Did the UK have a Black civil rights movement?
Britain often tells its modern story as one of gradual tolerance, polite reform, and multicultural evolution. Compared to the dramatic confrontations of the American civil rights era, the UK’s …
World history: The stories that shaped us all
Step into the vast tapestry of our shared human past — a world of empires and uprisings, migrations and revolutions, innovations and injustices. Our World History category brings together diverse narratives from every corner of the globe, challenging Eurocentric timelines and spotlighting the voices too often left out of the mainstream record.
From ancient civilisations to modern movements, we explore how cultures have collided, connected, and evolved. This is a space for learning, unlearning, and rethinking the stories we've been told. Whether you're drawn to forgotten kingdoms, global revolutions, or everyday acts of resistance, you'll find a world of insight here, because history isn't just about the past; it's about how we understand ourselves today.
Who gets to be “American”? Geography, history, and the US claim to the name America
Geographically, the term America doesn’t refer to a single country. It refers to a vast landmass stretching from the Arctic Circle to the southern tip of Patagonia, which English speakers …
The Mexican Revolution: Fire, land, and a nation remade
A country on the brink
By the dawn of the twentieth century, Mexico had endured three decades under the iron hand of Porfirio Díaz. His regime, known as the Porfiriato, had modernised the country …
Bay of Pigs 1961: The CIA’s failed invasion that changed the Cold War
In April 1961, a small, heavily armed force of Cuban exiles stormed a remote stretch of Cuba’s southern coastline, expecting to spark a nationwide uprising that would topple revolutionary leader Fidel …
Ten dark moments in colonial history
History is often written by the victors, but buried beneath grand empires and riches lies a much darker truth. These are ten of the most disturbing and tragic moments in colonial history.
1. …
The First Anglo-Afghan War (1839-1842): Britain’s imperial disaster in the Hindu Kush
The First Anglo-Afghan War stands as one of the most catastrophic military ventures in British imperial history. What began as a confident assertion of power in Central Asia ended in one of the most …
Operation Ajax and the shadow of empire: The 1953 Iranian coup
Operation Ajax is the story of how a democratic government was destroyed to protect oil interests, how intelligence agencies perfected techniques of covert regime change, and how the consequences of …
The Great Game: Britain and Russia’s strategic rivalry in Central Asia
The Great Game stands as one of history’s most enduring geopolitical rivalries, a century-long strategic competition between the British and Russian Empires that shaped the destiny of Central …
Iran: Modernisation and nationalism
The Iran that emerged from the chaos of the early 20th century bore little resemblance to the mighty Persian Empire of antiquity. Weakened by foreign interference, territorial losses, and internal …
The Banana Wars: America’s forgotten military interventions in Central America
Between 1898 and 1934, the United States engaged in a series of military interventions across Central America and the Caribbean that collectively became known as the “Banana Wars.” This …
The Grenada Revolution: A Caribbean island’s brief socialist experiment
The Spice Island’s political awakening
In the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, the small island nation of Grenada—known for its nutmeg and other spices—became the unlikely stage for one of …
The rise and fall of the Persian Empire
Long before oil made Iran a focal point of global politics, this land was home to one of history’s greatest empires. The Persian Empire once stretched from India to Greece, ruling over nearly …