Birth of Louis XVI of France
Louis XVI was born on August 23rd, 1754, in the palace of Versailles.
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The 1980s and the Age of Reagan
Glen Jeansonne sees the former president as a mirror of his age.
1704: Blenheim, Gibraltar and the Making of a Great Power
Jeremy Black recalls two events, 300 years ago this summer, that heralded the emergence of Britain as a Continental power.
Topolski's Brush with the United Nations
Gallery owner John Martin appeals to readers to help identify figures in a significant work ‘The Opening Session of the United Nations’ by the twentieth-century artist Feliks Topolski.
A Titian for the National Gallery
The Director of the National Gallery, Sir Edward Poynter, acquired Titian's 'Man with a Quilted Sleeve' for the museum on August 14th, 1904.
Troop Withdrawals from Korea
It was not until a year after the armistice that the remaining American divisions were withdrawn from Korea, on August 18th, 1954.
What If... Philip II Had Gone to the Netherlands?
Geoffrey Parker considers the far-reaching consequences of a sudden change of plan by the king of Spain in 1567.
An Officer on the Western Front
Anthony Fletcher reads his grandfather’s correspondence from the Western Front to see how he maintained morale and developed his leadership.
The Eye-Opener of 1939: Or How The World Saw the Nazi-Soviet Pact
George Watson considers how news of a political and moral bombshell was received, particularly by intellectuals on both the Left and the Right.
Catastrophe at Smyrna
Matthew Stewart traces the roots of the Greco-Turkish war of 1921-22, and the consequent refugee crisis, to the postwar settlements of 1919-20.