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China’s ancient city, where Islam took hold

25 February 2022
Nellie HuangFeatures correspondent
News imageBertrand Gardel/Alamy (Credit: Bertrand Gardel/Alamy)Bertrand Gardel/Alamy
(Credit: Bertrand Gardel/Alamy)

Xi’an’s Silk Road roots continue to fuel one of the city’s most interesting modern-day neighbourhoods.

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Arts & Architecture

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The secret WW2 magazine ridiculing Hitler's mother

Curt Bloch found inspiration in hiding by creating an anti-nazi parody magazine in the attic.

History
News imageRoman building

Why ancient Roman buildings last for millennia

Structures like the Pantheon and many others containing a type of concrete made by the Romans still stand today.

History
News imageEngland road

The rare medieval street about to reveal its secrets

In the lush, rural landscape of Somerset, England is the cathedral city of Wells.

History
News imageTutankhamun

Tutankhamun: The first ever view inside the tomb

Photographer Harry Burton joined Howard Carter's team as they uncovered the tomb of Tutankhamun.

History
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The woman who checked in and never checked out

To this day, staff and guests at the hotel report strange phenomena.

History
News imageThe first US transcontinental railroad

How the transcontinental railroad changed the US forever

In 1869, two companies connected the east to the west with the United States' first transcontinental railroad.

History
News imageWhy ancient Roman buildings last for millennia

Why ancient Roman buildings last for millennia

The ancient concrete made by the Romans is teaching modern construction some new tricks.

History
News imageThe secret childhood of Princess Diana

The secret childhood of Princess Diana

Princess Diana’s cousin shares unseen photos of their private childhood.

BBC Select
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Rare footage of the WW2 Nazi Hindenburg airship crash

This video has expired.

History
News imageWhat happened at Hiroshima?

What happened at Hiroshima?

Eighty years ago, the US dropped a nuclear bomb on Japan,the only nuclear weapon ever used in warfare.

History
News imagePope Joan: the legend of the only woman pontiff

Pope Joan: the woman who fooled the church

A woman who allegedly was the head of the Catholic Church became one of the most controversial Middle Ages tales.

History
News imageThe secret magazine ridiculing Hitler's mother

The secret WW2 magazine ridiculing Hitler's mother

Hiding in an attic, Jewish man Curt Bloch found inspiration through crafting anti-Nazi parody.

History
News imageBehind Lady Diana’s 'first' picture

How the first 'sensational' picture of Lady Diana came about

It starts nearly 40 years ago, when a teenage girl is pulled out of obscurity and thrust into the spotlight.

History
News imageThe surprisingly sour Victorian Valentine's Day craze

The insulting 'Vinegar Valentine' of Victorian England

Valentine’s Day is thought to celebrate romance but rude cards soured the holiday for its recipients.

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News imageThe WW2 experiment to make pigeon-guided missiles

The WW2 experiment to make pigeon-guided missiles

An unexpected WW2 experiment by behaviourist B F Skinner proved that pigeons could be used for missile guidance.

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News imageMary Mallon: 'The most dangerous woman in America'

Mary Mallon: 'The most dangerous woman in America'

How Mary Mallon, an Irish cook for New York's elite, became known as the 'most dangerous woman in America'.

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News imageEurope's 'iron harvest' of war

World War One relics live on in the fields of Europe

The battlegrounds of World War One are still giving up their revealing evidence of bitter fighting.

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News imageInside Michelangelo's 'secret hiding room'

A look inside Michelangelo's 'secret room'

The BBC gets access to Michelangelo's 'secret hiding room' under the Medici Chapel in Florence.

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The picture that tells a lesser-known chapter of US history

How a 1892 photo from Rougeville, Michigan, became the most iconic image of the bison massacre in America.

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The history of swing states in the US

The US Presidential elections did not always depend on just these seven states.

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