“If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for...

Few people had knowledge of the inner workings of Uganda during Idi Amin's brutal regime, one such person that navigated this dangerous world was 'Major' Bob Astles, a British-born confidant of Amin, held a position in close proximity to the epicentre of terror. As Amin's principal aide, Astles operated as a versatile figure, assuming roles spanning espionage, diplomacy, and even smuggling. Within the complex web of Amin's regime, he emerged as perhaps the most reviled Caucas

Ivy League Students From The 1920s A peculiar phenomenon in American fashion emerged with American Ivy League students and young undergraduates donning thick, long raccoon coats. This craze in men's fashion during the 1920s and 30s led to a widespread desire for this luxurious garment. Owning a fur coat became a symbol of status, embraced by bankers, salesmen, and students seeking to enhance their social standing. If you were an Ivy League undergraduate in the 1920s with a c

Before the advent of the film camera, a decade preceding the iconic Roundhay Garden Scene of 1888 and twelve years ahead of the Lumiere...

In Kokomo, Indiana, during the mid 1980s, a teenage boy found himself at the centre of a national argument about fear, science, and basic human rights. Ryan White didn't set out to become a public figure. He was a haemophiliac who wanted to return to school after recovering from a serious illness. Instead, he became one of the most recognisable faces of the AIDS crisis in the United States. His story unfolded at a time when knowledge about HIV was still developing, and publi

In May 1956, during the usual mix of screenings, press calls, and Riviera social life that came with the Cannes Film Festival, Brigitte Bardot made a short trip away from the crowds to visit Pablo Picasso at his studio in Vallauris. It was not arranged as anything formal, just one of those visits that tended to happen in the south of France at the time, where artists, actors, and journalists moved in the same loose circles. Bardot was 21 and already working regularly, with 17

It's safe to say that Billie Holiday, (born Eleanora Fagan in 1915) had a voice that sounded l ike marshmallows dipped in honey and one that continues to captivate millions of people around the world. Born in Philadelphia to Clarence Halliday and Sarah Julia "Sadie" Fagan (née Harris), both of African American d escent. Sadie, just 19 at the time, had relocated to Philadelphia after being expelled from her parents' home in Baltimore, Maryland, due to her pregnancy. Facing a

Uncover the mystery of David Ferrie's ties to Lee Harvey Oswald, the CIA, and JFK's assassination. Explore David Ferrie's intriguing connections.

The winning scene at the finish of the first Tour. In the middle on the right: the winner, Maurice Garin, to his left: most likely Leon Georget. The 1903 Tour de France marked the inaugural cycling race organized and sponsored by L'Auto, predecessor of the present-day daily, L'Équipe. Spanning from July 1 to 19, it comprised six stages covering a distance of 2,428 km (1,509 mi), with Maurice Garin emerging victorious. Conceived to bolster L'Auto's readership amidst competitio

From aristocratic excess to the unsolved 1941 murder of Lord Erroll, the Happy Valley set reveals the deeper realities of British rule in Kenya’s White Highlands.

Good news for fans of delectable Chinese cuisine: the individual behind the infamous "democracy manifest" is still among us, (he isn't a Hungarian chess master, but rather an artist hailing from Queensland) For those feeling perplexed, it may be best to disregard this article entirely. However, if you really do know your Judo well, you'll know what i'm on about. Here's a refresher of our hero arguing his case with the Blue-Meanies outside a restaurant While the police are tr

Joseph Ducreux, a painter hailing from Nancy, France, emerged onto the canvas of history during the waning years of the Ancien Régime. Born in 1735 into a milieu of minor aristocracy, Ducreux embarked upon his artistic journey amidst the tumultuous backdrop of pre-revolutionary France. His brushstrokes brushed against the contours of monarchy, as evidenced by his poignant depiction of Louis XVI in what would be the monarch's final portrait before the guillotine claimed his fa

"Today we were unlucky, but remember we only have to be lucky once. You will have to be lucky always" - IRA statement to Margaret Thatcher. On the 12th of October 1984, the Provisional Irish Republican Army executed a brazen attempt to eliminate key figures of the British government staying at the Grand Hotel in Brighton. For three days Patrick Magee did not leave his room as he worked on the delicate task of assembling and installing a huge bomb, made with commercial gelign

Between the years of 1484 and 1750, Western Europe would bear witness to a staggering toll: over 200,000 women faced torture, burning, or hanging following accusations of witchcraft. This period was marked by a fervent pursuit of alleged witches, driven by religious zeal, societal anxieties, and political instability. In a single year, between 1645 and 1646, the notorious Witchfinder General, Matthew Hopkins, orchestrated a campaign of terror in England's East Anglia, resulti

Lee Miller in a photograph she staged in Hitler’s bathtub in Munich in 1945. After documenting the harrowing scenes of liberation at Buchenwald and Dachau, including piles of human bones and the haunting presence of barely surviving prisoners, Lee Miller, accompanied by Life photographer David E. Scherman, ventured to Hitler' s Munich apartment. She removed her dusty boots, leaving traces of the horrors she witnessed Buchenwald and Dachau on a clean bathmat, before posing in

February 4, 1974 saw the abduction of 19-year-old Hearst from her Berkeley residence. The perpetrators, a small leftist group known as the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA), seized this opportunity as Hearst lived close to their hideout. Testimony during the trial revealed their aim: to use Hearst's family's political clout to secure the release of SLA members Russ Little and Joe Remiro, arrested for the murder of Marcus Foster, superintendent of Oakland public schools, in Nov

The notion of the British conquest of India masks a deeper truth. In the late 18th century, it wasn't the British government, but a perilously unregulated private company, located in a small London office and led by an unstable sociopath named Robert Clive, that seized control. Established in 1600, The East India Company stands as one of the most influential yet controversial entities in British history. Originally chartered for trade with the East Indies, its dominion eventu

One of the finest achievements of European furniture making, this cabinet is the most important product from Abraham (1711--1793) and David Roentgen's (1743--1807) workshop. A writing cabinet crowned with a chiming clock, it features finely designed marquetry panels and elaborate mechanisms that allow for doors and drawers to be opened automatically at the touch of a button. Owned by King Frederick William II, the Berlin cabinet is uniquely remarkable for its ornate decoratio

If you've worked in retail you'll know how boredom can often kick in. These industrious bookshop employees from The Librairie Mollat have found a novel way to combat this boredom, these are a sample from their Instagram feed.

Many composers like to handwrite their sheet music, but there have been so many machines invented to help print music. Perhaps one of the most interesting to look at is the Keaton Music Typewriter. First patented in 1936 , it definitely doesn’t look like an ordinary typewriter. Robert H. Keaton from San Francisco, California created the machine, which is now a rare collector’s item. The original patent was for a 14-key typewriter, which was then upgraded to 33 keys in an

Self Portrait, aged 17. Before becoming the renowned director behind masterpieces like "2001: A Space Odyssey" and "The Shining," Stanley Kubrick was just a teenager in New York, eager to find work. Even at the age of 17, when he first laid hands on a camera, his innate talent shone through. Displayed here is a selection of his photographs capturing the essence of New York from 1945 to 1950, a period during which he worked for Look magazine. It was during this time that Stanl

I can't claim to know much about motorsport, but Ayrton Senna's life transcends just the sport. The death of Ayrton Senna on 1 May 1994 remains one of the most tragic moments in Formula 1 history. A three-time world champion, Senna was not only revered for his exceptional driving skills but also for his fierce competitive spirit and dedication to the sport. His passing during the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola, Italy, marked the end of an era and raised serious concerns about

In 1953, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed for atomic espionage on testimony their own family later admitted was a lie. A Jell-O box, a prosecutor named Roy Cohn, and a recantation that came decades too late.