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 who established a network of libraries and a training programme for librarians in China

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 from the Louvre in Paris by an employee. (Recovered in 1913)

BBC defends Newsnight after David Starkey said 'white chavs have become black'

David Starkey's down with the kids take on culture

Horrible Histories author: 'I don't like historians'

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

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

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

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].

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…

Blitz Britain: Amazing colour pictures of London under siege from Nazi bombers during World War II

Nazi Rudolf Hess exhumed from 'pilgrimage' grave

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…

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].

This new tool allows teachers to create “Treasure Hunt” challenges based on QR codes. You can create your own QR Treasure Hunt by simply providing a list of questions and answers. You can even go back and edit it later if you like. This program will then dynamically create QR codes for each question which…

Live Aid was a dual-venue concert that was held on 13 July 1985. The event was organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for relief of the ongoing Ethiopian famine. Billed as the “global jukebox”, the event was held simultaneously in Wembley Stadium in London, England, United Kingdom (attended by 72,000 people)…

The Dreyfus affair (French: l’affaire Dreyfus, pronounced: [a.f?? d??.fys]) was a political scandal that divided France in the 1890s and the early 1900s. It involved the conviction for treason in November 1894 of Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a young French artillery officer of Alsatian Jewish descent. Sentenced to life imprisonment for allegedly having communicated French military…

100 years ago (12 Jul 1910) Death of Charles Stewart Rolls, British driver, aviator and car manufacturer, co-founder of Rolls-Royce, first person to fly cross the Channel and back non-stop, first British pilot to die in a plane crash [more]

To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel by Harper Lee published in 1960. It was instantly successful, winning the Pulitzer Prize, and has become a classic of modern American literature. The plot and characters are loosely based on the author’s observations of her family and neighbors, as well as on an event that occurred near…

The sinking of the Rainbow Warrior, codenamed Opération Satanique, was an operation by the “action” branch of the French foreign intelligence services, the Direction Générale de la Sécurité Extérieure (DGSE), carried out on July 10, 1985. It aimed to sink the flagship of the Greenpeace fleet, the Rainbow Warrior in the port of Auckland, New…

The Battle of Britain (German: Luftschlacht um England or Luftschlacht um Großbritannien, literally “Air battle for England” or “Air battle for Great Britain”) is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940. The objective of…

200 years ago (9 Jul 1810) Napoleon annexed Holland and made his brother Louis its King

Thomas Jefferson

China marks 90 years of Communism

Relic of St Thomas Becket carried in procession to London Bridge

(‘Nye’) Bevan was the British politician responsible for establishing the National Health Service.

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Mummy Stash Found in Italian Church: Photos

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200 years ago (5 Jul 1810) Birth of P.T. Barnum, American showman and circus founder 50 years ago (6 Jul 1960) Death of Aneurin (‘Nye’) Bevan, British politician responsible for establishing the National Health Service 200 years ago (9 Jul 1810) Napoleon annexed Holland and made his brother Louis its King 70 years ago (10…

Forget two world wars and one World Cup… geneticists reveal 50 per cent of Britons are GERMAN

25 years ago today (22nd June 1986) The ‘Hand of God’ goal – Argentine footballer Diego Maradona scored a goal against England using his hand in the quarter-final of the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico City.

70 years ago today (22nd June 1941) World War II: Operation Barbarossa – Germany invaded the Soviet Union

150 years ago today (19th June 1861): Birth of Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig, British field marshal who commanded Britain’s forces in France during WWI

50 years ago today (16th June 1961): Soviet ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev defected to the West while on tour with the Kirov Ballet in Paris

200 years ago today (14th June 1811): Birth of Harriet Beecher Stowe, American abolitionist and novelist (‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’)

20 years ago today (12th June 1991): Boris Yeltsin became the first directly elected President of Russia. (Inaugurated 10th July)

Triple-barrelled cannon found in Croatian fort is 'machine gun' forerunner designed by Da Vinci

I’ve created a double-sided handout that can be used as a helpsheet for students using “Fakebook” for the first time.

250 years ago today (7th June 1761): Birth of John Rennie, Scottish civil engineer, built bridges, canals, docks and harbours throughout Britain.

Adolf Hitler 'honorary citizen' row grips Austria

Huge testicular tumour helps identify subject of 19th century portrait

50 years ago today (6th June 1961) Death of Carlth Juneg, Swiss psychiatrist and psychologist, founder of analytical psychology 250 years ago today (7th June 1761) Birth of John Rennie, Scottish civil engineer, built bridges, canals, docks and harbours throughout Britain 20 years ago today (12th June 1991) Boris Yeltsin became the first directly elected…

50 years ago today (25th May 1961): U.S. President John F. Kennedy gave his famous ‘man on the moon’ speech, in which he urged Congress and America to commit itself, before the end of the decade, to landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth

100 years ago today (18th May 1911): Death of Gustav Mahler, Austrian composer and conductor

20 years ago today (14th May 1991): Nelson Mandela’s wife Winnie was sentenced to 6 years in jail for her part in the kidnapping and beating of 4 youths. (Later reduced to a fine)

Former Nazi Camp Guard Gets Five Years

70 years ago today (10th May 1941): World War II: The last major attack on London during the Blitz caused heavy damage to many important buildings, including the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, St James’s Palace and Lambeth Palace, several railway stations and hospitals, the British Museum and the Old Bailey. Over 1,300 people were…

Digital legacy: Archaeology of the future

125 years ago today (8th May 1886): Coca-Cola first went on sale, in Atlanta, Georgia, USA

60 years ago today (29th April 1951): Death of Ludwig Wittgenstein, Austrian-born British philosopher, commonly regarded as the greatest philosopher of the 20th century.

25 years ago today (26th April 1986): The world’s worst nuclear accident occurred at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the Ukraine, Soviet Union.

50 years ago today (1st May 1961) Fidel Castro declared Cuba a socialist state and abolished multi-party elections 80 years ago today (1st May 1931) The Empire State Building in New York City, USA was officially opened 75 years ago today (2nd May 1936) Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie left the country and went into exile…

The aim of history at hand is to provide a range of resources for students to help with their knowledge and understanding using the latest technology of podcasting.

75 years ago today (19th April 1936): The Arab Revolt (also known as the Great Uprising) began in Palestine, with a general strike that lasted until October.

Despite 5,000-Year History, Archaeology Flounders in Gaza Strip

Hole in the head: How medieval soldiers survived after battle thanks to early day brain surgery