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.
History Today
‘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.
The Original Anti-Vaxxers
When widespread vaccination was introduced there were objections – some justified, some not.
Contested Legacy of the Conquistadors
If we are to better understand the actions of men such as Hernán Cortés, we must place them in the context of a medieval world view that predated the nation state.
The Future of the Past
In the 70 years since History Today was launched, the way we engage with the past has changed, often for the better. But challenges remain.
The Culinary Enlightenment
The belief that you are what you eat emerged in 19th-century France, where the pleasures of the table were sautéed with philosophy and medicine.
Pilgrims Processed
Muslims from Asia who wished to travel to Mecca on the Hajj were exploited by a trade in human cargo that grew with the opening of the Suez Canal.
‘Manless Climbing’
Breaking into the masculine public sphere of the interwar years.