How the Victorians cheated time and space by laying the first trans-Atlantic telegraphy cable
Laying the first telegraphy cable under the Atlantic was the Victorians' version of the Apollo mission – it caught the imagination of a generation.
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
Articles on History
Displaying 1 - 20 of 378 articles
History offers Britain an important lesson on shutting down immigration
In the 1960s, Britain shut the door on Commonwealth migration, before turing to Europe when it needed more workers.
Everything you wanted to know about US elections but were afraid to ask
Global audiences have heard of US election terms like the primaries, the conventions and the Electoral College. But the history and exact meaning of these terms remains a mystery to many.
Women’s idealised bodies have changed dramatically over time – but are standards becoming more unattainable?
The proliferation of mass media has helped to create a standardisation of beauty ideals, making them harder to cope with. But there are encouraging signs that things could change.
Four things you should know about the Panama Canal’s turbulent past
The canal was under US control for nearly a century and was only recognised as Panamanian on New Year's Eve 1999.
Explainer: what is free speech?
The concept of 'free speech' is devilishly difficult, and depends greatly on a person's political and philosophical viewpoint.
Africa is the perfect testing ground for adapting to the Anthropocene epoch
How long the Anthropocene will last, and what will be its most enduring attributes, will not be driven and decided scientifically.
He may have insulted Obama, but Duterte held up a long-hidden looking glass to the US
The people of the Philippines and their president know all too well the hypocrisy of being lectured by the United States about violence, human rights and democracy.
World War I to the age of the cyborg: the surprising history of prosthetic limbs
A tool in place of your arm or a stereo for your leg? How our attitudes towards human enhancement have changed.
Australia must heed the lessons of ‘hybrid warfare’ to avoid falling behind on the battlefield
What is hybrid warfare, and why would Australia benefit from its technological developments?
Poldark adviser: how I stripped down history for the screen
Poldark's historical consultant on how she mulled over questions such as what an 18th century Cornish bank might look like and whether women would get drunk in taverns.
Here’s what it would have been like to be caught in the Great Fire of London
Objects excavated from the 'fire layer' beneath London's streets tell a story of intense heat, fear – and chaos.
Friday essay: on listening to new national storytellers
Australian history is already a hotly contested discipline but is it time to broaden our definitions of the canon? Might an indigenous rock painting or a novel or a poem constitute a work of history?
Why should cultural artefacts be more rooted than people?
Repatriation of cultural heritage is being debated at a time of mass migration – is heritage more important to countries that increasingly cannot be defined by their populations?
How drinking fashions change: a historical take on the British fizz fervour
Germans like beer, French people wine and Italians coffee. Right?
Are U.S. politics beyond a joke?
From Alfonso the Wise's bawdy songs of slander to Ronald Reagan's sunny smile, politics and humor have gone hand-in-hand for centuries. But no one seems to be laughing anymore.
The legacy of Glenn Stevens in three lessons
Glenn Stevens' legacy shows how to maintain the independence of the Reserve Bank in crisis as well as the limits of monetary policy.
Why save a computer virus?
How can archivists properly preserve computer programs often written specifically to destroy data?
Elizabeth I, the Spanish Armada and the art of painting politics
The value of the Armada painting, soon to go on show in Greenwich, lies in its masterful storytelling.
Since ancient Greece, the Olympics and bribery have gone hand in hand
When fame and glory are at stake, human nature seems to dictate that some people will cheat.
Top contributors
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Adjunct Professor, University of Technology Sydney
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Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, Monash University
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Winthrop Professor of Early Modern History, University of Western Australia
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Assistant researcher, University of Sydney
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Associate Professor in History, La Trobe University
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Lecturer and Research Fellow, Sydney Democracy Network, School of Social and Political Sciences (SSPS), University of Sydney
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Fellow in Historical Studies, University of Melbourne
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University Academic Fellow in Legacies of War, University of Leeds
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Professor in History, University of Liverpool
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Executive Director, International Association for Communication and Sport, Emeritus Professor of Communication, Saint Xavier University
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Professor of History, Monash University
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Professor, Chief Cultural Officer, Cultural Precinct, University of Western Australia
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PhD Candidate in History, Monash University
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John Blaxland is a Friend of The Conversation.
Senior Fellow, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University
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Executive Director of La Trobe Asia and Professor of International Relations, La Trobe University
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