history

Topic description and stories

How luxury became a four-letter word

27 Jun 2011

A new series presented by Michael Scott examines the history of luxury and the origins of our ambivalent attitude to the finer things in life.

Power in the balance

11 May 2011

A new research hub dedicated to the study of emerging powers and how different nations evolve to become leading political forces on the world stage...

A DC4 drops a bouncing bomb in the reconstructed Dambusters operation.

Bombs away: The Dambusters bounce back

30 Apr 2011

The daring Dambusters raid of World War II, in which RAF pilots famously used a bouncing bomb to breach two German dams, has been recreated by a...

Cast your vote for the Polar Museum

28 Apr 2011

It’s time to show your love for the Polar Museum at Cambridge University’s Scott Polar Research Institute this weekend.

A portrait of Augusta of Saxony-Gotha from the time of her wedding in 1736

The Royal Wedding… of 1736

27 Apr 2011

For those at the heart of this week's Royal Wedding, the big day will be full of stress and worry. But that's nothing compared with the experiences...

John Speed's proof map of Cambridgeshire

Mapping the origins of a masterpiece

21 Apr 2011

Published 400 years ago, the first comprehensive atlas of Great Britain is being celebrated by Cambridge University Library, home to one of only five...

Leonardo Da Vinci's depiction of the Last Supper

The Penultimate Supper?

17 Apr 2011

The Last Supper of Jesus Christ was on the Wednesday, and not the Thursday, before his death, according to a new study which claims to have solved “...