INFOGRAPHIC: TIDY DESIGNS, ALAMY X1, GETTY X1 AD 604 The first cathedral on the site is built by Mellitus, a Roman. AD 675 A fire devastates the first building, but it is quickly rebuilt. AD 962 Viking invaders destroy the second cathedral. A replace

Henry VIII had an insatiable appetite for novelty, opulence and displays of generosity – so no wonder a colossal golden fountain that spouted wine instead of water appealed to him. The renowned artwork depicting Henry’s encounter with French King Fra

Few buildings in the world are as distinctive – or have a history as troubled – as Barcelona’s Sagrada Família. Nearly a century after its primary architect, Antoni Gaudí, died in 1926, the Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família is only no

Boudica, the celebrated queen of the Iceni tribe who lived in what is now Norfolk, spearheaded a revolt against Britain’s Roman occupiers around AD 60. Her initial campaigns were successful, resulting in the devastation of London, Colchester and St A

Stonehenge is famous both for its broken circles of standing stones and as an enduring source of mystery and wonder. What was it used for? And why was it made? Definitive answers to these questions continue to elude us. What we do know is that Stoneh

For this, the final issue of BBC History Revealed, we’ve pulled together a host of historical conundrums and fascinating facts that may – or may not – turn you into a history genius! At the very least, you’ll be sure to impress at any New Year dinner

In the 1930s, a Shinto priest in Japan reportedly discovered Japanese documents that – so it was claimed – included the last will and testament of Jesus Christ. According to these, Jesus – described in the text as “a longnosed goblin” – evaded crucif

Mary Toft, a young woman from Godalming, Surrey, caused a sensation in 1726 when she convinced a number of doctors that, after seeing a large rabbit while pregnant, she had given birth to parts of the long eared mummals. John Howard, a local surgeon

When, in December 1085, King William I gave orders to carry out a ‘Great Survey’, it felt to the people of England and parts of Wales like the biblical Day of Judgement was upon them. Every soul in the land was to be assessed, and no appeal would be

Ancient Egyptian tombs dating back to 3000 BC have yielded sticks frayed at the end to floss teeth, and the miswak (chew-stick) has been used in Muslim cultures for centuries. The first bristle brushes appeared in China at the end of the 15th century

PETROL 11 years – 1939 to 1950 SOAP 8 years – 1942 to 1950 BUTTER 14 years – 1940 to 1954 EGGS 13 years – 1941 to 1954 CHEESE 13 years – 1941 to 1954 CLOTHES 8 years – 1941 to 1949 TEA 12 years – 1940 to 1952 SUGAR 13 years – 1940 to 1953 BREAD 2 yea

A statue of Alfred the Great, standing in leafy Trinity Church Square, Southwark, was long thought to be the oldest freestanding statue in London, believed to be one of a group ordered by Richard II for Westminster Hall in 1395. However, studies in 2

Let’s get to the point: from the 12th to 15th centuries, shoes were all about status. Both men and women wanted to put their best foot forward – as far forward as possible, in fact. Pointed shoes, known as poulaines or crackowes, may have been inspir

Well, it was chopped off on 30 January 1649. The king had lost the Civil Wars, and had been sentenced to be executed for the rather unlikely crime of high treason. After the unknown executioner carried out the deed with a single strike of his axe, se

Throughout history, specific dog breeds have been associated with particular social groups. In the 19th century, terriers were popular among the working classes; Manchester terriers (pictured below) were favoured by workingclass men, partly to keep v

Quite a few. In 1943, Maria Dickin, founder of the veterinary charity People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) introduced a medal to honour animals that displayed exceptional bravery in World War II. The Dickin Medal, a bronze disc bearing the wor

The New Model Army was a force raised by Parliament in 1645 during the Civil Wars. Although other armies had earlier been recruited for the defence or conquest of a specific part of the country, soldiers of the New Model Army could expect to serve an

Women in ersatz ancient Greek tunics hold aloft a torch, ready for the flame to be lit by the rays of the noonday sun via a parabolic mirror in the sacred precinct of Olympia. All is not quite as historic as it seems, though: this moment on 20 July 1