History Today

o4ɑȝ/: cipher used between Mary, Queen of Scots and Guillaume de l’Aubéspine, Mauvissière’s replacement as ambassador, late 16th century.

Codes and Crowns

Fifty encrypted letters sent by Mary, Queen of Scots have recently been deciphered. What have we learnt?

illustration from Voyage to Russia, 1739.

Death of an Intrepid Traveller

Elizabeth Justice, writer of the first female-authored book of travel writing to be published in English, died on 15 March 1752.

‘Assassination of Julius Caesar’, by Vincenzo Camuccini, c. 1793-96. Metropolitan Museum of Art. Public Domain.

What was the Impact of Julius Caesar’s Murder?

Julius Caesar was killed on 15 March 44 BC. We’ve heard about the ‘Ides of March’ – but what happened next?

French paratroopers at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, Vietnam, 23 March 1954.

Fight On

Why did Asia not have postwar peace?

Jean Calas with his family ahead of his execution, French coloured engraving, 18th century.

A Test Case for Tolerance

Jean Calas was sentenced to be broken on the wheel in front of the cathedral in Toulouse, on 10 March 1762.

mosaic depicting the Flood, Basilica di San Marco, Venice, 13th century.

No Edens

A level-headed chronicle of the varied impact of climate on our history.

English army with banner, from the Chroniques de France ou de St Denis, late 14th century.

Outlaws at War

For Edward I, filling his army with criminals made perfect sense.

Armenia’s Eleventh Century

Where relations between Armenia and Turkey are concerned, the 11th century never ended.

demonstrators outside Leeds Crown Court on the first day of the trial of the Leeds Bonfire Night 12, June 1975. Photograph by Max Farrar.

Is Violence the Answer?

Using violence as a response to racism can both divide and unite communities. This was demonstrated when a riot erupted in the Leeds suburb of Chapeltown on Bonfire Night 1975.

Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle.

This Flammable Isle

The familiar story of the 17th century told through unfamiliar voices.