BlogFlockEurovision was started by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) in 1956.
“I think a lot of people mistake the establishment of Eurovision as some sort of postwar expression of Europeanism, a desire for European integration,” says Dean Vuletic, a leading expert on the…
On a morning in the last days of October AD 79, Pompeii pulsed with the energy of a city preparing for the shift into winter. Carts rattled over basalt blocks, their iron wheels grinding in grooves worn by decades of travel. Shopkeepers swept dust from their thresholds and fishmongers declared…
How did the union of England and Scotland come to fruition? From failed Scottish colonies to anti-independence espionage, Marc Mierowsky's book A Spy Amongst Us reveals how union wasn't inevitable, and how many Scots tried to choose their own future.
In this episode of the HistoryExtra podcast, Marc joins Isabel…
The ancient Romans would come to build one of the world’s mightiest empires, spanning continents and moulding the trajectory of much of Europe and the spaces around it.
But that wasn’t an outcome that always seemed likely. In the years before the start of the Punic Wars, which would…
Enjoy a brilliant day out as your favourite podcasts come to life on stage, set against the stunning backdrop of Kew Gardens. Don't miss HistoryExtra on Saturday 11th July, as we present a Royal Rampage Through the Ages, with Tracy Borman and Kate Williams.
The Middle Ages
Start time: 10:30
In medieval Europe, the pope was the ultimate authority; head of the Catholic Church, the successor of Saint Peter, and the supreme spiritual figure in a society where religion moulded every aspect of life. The Church influenced law, education, kingship and the rhythms of daily existence. From his seat in…
An elusive trickster exposes Britain’s ignorance
We tend to think of the Enlightenment as the threshold of the modern world. Yet in the 18th century – worryingly, much as today – the boundary between truth and falsehood was far from clear. And liars and…
How did a tiny band of guerrillas come to rule a quarter of humanity? And was the outcome of the Chinese Civil War really the ‘heroic’ popular uprising that the People’s Republic portrays? In this episode of the HistoryExtra podcast, Danny Bird speaks to Frank Dikötter about the surprising reality…
Say what you will about the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, its 1936 constitution was a banger.
It guaranteed freedom of speech, the press, assembly, and protest. It extended equal rights to all citizens, regardless of race or gender. It shortened the working day to…
1) Find what's true and make it useful. 2) Publish every other Tuesday. 3) Photo cred: my dad.