Alps on the Italian-Austrian border.
40 Years ago today (15th September 1971): Greenpeace Founded
Greenpeace, the international environmental group, was founded in Vancouver, Canada
Vikings to return to Stamford Bridge
Vikings to return to Stamford Bridge
War hits home on Downton Abbey – Scotsman.com News
War hits home on Downton Abbey
30 Years Ago Today (10th Sep. 1981): Guernica returns to Spain
The USA returned Pablo Picasso’s painting ‘Guernica’ to Spain. Picasso had refused to allow it to return until democracy had been restored. It was put on display in Spain on 25th Oct – the centenary of Picasso’s birth.
Is This the Face of Jack The Ripper? : Discovery News
Is This the Face of Jack The Ripper?
David Starkey is a master of the past, not the present | Art and design | guardian.co.uk
David Starkey is a master of the past, not the present
BBC News – Medieval artefacts hidden in church’s secret room
Medieval artefacts hidden in church’s secret room
25 years ago today – 31 Aug 1986 Death of Henry Moore, British sculptor
25 years ago today – 31 Aug 1986 Death of Henry Moore, British sculptor
30 years ago today – 25 Aug 1981 The U.S. space probe Voyager 2 reached Saturn
30 years ago today – 25 Aug 1981 The U.S. space probe Voyager 2 reached Saturn and sent back images and data from the planet. (It travelled on to Uranus (1986) and Neptune (1989) before leaving the solar system)
30 years ago today – 24 Aug 1981 Mark Chapman was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison for the murder of British rock musician John Lennon
30 years ago today – 24 Aug 1981 Mark Chapman was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison for the murder of British rock musician John Lennon
20 years ago today – 24 Aug 1991 Mikhail Gorbachev resigned
20 years ago today – 24 Aug 1991 Mikhail Gorbachev resigned as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
150 years ago today – 22 Aug 1861 Birth of Mary Elizabeth Wood, American librarian and missionary
150 years ago today – 22 Aug 1861 Birth of Mary Elizabeth Wood, American librarian and missionary who established a network of libraries and a training programme for librarians in China
Connecticut firemen attacked by insects are tested for bubonic plague | Mail Online
Firefighters attacked by thousands of fleas at abandoned house are tested for bubonic plague
100 years ago today – 21 Aug 1911 Leonardo da Vinci’s painting of the Mona Lisa was stolen
100 years ago today – 21 Aug 1911 Leonardo da Vinci’s painting of the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre in Paris by an employee. (Recovered in 1913)
David Starkey on Newsnight: BBC defends ‘white have become black’ debate | Mail Online
BBC defends Newsnight after David Starkey said 'white chavs have become black'
Letters: David Starkey’s down with the kids take on culture | UK news | The Guardian
David Starkey's down with the kids take on culture
BBC News – Horrible Histories author: ‘I don’t like historians’
Horrible Histories author: 'I don't like historians'
20 years ago today – 19 Aug 1991 Attempted coup in the Soviet Union.
20 years ago today – 19 Aug 1991 Attempted coup in the Soviet Union. Hard-line members of the Communist Party tried to seize control from President Mikhail Gorbachev. The coup failed after just 3 days, and eventually led to the collapse of communism and the disintegration of the USSR
75 years ago today – 19 Aug 1936 Death of Federico García Lorca, Spanish poet and playwright
75 years ago today – 19 Aug 1936 Death of Federico García Lorca, Spanish poet and playwright
50 years ago today – 13 Aug 1961 East Germany sealed off the border between East and West Berlin
50 years ago today – 13 Aug 1961 East Germany sealed off the border between East and West Berlin to prevent the exodus of refugees to the West. Initially barbed wire fences were erected; construction of the Berlin Wall began on 15th August
300 years ago today – 11 Aug 1711 The first horse race meeting at Ascot took place, initiated by Queen Anne
300 years ago today – 11 Aug 1711 The first horse race meeting at Ascot took place, initiated by Queen Anne
100 years ago today – 10 Aug 1911 British Members of Parliament voted to receive salaries for the first time
100 years ago today – 10 Aug 1911 British Members of Parliament voted to receive salaries for the first time.
Captain Morgan’s Pirate Ship Found : Discovery News
Captain Morgan's Pirate Ship Found
100 years ago (31 Jul 1910) American physician Dr Hawley Harvey Crippen was arrested aboard the SS Montrose
100 years ago (31 Jul 1910) American physician Dr Hawley Harvey Crippen was arrested aboard the SS Montrose as it docked in Quebec. He had fled England after murdering his wife, and was the first criminal to be caught using wireless telegraph [more].
Historical Anniversaries for August 2011
75 years ago today – 1 Aug 1936 The XI Olympic Games opened in Berlin, Germany. It was the last Olympics for 12 years due to World War II 75 years ago today – 1 Aug 1936 Birth of Yves Saint-Laurent, Algerian-born French fashion designer 75 years ago today – 2 Aug 1936 Death of…
Colour pictures revealed of London blitz from Nazi bombers in World War II
Blitz Britain: Amazing colour pictures of London under siege from Nazi bombers during World War II
Nazi Rudolf Hess exhumed from ‘pilgrimage’ grave
Nazi Rudolf Hess exhumed from 'pilgrimage' grave
30 years ago (19 Jul 1980) The Moscow Olympics began. Dozens of nations boycotted the games due to Soviet military intervention in Afghanistan
he 1980 Moscow Olympics are perhaps most famous for the US-led boycott that saw only 80 out of 147 nations compete, the lowest number since the 1956 Melbourne Games. The boycott was made in protest of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan the year before, one of the many conflicts that took place as the Americans…
400 years ago (18 Jul 1610) Death of Caravaggio, Italian artist
Arrogant, rebellious and a murderer, Caravaggio’s short and tempestuous life matched the drama of his works. Characterised by their dramatic, almost theatrical lighting, Caravaggio’s paintings were controversial, popular, and hugely influential on succeeding generations of painters all over Europe [more].