British History

The critically acclaimed director James Gray took on the story of explorer Percival Fawcett's search for a lost city in Amazonia.

How Director James Gray Discovered the Insanity Behind the Search for “The Lost City of Z”

A story of Victorian-age madness and exploration in the South American jungle is coming to a theater near you

The caption to this cartoon from 'Scribner's Monthly' reads "Henry Bergh on Duty"

The ASPCA’s Founder Was Known as “The Great Meddler”

Although Bergh's efforts to prevent animal cruelty weren't well-received by all, the ASPCA did change how animals were seen in the United States

Clothes moth larvae are snacking on history.

Moths Are Nibbling Away at England’s Heritage Sites

Let “Operation Clothes Moths” commence

Millicent Garrett Fawcett gives a speech in Hyde Park in 1913.

London's Parliament Square Will Get Its First Statue of a Woman

Suffragist leader Millicent Garrett Fawcett will join the ranks of 11 statesmen who have been honored with monuments there

Amounts of arsenic that were deadly to children and the elderly were easily metabolized by healthy adults, which is one of the reasons it took many people so long to accept that arsenic wallpaper was bad news.

Arsenic and Old Tastes Made Victorian Wallpaper Deadly

Victorians were obsessed with vividly-colored wallpaper, which is on-trend for this year–though arsenic poisoning is never in style

Begging has a long, complicated history in England and the U.S. and professional beggars were often seen as people not deserving of aid.

The Myth of Professional Beggars Spawned Today's Enduring Stereotypes

In England and the United States, the fear of beggars gave rise to a number of justifications for why they shouldn't be helped

The University of London's Senate House inspired Orwell's description of the Ministry of Truth. Orwell's wife Eileen Blair worked in the building during World War II, when it was the real headquarters of the Ministry of Information.

George Orwell Wrote '1984' While Dying of Tuberculosis

Orwell, like thousands around the globe today, struggled with tuberculosis for many years before finally succumbing to the disease

British sailors board a Man of War to recapture the British Hermione in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, two years after the crew had mutinied. Painting by John Augustus Atkinson; Fry & Sutherland; Edward Orme.

How the Bloodiest Mutiny in British Naval History Helped Create American Political Asylum

Outrage over the revolt spurred the U.S. to deliver on a promise of the Revolution

Researcher Sarah Inskip examines the skull of Context 958.

Facial Reconstruction of Medieval Man Sheds Light on England’s 'Ordinary Poor'

"Context 958" lived a harsh life and died destitute

'The Morning Walk" by Thomas Gainsborough

Man Charged After Slashing Gainsborough Painting at the National Gallery

Fortunately, preliminary reports suggest that "The Morning Walk" can be repaired

Did Catherine Parr Write a Propaganda Song for Henry VIII?

'Gaude gloriosa Dei mater,' purportedly penned by the king’s sixth wife, will be performed in London for the first time in more than 470 years

Beginning as a religious feast day, Saint Patrick's Day has become an international celebration of Irish heritage.

The Origins of Chicago's Green River, Shamrock Shakes and Other Surprising Trivia About St. Patrick's Day

From colonial patriots to mass-marketed milkshakes, the Irish religious holiday has morphed into a worldwide celebration

Joseph Lister's work was influenced by Louis Pasteur's work on fermentation.

The Idea of Surgeons Washing Their Hands is Only 154 Years Old

The world of surgery before that was much grosser and less effective

Thornbury Castle.

Thornbury Castle, Honeymoon Spot of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, On Sale for $10.3 million

The property boasts boasts 28 bedrooms, sprawling Tudor gardens and restaurant experience in the dungeons

A re-engraving of the best-known picture of Jane Austen, the "memoir portrait," based on a drawing by her sister Cassandra.

Researchers Float (Unlikely) Theory That Jane Austen Died of Arsenic Poisoning

A contested hypothesis says the author’s glasses may offer new insight into her death

First page of the Kempe manuscript

Researchers Decipher Recipe Believed to Treat Medieval Mystic

The find came to light thanks to a multi-spectral analysis on the manuscript of Margery Kempe's autobiography

A collage of the work distributed by the British propaganda effort.

The Fake British Radio Show That Helped Defeat the Nazis

By spreading fake news and sensational rumors, intelligence officials leveraged “psychological judo” against the Nazis in World War II

Lincoln and Jefferson Davis were often portrayed together. Here, Davis is drawn as a Confederate general.

The Illustrator of Alice in Wonderland Also Drew Abraham Lincoln. A Lot

John Tenniel was a well-known editorial cartoonist as well as the man who gave Lewis Carroll’s books their visual charm

An 1817 illustration of a draisine.

This Wooden Running Machine Was Your Fixie’s Great-Great Grandpa

The draisine was invented as a potential replacement for the horse during a shortage

British statesman and author Winston Churchill reads correspondence at his desk in 1933.

“Are We Alone in the Universe?” Winston Churchill's Lost Extraterrestrial Essay Says No

The famed British statesman approached the question of alien life with a scientist's mind

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