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Articles on History

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Jarman in the 60s, seeing things differently. Ray Dean/KCL

Time-travelling Derek Jarman is a beacon for the humanities

It is 20 years since the AIDS-related death of Derek Jarman, filmmaker, painter, author, gardener – and a crucial voice in gay politics in Britain. And when you look at his work today, two decades can…
Cupid Complaining To Venus by Lucas Cranach The Elder once belonged to Hitler. Ian West/PA

Monuments men are all the rage, but we’re still afraid of Nazi art

“I’m to put a team together and do our best to protect buildings, bridges and art, before the Nazis destroy everything,” George Clooney tells Matt Damon in a dimly lit bar. The Monuments Men is one of…
The pomp and glamour of the Sochi Winter Olympics opening ceremony didn’t quite project an accurate version of Russian history. Flickr/Kristy Yang Photography

Looking through the spectacle, Olympic opening ceremonies can rewrite history

The role of an Olympic opening ceremony is twofold – it is a place to show off to the world and it is a place to converse with your own citizens. So what did the grand opening ceremony to the Sochi Winter…
It’s not easy undertaking archaeological work in Egypt currently – but a major new find illuminates a torrid period in Egyptian history. Neil and Kathy Carey

What the new pharaoh tells us about ancient Egypt

Last month’s discovery in South Abydos, in Egypt – of the remains of the pharaoh, Senekbay, which date to the Second Intermediate Period (c. 1750-1550 BC) – sheds new light on a complex and divided period…
We could be celebrating an anthem with words most other English speakers don’t understand. Dan Peled/AAP

How Advance Australia Fair waltzed with Matilda and won

Australia Day looms. Across the country, ceremonies large and small will stand for the national anthem. Lots of golden soil, nature’s gifts and girting by sea. The national anthem is ubiquitous now at…
Dutch and French Huguenot refugees were the targets of fear and restrictions in 16th-century England – not unlike those who seek asylum in Australia. AAP Image/Jon Faulkner

The asylum seekers who frightened Elizabethan England

Would you be pleased to find a nation of such barbarous temper that, breaking out in hideous violence, would not afford you an abode on earth … What would you think to be thus used? This is the strangers…
The country Richard ruled was very different from the one that exists today. University of Leicester

Consent and discontent: what will become of Richard III’s bones?

Richard III’s skeleton, dug up from a carpark in Leicester in 2012, is currently the subject of a legal dispute about where he should be buried. In one corner is the University of Leicester, whose archaeologists…
Who you think you’re kidding, Mr Gove? PA / Martin Keene

German historians have little time for Gove’s Blackadder jibes

Michael Gove must be off his head. In Germany any politician who tried giving professionals a history lecture would be considered a lunatic. German historians love to argue among themselves, and there…
Politicians such as Cory Bernardi hold strong views on the family – but where does the idea of the natural family unit come from? AAP Image/Alan Porritt

The science of the ‘natural’ family unit

It’s no secret that South Australian senator Cory Bernardi is a fan of what he calls “traditional family structures”. His views are back in the news this week with the release of his latest book, The Conservative…
What does the colour of carrots have to do with the history of The Netherlands? niznoz

Explainer: why are carrots orange?

Why are carrots orange? They were bred orange in The Netherlands during the 17th century from the older white and purple stock (that are now back in fashion as “heritage” varieties) to show support for…
Advert for a bus company, Tineghir, southern Morocco Hein de Haas

Explainer: what makes people migrate?

Why do people migrate? At first glance it seems reasonable to assume that most people move hoping to find better conditions or opportunities elsewhere, such as jobs, higher wages, safety or freedom of…
Gravestones at Rookwood range from the majestic to the tacky. Crouchy69

Peace at last in Sydney’s Rookwood Cemetery

Sydney’s Rookwood Cemetery, the largest necropolis in the southern hemisphere, has had its share of troubles lately. A recent ABC investigation reported on a suite of alleged governance problems, including…
Larkin about: the people of Hull celebrate their city’s victory. Anna Gowthorpe/PA

Larkin, Ronson and 26 reasons why Hull is UK City of Culture

Kingston-upon-Hull has been named the UK City of Culture for 2017; a spotlight has been thrown on a place that many people either don’t really know much about, sometimes falling prey to typical Home Counties…
We hear ever more about the value of creativity – but it’s a concept that needs to be historically defined. barriegreens

Is creativity eternal? No, we made it up ourselves

There are few English nouns that have received such relentlessly good publicity as the word “creativity”. Creativity — apparently — drives innovation, increases productivity, and safeguards the national…
Curiously, there has been no outcry over the Anzac centenary logo. emmettanderson

Brand Anzac™ – a historic past or mythic present?

The logo for the upcoming Anzac centenary was released last year with surprisingly little fanfare. The final design was selected from several options by the Anzac Centenary Advisory Board after consultation…
Remembrance Day is one of many historic Australian events to fall on that date. (AAP Image/Paul Miller

The other Australia Day: November 11 throughout history

Australia’s national story is littered with significant occasions that have fallen on November 11 and two years ago, for me, was no different. It was the morning of November 11, 2011 and I was working…
We should worry less about emissions and more about getting people out of harm’s way. AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts

Climate change and bushfires - you’re missing the point!

Climate change has yet again been blamed for another natural disaster, this time the recent bushfires in NSW. But much more important is the role of poor land-use planning decisions that are increasing…

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