Homework Gnome: History

Find out about the earliest period of human culture, where and how humans lived.

Read about the important advances that shaped the Bronze Age in Britain.

Why did the use of iron tools have such an impact on the life early Britons? Find out here.

This Bronze Age civilisation was huge, but no-one really knows why it disappeared.

Find out about the amazing things the Ancient Sumerians invented (including writing and the wheel).

Uncover fascinating facts about how the Egyptians lived, their Pharaohs and what they've taught us about maths, medicine and farming.

Discover what a mummy is and what the pyramids were really intended for.

Find out about the first dynasty of the Edo and the legacy it has left today.

Read about the Shang Emperors, Gods and how they predicted the future.

They are famous for writing and building amazing pyramids. Discover more about the first Mesoamerican civilisation.

Read about the indigenous peoples and cultures of the United States and discover fascinating facts about their history.

Discover a period where Islamic culture flourished and Baghdad became renowned as a centre of learning and tolerance.

Who were the gods and godesses that the Ancient Greeks worshiped and why were they often grumpy and sad?

What did the Greeks ever do for us? Quite a lot, as it happens! Find out more about Ancient Greek philosophy, language, theatre, medicine, government and more.

Read all about how the Romans extended their rule far beyond the borders of Rome and why the Empire finally fell.

What was it like to live in Italy or in the Empire when the Romans ruled? Find out how they spoke, dressed, lived and liked to relax.

Find out about the most famous Roman leader, how he came to rule, his battles, why he was eventually killed and his legacy.

In 79AD Mount Vesuvius erupted. Find out what happened to the people in nearby Pompeii.

Find out about life during the Iron Age and how the Celts lived, worked and fought.

She led a rebellion against the Roman occupation of Britain but was eventually defeated. Find out all about the life of Celtish queen Boudica.

The Anglo-Saxons ruled England for 300 years. Discover their famous kings and find out all about what life was like in Anglo-Saxon England.

Find out if King Alfred really was 'great' and how he defended his kingdom against the Vikings.

The Vikings attacked Britain in 700AD and changed the country for good before they were finally defeated.

Find out why King Edward was known for his faith and how his failures led to the Norman invasion of England.

Discover how the events of 14 October 1066 changed the course of British history forever.

Read about the Norman invasion of England and the reign of William the Conqueror after the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

Find out about this important medieval document, written in 1215, which limited the rights of the king.

Read about the life of England's "warrior king", Henry V, and his victory against the French at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.

Religion, music and theatre, marriages, executions and punishments... it was all going on in Tudor times.

Find out the truth about Henry VIII and his six wives, the palaces, the English Reformation, the entertainment and the fancy clothes.

Discover why the daughter of King Henry VIII  and Anne Boleyn is one of the most famous queens England has ever had.

Queen of France and Queen of Scotland, but never Queen of England, Mary was Elizabeth I's cousin and arch rival.

Find out why the most famous fleet of all times set sail from Spain with the intention of invading England and overthrowing Elizabeth I.

The Aztecs were the rulers of one of the largest empires in the 15th century in Mesoamerica.

Overcrowding, disease, traffic and fake beauty spots... what was life really like in London in the 1660s?

Who was the man behind the Gunpowder Plot and why do we light bonfires every November 5th?

Discover how a fire in a bakery ended up destroying much of London in 1666.

By the end of 1665, about 100,000 people had died from the plague in London. Find out what caused it and how it spread.

He was defeated by Oliver Cromwell but then came back to power in a period now known as the Restoration. Find out more...

Find out how the first of the Hanoverian Monarchs helped to maintain the Protestant Church and defeated the Jacobites.

Horatio Nelson is one of Britain's most celebrated naval commanders. Find out about his life and his triumph over Napoleon.

Arthur Wellesley, later Duke of Wellington, led the British army at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 and defeated Napoleon’s French army.

Discover interesting facts about the longest-reigning monarch that Britain has ever had, her marriage to Albert and their children.

Find out about all the changest that happened in Britain during Queen Victoria's long reign on the throne.

New inventions, new laws and improving standards of living – find out what it was really like to live during the Victorian era.

Who was the Lady of the Lamp, what did she do to improve hospital conditions and why is she considered the founder of modern nursing?

She was voted one of the Greatest Black Britons for her role helping injured soldiers in the Crimean War. Find out all about her life and work.

Who were the Suffragettes and how did they fight for votes for women?

The most famous ship ever built, Titanic collided with an iceberg and sank on 15 April 1912.

Find out about the main causes and events of the first World War (1914-1918), as well as conditions in the trenches and life in Britain. Remembrance Day and its significance are also covered.

The events, battles and leaders of the second world war (1939-1945), including Dunkirk, D-Day, the Battle of Britain and the Battle of the Bulge.

Food rationing, the Blitz and evacuation were all part of life in Britain during WWII. Find out more about the land girls, bomb shelters and VE Day.

The life and times of Britain's most famous politician and WWII leader.

The author of the world's most famous diary, Anne Frank, lived in Holland during WWII and died in the Holocaust.

Queen Elizabeth II has been Head of State of the United Kingdom and Head of the Commonwealth since 1952. Find out more about her and the monarchy.

Discover how this brave man played a crucial part in ending racial discrimination in the United States.

Find out about the man who spent 27 years in prison for believing that all people in South Africa should have equal rights.

Read about what happened during one of the darkest periods in history, what the slave trade involved and when it was finally outlawed.

Find out about the history of Black people in Britain, from Roman times to the present day.

A cave, a cottage or a Celtic roundouse – what things do all homes have in common?

Children have always played with toys, but they have changed a lot through the ages. Discover what toys were like 2000 years ago, how the teddy bear got his name and how toys have changed over time.

Read about why castles were built, how they were defended and what it was really like to live inside a castle.

Find out more about this famous fossil hunter and collector.

The most famous mathematician in Ancient Greece, Archimedes is famous for his work with simple machines. We still use his inventions today!

Who was this famous Victorian engineer and how did he change transportation in Britain for ever?

He's famous for discovering America, but he actually thought he'd landed somewhere else! Find out more about the famous explorer.

Da Vinci was a Renaissance painter, a sculptor, an architect, a poet, a composer, a scientist, a mathematician and an inventor!

He was the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe and was vice admiral of the English fleet at the time of the defeat of the Spanish Armada.

If you think he's just famous for inventing the lightbulb, you'd be wrong! Find out why...

One of the most famous scientists of all time, Einstein revolutionised our understanding of gravity and relativity.

Why is Galileo famous for his work on mathematics and astronomy and why did it eventually lead him into such trouble?

Find out why Hooke was called a 'polymath’, an expert in many subjects.

You might know him as the man who saw an apple fall and figured out gravity... but there is lots more to discover about this famous mathematician.

Discover more about the life of this famous playwright and how his plays were first performed.

He built the first passenger railways and the famous Rocket train. Find out all about him.

Doctor Edward Jenner developed the world's first vaccine (against smallpox). His research helped to save millions of human lives.

On December 17 1903 Orville and Wilbur Wright made history by achieving the first controlled and sustained human flight. Find out more in a history of aviation.