History Today

The career of the brilliant physiologist Brown-Séquard is a reminder of the perils of scientific innovation.

The Mongol leader's encounter with a mystical beast marked him as a great leader, but says at least as much about his adviser.

The churchmen and leader of the Oxford Movement died on March 29th 1866.

Yuan Shikai's short-lived reign as Chinese emperor ended on March 22nd, 1916.

The millennium-long history of the Holy Roman Empire has been wilfully misunderstood since the rise of the nation state. But can its past shed light on Europe’s future? 

The appearance of a Short Stirling Bomber near St Paul's Cathedral prompts Roger Hudson to recall the Wings for Victory campaign.

Shakespeare’s approach to history and geography is often regarded as something of a joke. But his skill was in reconstructing the medieval Mediterranean for audiences whose horizons were being expanded.

By the end of the Seven Years War in 1763 Britain had become a global power for the first time. But the conflict’s colossal expense and the high-handed approach of British politicians led to the loss of America, writes George Goodwin.

When the European powers began exporting convicts to other continents, they did so to create a deterrent and to establish new settlements across the world. Clare Anderson traces the history of punitive passages.

The 500th anniversary of the publication of Utopia is a chance to appreciate Thomas More in all his complexity.