Newgate Prison was once London’s most feared place, home to daring escapes, grim legends and the terrifying Black Dog said to haunt cannibalistic inmates. Its stones may be gone but its stories remain unforgettable.

In the 19th century, certain books were bound in a specific type of leather made from human skin, obtained from individuals who did not consent to it. This practice, known as Anthropodermic bibliopegy, was prevalent between the 16th and 19th centuries. Doctors primarily bound these books, sourcing the skin from deceased patients or criminals who had been executed. Through advancements in technology, we have identified 18 books bound with human skin, although it is believed th

At approximately 8 p.m. on March 20, 1974, Princess Anne and her husband, married for just four months, were en route to Buckingham Palace following a charity film screening. Seated in the back of a maroon Rolls-Royce limousine adorned with royal insignia, Anne's lady-in-waiting accompanied the couple, while Inspector James Wallace Beaton, a member of Scotland Yard's special operations branch responsible for royal protection, occupied the passenger seat as their bodyguard. Al

In the chronicles of great explorers, the name Matthew Henson is often overlooked, relegated to a place far removed from the prominence it truly deserves. Henson’s life is one of remarkable courage, perseverance, and tenacity—qualities that would be impressive in any individual, but are even more astounding when one considers the racial prejudices of his time. As a black man born in the United States in the 19th century, Henson faced not only the unforgiving Arctic wilderness

Nelson on the deck of HMS Victory after being shot by a sniper. Life in the British Navy during the 18th century was far from...

Discover the remarkable life of Dr James Barry, the 19th century British Army surgeon who rose to Inspector General of Hospitals and performed one of the first successful Caesarean sections before a secret revealed after death stunned the empire.

By the early 1970s, Johnny Nash was a rising star, particularly in the UK, where his smooth reggae-influenced hit “I Can See Clearly Now”  was becoming a massive success. Nash had been pivotal in bringing reggae to a wider international audience, especially after spending time in Jamaica, where he worked with local artists, including a then-unknown Bob Marley. At that time, Marley was still relatively unknown outside Jamaica, and although he had begun gaining recognition with

During their 1982 tour, Van Halen made a unique request in their tour riders: a bowl of M&M's, but with all the brown ones taken out, to be provided in the dressing room at each venue. This demand was widely viewed as an extravagant whim, with many believing that the band was pushing boundaries and testing the limits of what they could request from concert organisers. But the seemingly ludicrous request was actually a shrewd business move. (I was reminded of it while reading

Today is 3 October, and on this date in 1283, Dafydd ap Gruffydd met an infamously grisly end at the hands of the English crown. He wasn’t just any nobleman. He was a Prince of Wales in the truest sense, one born into the ancient royal line of Gwynedd, a Welshman fighting for Welsh independence long before we had inherited titles and investiture ceremonies at Caernarfon Castle. His death wasn’t just an execution; it was a political theatre piece. And its brutality marked the

In the summer of 1973, John Lennon and Yoko Ono's marriage faced turmoil. Ono proposed an unconventional solution: Lennon should engage in an affair with their assistant, May Pang. This decision led to Lennon's "Lost Weekend," an 18-month period during which the ex-Beatle lived with Pang in New York and Los Angeles. Despite personal upheaval, Lennon's creative output thrived. He completed three albums – 'Mind Games,' 'Walls and Bridges,' and 'Rock 'n' Roll' – and produced rec

In 1961, Jimi Hendrix faced a big decision following a legal entanglement related to his involvement with stolen vehicles: either two years of incarceration or enlistment in the Army. He opted for military service and was subsequently assigned to the 101st Airborne Division in May of that year.  Thus began his tenure in the Army, a period often overshadowed by his subsequent rise to fame but nevertheless significant in understanding the man behind the music. Despite the deman

In 1981 Paul McCartney flew to Monteserrat, where Beatles producer George Martin had installed a state-of-the-art studio, to begin work on his Tug Of War solo album. One song in this album is Get It, to which recording session he invited Carl Perkins to provide vocals. Carl loved the experience and the following morning he wrote My Old Friend for Paul in appreciation. In fact, he recounted to Paul that usually when he writes he needs a pen and a sheet of paper to record his t

Tucked just a stone’s throw from the Museum of London, where the modern office blocks of the City of London give way to quieter streets,...

Woody Guthrie wasn’t just America’s folk hero — he was a radical, flawed troubadour who sang the struggles of workers and migrants. Discover the protest verses, politics, and myths behind This Land Is Your Land.

Joe Arridy didn't request a final meal, and it's doubtful he comprehended the notion. At just 23 years old, he possessed an IQ of 46. As he was led to his death he asked that the ice-cream he had been eating be put in the freezer so he could finish it upon his return. He understood tangible experiences like eating, playing, and trains, but abstract concepts such as God, justice, and evil remained beyond his grasp. Described by doctors as an imbecile—a term used in those times

Few know that Gwrych Castle in North Wales once sheltered hundreds of Jewish Kindertransport children fleeing Nazi Germany. From straw beds to community support, this forgotten Holocaust story shows resilience, survival, and the kindness of strangers.

Early Life and Ideological Foundations Ilich Ramírez Sánchez, more widely recognised as Carlos the Jackal, was born on October 12, 1949, in Caracas, Venezuela. His father, a Marxist lawyer, named him after Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, embedding a revolutionary spirit in his identity from birth. Raised in an environment charged with political activism and ideological fervor, Carlos’s early exposure to Marxist-Leninist thought and fervent support for the Palestinian cause set the sta

The Mona Lisa, or La Gioconda , is arguably “the best known, the most visited, the most written about, the most sung about, the most parodied work of art in the world.” This half-length portrait of Lisa Gherardini, created by the Italian Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci, is not only a one of the most famous paintings in the world, but it also has a rich and sometimes tragic history of misfortune. The most notorious of these incidents occurred on 21 August 1911, when the p

Mensur, Germany’s ritualised form of academic fencing, left more than just memories. Student fraternities fought duels with sharp blades, earning scars of honour that became symbols of courage, discipline, and identity across generations.

This is a gorgeous example of French presentation from the 1920s, the fragrance "L’Orange Variée" by Les Parfums de Marcy is presented in a unique packaging design. The perfume comes in a container with eight individual glass sections, resembling orange segments nestled within a painted enamel peel. The segments are positioned upside down, cleverly concealing their corks. During the 1920s, novelty perfume bottles were all the rage, but designs resembling citrus fruits were a

The Society for Photographing the Relics of Old London, led by Alfred Marks, focused on places that gave off a certain view of the city. Alfred Marks was not just a photographer; he was a visionary. Born in the mid-19th century, Marks witnessed the dramatic changes that industrialisation brought to London. Streetscapes that had stood for centuries were being razed, replaced by modern infrastructure and new architectural styles. Sensing the urgency, Marks set out to preserve t

The two longtime pals met in 1973 as Juilliard students and were best friends up until Reeve's death in 2004. In his autobiography 'Still Me,' Reeves recounted how Williams helped save his life. In 1978, the cultural landscape was rocked by the arrival of two distinct aliens. Mork, the zany extra-terrestrial from the TV show Mork & Mindy, captivated audiences with his upside-down antics and gibberish. Meanwhile, Superman, the heroic Kryptonian, soared onto screens in Richard

The Rolling Stones tend to get introduced as one of the greatest live bands in history, and fair play, they’ve spent nearly sixty years proving it. Even now, they still show up and blast through sets as if the whole ageing process was merely a suggestion. But for a band so famously loud and loose on stage, their studio work is just as interesting, even if it tends to get pushed aside in favour of tales about hotel-room furniture flying out of windows. Behind the scenes, Jagg