The Central Problem
Surveying the world of Late Antiquity from its Persian centre.
History Today
Baptism of Leo Africanus
The great native historian of Africa was baptised by Pope Leo X on 6 January 1520.
The Invention of Chinese
Believing language would unify their struggling nation, Chinese officials began a project to create a national language and define what it meant to speak Chinese.
Celibacy, Misogyny, and Sodomy
The medieval insistence on clerical celibacy had dangerous and long-lasting consequences.
On the Spot: Natalie Zemon Davis
‘I’d like to meet the 16th-century Leo Africanus’
On the Streets Where They Lived
Those immersed in history are never alone, even when the company they keep is invisible.
The First Performance of ‘Silent Night’
A recital took place at the church of St Nicholas in Oberndorf in Salzburg, on the evening of 24 December 1818.
‘Did You Hear the One …’
What to do when a good joke becomes bad taste.
A Stand on the Streetcar
How an individual act of resistance in 1850s’ New York led to the desegregation of the city’s transit system.
Unchained Melody
The dark side of Harry Houdini.