This Week in History

Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life. 10th July 1553: Lady Jane Grey becomes Queen for 9 days. 8th July 1947: The Roswell Incident sparks UFO conspiracy culture. 8th July 1776: The US Declaration of Independence is read publicly for the first time.

Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life. 29th June 1613: The original Globe Theatre burns down mid-performance. 30th June 1967: Major Robert H. Lawrence, Jr. becomes the first African-American to be selected as an astronaut. 2nd July 1928: The 1928 Equal Franchise Act grants all women in the UK over the age of 21 the right to vote, and puts them on an equal f...

Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life. 25th June 1947: Anne Frank's diary is published for the first time. 24th June 1374: People begin dancing uncontrollably in the city of Aachen, Germany, in what comes to be known as St John's Dance 26th June 1974: A packet of gum becomes the first product to be sold using a barcode.

Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life. 18 June 1984 - 'The Battle of Orgreave' sees police officers clash with striking miners. 16 June 1824 - The Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (now known as the RSPCA) is formed. 21 June 1948 - The world’s first stored-program computer is switched on in Manchester.

Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life.. 8th June 793: A Viking raid on the island of Lindisfarne marks the beginning of the Viking Age in Europe. 9th June 1975: The first live transmission from the House of Commons is broadcast on the radio. 9th June 1898: China leases Hong Kong to Britain for 99 years.

Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life. 6 June 1944: Allied forces begin their assault on Nazi occupied France in an invasion officially called Operation Overlord but more commonly known as D-Day. 5 June 1963: Scandal erupts at Westminster, when John Profumo resigns from government after confessing to an affair with the model Christine Keeler. 5 June 1833: A...

Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life. 25th May 1895: Oscar Wilde is sentenced to two years hard labour for the crime of gross indecency. 27th May 1703: St Petersburg is founded on the banks of the Neva River 25th May 1659: Richard Cromwell resigns as Lord Protector, leading to the restoration of the monarchy. Charles II lands at Dover exactly one year late...

Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life. 23 May 1618 - Second Defenestration of Prague leads to the Thirty Years War 24th May 1844 - first telegraph message sent 21st May 1780 - Elizabeth Fry is born

Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life. 16th May 1943 - Operation Chastise: No. 617 Squadron RAF begins the famous Dambusters Raid 13th May 1787 - The First Fleet sets sail for Botany Bay, Australia, with 11 ships and over 700 convicts 17th May 1861 - The first color photograph, of a tartan ribbon is shown by Scottish scientist James Clerk Maxwell to the Roy...

Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life. 4th May 1990 - Latvia declares its independence 10th May 1857 - Indian rebellion against British rule by the East India Company begins 10th May 1824 - The National Gallery first opens at 100 Pall Mall

Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life. 2nd May 1982 - The Argentine navy cruiser General Belgrano is controversially sunk by a British nuclear submarine during the Falklands War. 1st May 1707 - The Act of Union unites England and Scotland to form Great Britain. 3rd May 1978 - Marketing manager Gary Thuerk sends the first spam email.

Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life. 23rd April 1984 - The virus which causes HIV/AIDS is discovered. 21st April 1509 - Henry VIII accedes to the English throne. 25th April 1859 - The construction of the Suez canal begins.

Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life. 13th April 1970 - An explosion on board Apollo 13 threatens the lives of three astronauts. 16th April 1616 - William Harvey begins publicising the pioneering medical theory that blood circulates around the body. 18th April 1930 - Listeners who tuned in to the BBC for the 845pm bulletin were told 'there is no news'.

Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life. 10th April 1815 - Mount Tambora erupts, the largest in recorded history. For two years particles stay in the air across the globe, inspiring various artworks. 6th April 1994 - A plane carrying President Habyarimana of Rwanda and the Burundian President Ntaryamira is shot down, sparking the start of the Rwandan Genocide...

Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life. 1st April 2001 - Slobodan Milošević, the former president of The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, surrenders to police special forces. 4th April 1968 - The civil rights activist Martin Luther King is assassinated. 1st April 1748 - The ruins of the Roman city of Pompeii are discovered.

Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life. 23 March 1900 - Excavations begin at Knossos, Crete, revealing the Bronze Age Minoan civilisation 27 March 1963 - The Beeching report is published, leading to mass railway closures in the UK 26 March 1778 - Beethoven gives his first concert at the age of 7, he dies on the same day in 1827

Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life. March 21st In 1556 - the first Protestant Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, was burnt at the stake in Oxford during the reign of Queen Mary. March 17th 1921 - the first family planning clinic opened in Holloway, North London, by Marie Stopes. March 20th 1966 - the World Cup trophy was stolen from its display in...

Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life. March 11th - In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev was named the Soviet Union's new leader. March 11th - In 1702, Britain's first daily newspaper - The Daily Courant - began publication. March 15th - In 44BC - the Ides of March - the Roman emperor, Julius Caesar, was assassinated by a group of senators.

Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life. This week: 2nd to 8th March March 7th - 1876 Alexander Graham Bell receives a patent for the telephone in the US March 2nd - 1965 One of the most popular musical films of all time, "The Sound of Music," premieres March 4th 1522 - Anne Boleyn makes her debut at the English court at the Green Castle pageant.

Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life. This week: 23rd February to 1st March 24th February 1999 - The Metropolitan police force was branded "institutionally racist" by the Macpherson Report which examined the murder of the black teenager, Stephen Lawrence. 1st March 1565 - The city of Rio de Janeiro was founded by the Portuguese. 26th February 1839 - The fi...

Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life. This week: 16th - 22nd February 16th February 1959 - Cuba's revolutionary leader Fidel Castro is sworn in as prime minister. 21st February 1804 - The world's first railway journey takes place. 22nd of February 1797 - The last Invasion of Britain; French soldiers land at Fishguard… but are soon captured.

Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life. This week: 9th to 15th February 13th February 1258 - Five centuries of Abbasid rule ends when Baghdad falls to the Mongols. 11th February 1990 - Nelson Mandela is released from prison after 27 years. 15th February 1971 - Britain converts to decimal currency. Presented by Jane Steel and Ron Brown.

Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life. This week: 2nd to 8th February 7th February 1974 - British Prime Minster Edward Heath calls a snap general election as the country grapples with a miners’ strike and an energy crisis. 5th February 1919 - Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and D.W. Griffith challenge the Hollywood power structure by formi...

Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life. This week: 26th January to 1st February 27th Jan 1945 - The liberation of Auschwitz. 1st Feb 1884 - The first fascicle of The Oxford English Dictionary 'A-Ant' is published 30th Jan 1972 - Bloody Sunday Presented by Jane Steel and Ron Brown

Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life. This week: 19th to 25th of January. 20th Jan 1265 - The first English Parliament met at Westminster Hall. 24th Jan 1961 - A US Air force plane carrying two Hydrogen bombs broke up mid-air over North Carolina. 19th Jan 1903 - A new bicycle race was announced "Tour de France". Presented by Caroline Nicholls and Ron Brown...