Women Making History
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A Tudor Discovery - Thomas Cromwell’s Prayer Book
History Hit digs deep into a fascinating new discovery that has grabbed the attention of historians across the world.
Prof. Suzannah Lipscomb explores what is being called the most exciting Tudor find ‘in a generation’ as curators at Hever Castle identify a bejewelled, gilded prayer book, tuc...
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Working (more than) 9 to 5 - The Labouring Lives of Medieval Women
Dr Eleanor Janega investigates one of the least recorded aspects of medieval life - working women. But dig deep and you can find the evidence - proving the medieval period is a fascinating window into the true history of women…and work!
Eleanor takes on the jobs and businesses of real medieval ...
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Going Medieval
1 season
Life in the Medieval period looked like lots of different things to lots of different people. Your place in society could dictate everything. From what food you ate, where you could go, how educated you were and even how long you were likely to live for. Across this series, discover what life was...
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The First Britons
If the words British history conjure up images of Elizabeth I, Shakespeare, Boudica, Mary Seacole, The Beatles and the Blitz, you’re squinting at a small spec of the history of humanity of these Isles. Even if you go back to the Roman invasion of Britain in 43 AD, or even further to the Iron Age ...
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Ada Lovelace: Computing Pioneer
Regarded by many as the world's first computer programmer, Ada Lovelace was also the first to envision a world where computers could be used for more than just number crunching. She saw in them the potential to not just solve problems, but create new ideas and even produce music and poetry as we ...
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Alan Turing: The Pride of Manchester
A special film exploring the life and legacy of Alan Turing - genius pioneer of modern computing. With Alan's nephew Sir Dermot Turing and exclusive access to unseen family records, we investigate lesser known aspects of his incredible work. This story is rooted in the City of Manchester, home t...
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Becoming Elizabeth: Not Just the Tudors... Lates
How do you tell the story of one of the most interesting and tumultuous times in history - when Henry VIII died, leaving three children from three different mothers?
A fantastic panel of historians and writers gathers to discuss the Starz TV series “Becoming Elizabeth”, and explore the real ev...
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Anne Boleyn and Katherine of Aragon - Brilliant Rivals
Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn - the first two wives of Henry VIII - are so often portrayed as opposites. Katherine as the loyal, scorned wife - Anne as the bright, bewitching upstart.
But now Prof. Suzannah Lipscomb returns to Hever Castle to explore what Anne and Katherine were really l...
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The Queens Council
Earlier this year, to coincide with the platinum jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, History Hit took the long view on some of the other women who were queens in Britain - from the 12th century Empress Matilda right through to Queen Victoria.
In a lively and fascinating debate, Prof Suzannah Lipscom...
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Exploring the Medieval Afterlife with Eleanor Janega
Ghosts, ghouls and things that go bump in the night! Dr Eleanor Janega delves into the medieval phantasmic to find out what their restless dead can tell us about the worries of the living. Because if we want to understand what makes another society tick, it helps to take a look at what makes them...
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Mary Beard on Women and Power
In Greek and Roman antiquity, women’s voices were proof of their wickedness. The pitch and prattle was considered harmful, even unsanitary. In literature, powerful women were emblems of usurpation and mortal danger. Women speaking in public could not only jeopardize the men close to them, but bri...
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Mary Beard on Lessons from Ancient Rome
The deepening political divide in the U.S. and an apparent realignment of the world order through President Trump’s foreign policy have prompted many comparisons to the fall of the Roman Empire. But can we really look back at ancient civilisations and draw parallels with those that exist today? A...
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Inside Britain's Secret Nuclear Bunker
In the wake of the Second World War, Britain moved to cement itself as one of the world's main nuclear powers. The erection of a series of nuclear bunkers followed across the UK, tasked with protecting a fortunate few against any devastating nuclear attack. Sarah Agha explores Britain's secret nu...
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Queen Victoria at Kensington Palace with Lucy Worsley
BAFTA winning historian and Joint Chief Curator of Historic Royal Palaces Lucy Worsley takes Dan on a tour of Kensington Palace, one of the principle royal residences since 1689. It was the childhood home of Queen Victoria who was born on the 24 May 1819. The rooms of the royal residence are bein...