Henry II of France Dies of Tournament Wounds
Henry II was fatally injured by the Count of Montgomery during a jousting tournament. He died on July 10th, 1559.
Political
The Peasants’ Revolt, 1381
In 1381 England witnessed a ‘summer of blood’ as the lower orders flexed their muscle. Dan Jones tells the story of one of medieval England’s most dramatic yet curiously neglected events.
The Gain from Thomas Paine
Thomas Paine inspired and witnessed the revolutions that gave birth to the United States and destroyed the French monarchy. A genuinely global figure, he anticipated modern ideas on human rights, atheism and rationalism.
Lee Kuan Yew becomes Singapore’s Prime Minister
Richard Cavendish remembers how a former-British colony gained a long-serving leader.
Selling Socialism: Marketing the Early Labour Party
Party strategists are no new phenomenon, Dominic Wring says; the Labour Party has always been concerned with marketing its brand image.
Philip I Crowned King of France
Richard Cavendish looks back at the Capetian monarch, crowned aged seven, on 23 May 1059.
Richard Cromwell Resigns as Lord Protector
The Lord Protector stood down on May 25th, 1659.
The Fall of the Roman Empire
As the Roman Empire declined its leaders became interested more in personal survival than good governance. Adrian Goldsworthy draws comparisons with current crises.
Venice Excommunicated
On April 27th, 1509, the Pope attempted to restrict the power of Venice.
No Karl Marx without Friedrich Engels
Friedrich Engels financed the research behind his friend Karl Marx’s epic critique of the free market, Das Kapital. His role is now being recognised.