James Gillray: life of the week

Galileo Galilei stands as one of the most significant figures in the history of science and thought. But how did he gain this illustrious reputation? In today's 'Life of the Week' episode, historian o...

27 Touko 202440min

Europe's peasants have all but disappeared since the end of the Second World War. Patrick Joyce has studied the past 200 years of the peasant experience, and in conversation with David Musgrove, he ex...

26 Touko 202432min

Millions of people flock to museums each year, eager to learn about the past and be inspired by the artefacts on display. But how old is the concept of the museum? How exactly has it shifted over time...

25 Touko 202451min

You've heard of Shakespeare, but have you heard of his contemporary Mary Sidney, the first person to translate the Book of Psalms into English poetry? Or what about Elizabeth Cary, who published the f...

23 Touko 202442min

On 6 June 1944, the Allies began their long-awaited invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe. By the end of the day, more than 150,000 men had landed in northern France, ready to start pushing further inland....

22 Touko 202436min

At the end of the 19th century, Britain and America entered the grip of a cat craze that saw the humble moggy catapulted from urban nuisance to beloved household pet. Historian Kathryn Hughes speaks t...

21 Touko 202432min

Maria Theresa defied expectations of what a female ruler could achieve in the 18th century. When she ascended the throne of the Habsburg empire in 1740, there were riots on the streets of Vienna, and ...

20 Touko 202437min

Operating under the codename Agent Zo, Polish resistance fighter Elżbieta Zawacka was one of the most courageous intelligence agents of the Second World War. From running secret missives under the nos...

19 Touko 202437min