BBC History Magazine

BBC History Magazine aims to shed new light on the past to help you make more sense of the world today. Fascinating stories from contributors are the leading experts in their fields, so whether they're exploring Ancient Egypt, Tudor England or the Second World War, you'll be reading the latest, most thought-provoking historical research. BBC History Magazine brings history to life with informative, lively and entertaining features written by the world's leading historians and journalists and is a captivating read for anyone who's interested in the past.

WELCOME JULY 2025

THREE THINGS I'VE LEARNED THIS MONTH

THIS ISSUE'S CONTRIBUTORS

ANNIVERSARIES • DANNY BIRD highlights events that took place in July in history

“The pope doesn't have to be a great theologian – but he has to be in tune with the zeitgeist” • In May, the new Pope Leo XIV was chosen by the conclave, a secretive gathering of cardinals with a history stretching back many centuries. Matt Elton spoke to REBECCA RIST about the politics, controversies and far-reaching impacts of past papal elections

“Freedom and democracy are not to be taken for granted” • To celebrate the 80th anniversary of VE Day, on 5 May prime minister SIR KEIR STARMER hosted a tea party in Downing Street for Second World War veterans, schoolchildren and people with links to the armed forces. Following the event, he spoke to our correspondent York Membery about why marking the anniversary is so important – and the resonances with the current war in Ukraine

MICHAEL WOOD ON… • THE STRUGGLE OF MEMORY AGAINST FORGETTING

HIDDEN HISTORIES • KAVITA PURI on a groundbreaking museum initiative by the V&A

Life's rich tapestry

BBC History Magazine

CHANNEL SICKNESS • When the Battle of Britain erupted, many Luftwaffe pilots anticipated a swift victory. Yet soon that confidence had been replaced by chronic fatigue and a crippling fear of drowning in “dirty water”. Victoria Taylor charts the mental disintegration of Hitler's flyers

TIMELINE THE LUFTWAFFE'S ASSAULT ON BRITAIN

ELIZABETH I'S FORBIDDEN LOVE • In 1579, the queen embarked on a romance with a French duke she affectionately dubbed her “frog”. The pair seemed destined for marriage. Yet, writes Elizabeth Tunstall, the people of England had other ideas…

Romancing the throne • Three other men who were in the frame to marry the Virgin Queen

Q&A • A selection of historical conundrums answered by experts

Sarah Mae Flemming Segregation-busting bus commuter • The year before the arrest of Rosa Parks sparked the Montgomery bus boycott, another black American woman started a legal fight against segregation on public transport. CLIVE WEBB and TOM ADAM DAVIES highlight her role in the civil rights battle

CAESAR'S FUNERAL DRAMA • The assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BC drove tensions sky-high in ancient Rome. As Jessica Clarke reveals, plays staged at his funeral were carefully chosen to inflame anger and incite revenge on his killers

THE TUDOR CALENDAR OF DEATH • Delving deep into reports of coroners’ inquests from Tudor England, Steven Gunn and Tomasz Gromelski show how accidental deaths reveal the rhythms of work, travel and leisure throughout the year

FIVE THINGS YOU (PROBABLY) DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT… the First World War • Alex Churchill reveals some little-known facts about one of history's deadliest conflicts

Swings and Roundabouts • We all have childhood memories of playgrounds. But what does the evolution of outdoor play in Britain tell us about the experience of being young over the past 200 years? Jon Winder serves up a history of sandpits, bombsites and battles with cars

ROPES, PULLS AND A JOY WHEEL • Five fixtures of the British...