In the Year of Reading, we've selected a few reads linked to the month, alongside some seasonal suggestions – all drawn from the riches of our own archive. Goethe (1749–1832) 28 August is the anniversary of the birth of Goethe (1749–1832), the German polymath who is often considered the most...

Summer holidays often tempt us to look further afield. Yet some of the most fascinating stories are hiding in plain sight: beneath our feet, behind garden walls, along harbour fronts and on windswept headlands. This year, why not slow down, look a little closer, and discover the history woven through...

The events that finally brought the Second World War to an end across the globe are not commemorated in quite the same way as the end of the war in Europe. This can be attributed in part to the way in which Japan was forced to surrender, but also to...

Why did the the Maginot Line – that marvel of 1930s engineering with its miles of fortifications and bunkers to deter German invasion – fail so spectacularly in 1940? Its vast underground forts were designed to withstand artillery and chemical attack, yet France fell in just six weeks, leaving the Line as a symbol of...

Following a period of expanded sea exploration in the 15th century by European explorers the American continent started to be established as a trading opportunity but very quickly became something more permanent. Throughout the 16th and 17th centuries Western European Powers expanded their reach into the Americas, establishing colonies and...

July is South Asian Heritage Month, an ongoing opportunity for those with a Eurocentric perspective to expand their horizons. South Asia is a large area of the globe with many different histories, cultures, languages and food that have travelled and dispersed far beyond their original subcontinent. To celebrate that geographic and demographic reality...

As we continue into the National Year of Reading, July offers many historical anniversaries to explore through literature – starting with the 250th anniversary of the American Declaration of Independence, adopted in 1776 on 4 July: ‘Independence Day’. Our upcoming American Culture webinar series (30 June–8 Sept) focuses on literature and...

The coast means something different to everyone. It’s a place of pleasure and reckless pursuits, of fishing, fearless endeavours and a crashing, rugged beauty. The coast is, and always has been, Britain's first line of defence and springboard to other cultures. In this talk public historian Sally Coulthard delves into...

Join us this summer to explore how American culture has developed and influenced the wider world, in this new webinar series from the Historical Association. 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the United States’ independence. To reflect on this pivotal moment in global history, this series examines the ways in...

There are over 29 million refugees around the world, and more than 100 million people have been displaced. The majority are children. These are just some of the current facts about refugees. Yet historically, refugee movements are nothing new. In times of war, famine and climate crisis, people have long...