History

Prince John was King George V and Queen Mary's youngest son but he has been lost in the annals of royal history. Why?

Being royal has its challenges and when you are head of "the firm," as the British monarchy is known, this includes disloyal subjects taking potshots at your royal self. Queen Victoria managed to cheat death eight times at the hands of would-be assassins.

A lot has been written about Charles I in the English Civil Wars, but his son and heir, the future King Charles II, had an adventurous adolescence fighting for his father with the Royalists. Charles could not save Charles I from his fate of execution but he tried.

The British Empire was frightfully good fun, don't you know, for the country's dissolute upper crust.

The athletic King Henry VIII loved to joust and had suffered injuries before the 24th January 1536. His jousting accident that day changed him forever.

Old West bandits knew not to mess with the African American woman who carried mail on horse-drawn wagons.

Did Britain steal a massive amount of wealth from India during its colonial administration of the country?

Edward II of England and Isabella of France were married, happily at first. His tendencies to have favourites, make unpopular decisions and fight the English barons led Isabella and her lover Roger Mortimer to overthrow Edward.

To escape persecution, Doukhobors went to Canada at the end of the 19th century and settled on the Prairies.

From her early childhood, Teresa de Cepeda remained a deeply spiritual soul. She gave generously to others who were less fortunate than she. Her life-long activity was to spend much time in meditation and prayer.

Queen Victoria is well known but the story of her father Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn is less familiar to people. He was a military man, devoted to his long term mistress but compelled to do his dynastic duty.

Long before Scotland, Wales, England and Ireland had the same king or queen these kingdoms had their own rulers. Scotland, then named Alba, had David as their king between 1124 and 1153. He led an interesting and exacting life. The "Davidian Revolution" changed his land forever.

Colonel Thomas Blood was an audacious criminal. Staggeringly, his attempt to steal the priceless crown jewels from the Tower of London led King Charles II to reward him for his actions rather than punish him.

Hans Holbein came from an artistic Bavarian family and is best remembered as Henry VIII and his ever-changing family's portrait painter. As "King's Painter" he gave us the images of Henry and his contemporaries that define them to this day. How did he find himself at the Tudor court?

The Wild West is full of stories about “soiled doves,” the euphemism for prostitutes; Mary Katherine Harony was one of the more intriguing examples.

In 1972, a medical evacuation in Canada's Northwest Territories went horrible wrong and only one person came out alive.

Charles I was the king that lost his head and his throne. What did he do to finally enrage people so much that civil war was declared and why does no king or queen ever go in to the House of Commons in London's parliament?

A midwife, self-ordained preacher, and early advocate for women’s rights, Anne Hutchinson stood up to both the church and Boston authorities — and faced grave consequences for her defiance.

In 1772 George III discovered that one of his brothers had married without his consent. He created the Royal Marriages Act to stop unions which could damage the monarchy. Days later another of his brothers made a confession. Not all of George's descendants have abided by the rules of the act.

The members of the British royal family hold multiple aristocratic, honorary and military titles. Take the highest ranking aristocrat, the Duke. Is a royal duke any different from a non-royal one? Who is a royal duke and who won't be in the future?

For over nine centuries the royal ceremony of Swan Upping has been held along a stretch of the River Thames. Its purpose today is different to its origins but Swan Upping attracts a crowd each July.

Late in the 18th century the British colonists living in North America began to rebel due to the harsh treatment they were receiving from the British. Delegates from the colonies came together in Philadelphia in 1774 to form the 1st Continental Congress to deal with the British aggression.

Buckingham Palace in London is one of the most iconic buildings in the world. It immediately conjures up images of grandeur, continuity and heritage. Its history is as interesting as its royal residents.

On 15th June 1215 King John of England placed his royal seal on the Magna Carta. The power balance in the land had slowly shifted between 1066, William the Conqueror's new reign, and Angevin King John's era (1199-1216.) English barons secured liberties that changed history.

Four brothers and a few hangers-on specialized in train robberies in the 1860s.

Anne Neville was born in June 1456 at Warwick Castle in Warwickshire. She had a short life that featured family dramas, civil war, two marriages and a wealth of personal loss. She witnessed and participated in several pivotal moments in history, yet she is often overlooked.

On December 7, 1941, in Brussels, an unknown woman killed an assistant to the military commandant, a major of the German army, with a knife in broad daylight at Porte de Namur. Then she managed to escape. The Nazis responded by taking 60 Belgians hostage.

George I from the House of Hanover earned the hatred his son George (II) at an early age. His drastic and hurtful actions towards his wife Sophia Dorothea of Celle shattered the family and created animosity. “Hanoverians, like pigs trample their young.” Anon. And their wives.

Sometimes history is ugly. This is the case with the formation of America. We've all read the heroic stories of brave immigrants and a little about the atrocities of slavery. This article examines the cost of European settlement.

As 1951 turned into 1952, a story of heroism played out in the storm-tossed seas Western Approaches of the English Channel.

The battle for Iwo Jima would leave both sides involved shaken by the shear scale of violence as they fought for this tiny volcanic island in the Pacific Ocean. Of the 21,000 Japanese defending the island less than 200 would survive, it would become the bloodiest battle in Marine Corps history.

The children of Indigenous People in Canada were taken from their families in an attempt to destroy their culture.

George III suffered with mental health issues from 1765. His most well known bout occurred in 1788. Porphyria has long been the preferred diagnosis but studies have revealed that there was another likely cause of his suffering.

The Imperial State Crown is the most frequently used British royal crown. It’s also the most often repaired item in the crown jewels. There have been several versions across the centuries and its eye catching jewels have mesmerising histories of their own.

A 600-year-old manuscript has experts from several disciplines baffled as to its meaning.

Mary, Queen of Scots (1542-1587) is best remembered for her rivalry with her cousin Queen Elizabeth I of England, her marriages and her execution at Fotheringhay Castle in Northamptonshire on the 8th February 1587. Did you know that Mary became queen at six days old?

During World War II the Polish army enlisted an unusual recruit, a brown bear.

Eleanor of Aquitaine (c.1121-1204) was one of the most powerful and unusually well educated women in 12th century Europe. She was nobody’s fool and proved herself equal to and better than her husbands Kings Louis VII of France and Henry II of England.

Before he became the Uncle of Europe Edward VII was well known as a playboy prince of Wales. In 1870 he found himself embroiled in the sensational Mordaunt divorce case. It was the first time that a Prince of Wales had appeared in a public court.

Tiadores de la Muerte was an exceptional elite troop of Filipino sharpshooters. Learn their history and notable battles.

America's Founding Fathers had varying views on slavery.

It might be just a block of sandstone but to Scots it has a special meaning.

Many royals are popular. Most are remembered fondly. There are always exceptions to the rule. George IV was Britain's despised king. A man of gigantic appetites, he offered few appreciable characteristics or deeds for his family and people to remember him for.

Freddie Oversteegen was just 14-years-old when she and her older sister, Truus, joined the Dutch Resistance in an effort to take down the German Nazis. The sisters and fellow fighter and friend Hannie Schaft ambushed and killed Nazis and Dutch collaborators, and would go on to become unsung heroes.

Tea ceremonies are popular throughout Asia. Every culture puts a different spin on tea practices. Most Westerners are familiar with the Japanese style of tea ceremonies. Gardens are a major feature of the ceremony; they help prepare people for what will take place in the tea house.

A sad story of two lovers and an angry king.

Many slaves, distraught at the appalling conditions of their servitude, tried to run away; a cruel band of men was recruited to capture them and deter future absconders.

This article teaches you fun facts, trivia, and history events from the year 1930. Find out about popular movies, music, books, foods, sports facts, and other pop culture trends to get the right mix of questions and answers for your 1930s-themed trivia quiz.

The private security company has a chequered history including a lot of violent anti-union activities.

Galileo had many sources of inspiration, and many of them came at this critical juncture in science history.