All About History

When I am studying various figures from history, I’m often hoping to find someone who I can feel good about championing and highlighting. I’m always looking for a hero, I guess. The trouble is, people are messy. We make mistakes, we hold contradictor

As an estimated 7,000 protestors demonstrated outside the police station in the township of Sharpeville, South Africa against pass laws (internal passport systems used to racially segregate people), police opened fire on the crowds. The demonstrators

Following the death of William IV, the 18-year-old Victoria ascends to the throne and is crowned a year later. Despite Victoria describing the event as the ‘proudest moment of my life’ numerous mistakes occur, including the coronation ring being jamm

14 INSIDE THE CRYSTAL PALACE 16 ANATOMY OF VICTORIA’S CORONATION ROBES 18 VICTORIAN AUTHORS 20 DYING IN VICTORIAN BRITAIN ■

One of the most iconic and groundbreaking buildings of the Victorian era was undoubtedly the Crystal Palace. Erected in 1851 in Hyde Park, London, the impressive structure was designed by architect Joseph Paxton to house the Great Exhibition. The des

The coronation orb has been used in the crowning of all British monarchs since it was designed for the coronation of King Charles II in the 17th century. It is made from gold and decorated with a number of precious jewels including diamonds, amethyst

For over 30 years, John Brown was Queen Victoria’s most important servant. He first came to the attention of the Queen when her and Prince Albert began renting the Balmoral estate, where Brown worked as a pony herder. The pair immediately became enam

English, 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870 Charles Dickens wrote 15 novels in total, among which are some of the best-known works in the English language, including Oliver Twist, Great Expectations and A Christmas Carol. However, unlike some of his conte

How did people in the Victorian era care for the dying? Obviously, there were as many ways of caring for the dying in the 19th century as there are today. The main difference, perhaps, was that for the great bulk of the population, dying happened at

221B BAKER ST, LONDON, NW1 6XE Located at 221B Baker Street, the address of the fictional detective, the Sherlock Holmes Museum now serves as a memorial to the supreme sleuth. Opening in 1990, the museum meticulously recreates Sherlock Holmes’ apartm

Leonardo da Vinci is remembered as a ‘dual genius’, the great artist who gave us the Mona Lisa and the great inventor who conceived machines that would not exist for some time, from the parachute to flying contraptions. But did you know that Leonardo

The human history of Japan dates back at least 30,000 years. At that point, the four main islands of Japan were connected and land bridges joined them to both Korea in the south and Siberia in the north. The first humans to occupy what is now Japan s

As the 1980s drew to a close, a quirky group of youthful outsiders began to dominate the New York club scene. These were strange creatures to mainstream observers, a misfit band of queer outcasts who found fame due to their outré styles and shocking

The Emerald Isle boasts a huge and eclectic array of mystical creatures that have come to define Ireland’s long and magical history. The country’s folklore is rich and complex, with stories of fairies and leprechauns having been circulated and passed

Examples of medieval female authorship are few and far between, so when one is available, it’s worth examining. Such is the case with Prayers and Meditations, a prayer guide written around 1415 by a woman and focusing on women from the Bible, such as

In the popular imagination, the Wars of the Roses ended with the death of Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. The House of York had fallen and England belonged to the Tudors under Henry VII. However, it is arguable that the true fight betw

Did you know that a gay man designed the modern computer we use today? Or that a lesbian almost halved the infant mortality rate of New York City? These incredible achievements made by LGBTQIA+ people in science, technology, engineering and medicine

For 15 months between February 1692 and May 1693, the American town of Salem, Massachusetts was ripped apart by accusations of witchcraft that spread like wildfire. At the end of this harrowing period some 20 innocent people had been killed, suspecte

In 1206, the Mongol tribes of Central Asia were brought together under the leadership of one man. Unification under the notorious Genghis Khan marked the start of an impressive empire that would become a world powerhouse, expanding across Eurasia. Th

Book Film TV Podcast Games Other A stunning technical achievement, but haven’t we seen these stories before? Cert: 15 Creator: John Orloff Distributor: Apple TV Cast: Austin Butler, Callum Turner, Anthony Boyle Released: Out now Adding to the spiritu

Director: Roger Michell Starring: Jim Broadbent, Helen Mirren, Matthew Goode Country: UK Year: 2020 This tale of a real-life heist may provide the laughs, but just how much does it ‘steal’ from the past? VERDICT: An incredibly accurate and immensely

Gaining popularity in post-war Japan when supplies were scarce, the okonomiyaki evolved in several directions from the earliest pancakes in Japan from around the Edo period (1603-1868). Originally more crepe-like and sweet, savoury varieties with mor