Table of contents for July 2019 in History Revealed

1 MACHU PICCHU, PERU Abandoned in the mid-15th century, this Inca citadel was rediscovered in 1911, when explorer Hiram Bingham stumbled across it while searching for another Inca city. 2 SUTTON HOO, ENGLAND The discovery of an Anglo-Saxon ship burial shone light on a historical period previously shrouded in mystery. A wealth of artefacts were found, like the Sutton Hoo helmet (above). 3 TUTANKHAMUN, EGYPT Found by Howard Carter in 1922, the discovery of the young pharaoh’s tomb caused a resurgence in Egyptology, as well as creating the legend of the mummy’s curse. 4 TERRACOTTA ARMY, CHINA Local farmers discovered these sculptures – created to guard China’s First Emperor, Qin Shi Huang. Thousands of life-sized warriors were hidden in the underground tomb. 5 KNOSSOS, CRETE Capital of the legendary king…

Perhaps no one breathed more life into the legends of the Wild West than ‘Buffalo Bill’ Cody, who toured the US and beyond with a theatrical show about frontier drama. It featured gunslingers, sharp shooters and battles with ‘Indians’, and had a revolving cast of stars that included people who, like Buffalo Bill – a former frontier scout and Pony Express rider – had been genuine players in the unruly West. ‘Wild Bill’ Hickok, Sitting Bull and Calamity Jane all appeared in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show. On one of its eight tours of Europe, Cody even performed for Queen Victoria as part of her jubilee celebrations.…

BILLY THE KID William H Bonney, who also went by the name Henry McCarty – but will always be best remembered as Billy the Kid – had a short career as an outlaw. By the time of his death at the age of 21, he is reputed to have killed eight men. He had become a fugitive after shooting dead a blacksmith who had been bullying him in a bar fight. Then after some cattle rustling, he took part in a violent feud known as the Lincoln County War in New Mexico, in which he sided and fought with a gang called the Regulators. Accused and later convicted of killing Lincoln County sheriff William J Brady during the conflict, the Kid remained at large for some time and famously shot…

While she was not based at Bletchley, Pat was a Wren in the Y Service, which saw her move between three English coastal locations. Her final listening post was Abbot’s Cliff in Kent. At the age of 95, Pat remains a tireless champion of her secret war work: lectures, theatre tours, television appearances, she uses any means available to explain her time at the coal face of Britain’s massive interception mission. “Doing this work at an early age meant my life went down a totally different track. Before the war, my parents said ‘we can’t afford to send you to university’, but in the end I went to three of the very top ones.” Pat studied at St Andrews, Oxford and Harvard, before she embarked on a stellar media career…

Founded in the 11th century, the Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John was one of the most important religious and military orders of the crusading period. Its warrior monks played a vital role in the defence of the Christian kingdom established in the Holy Land following the capture of Jerusalem in 1099. When Acre, the last major Christian stronghold in the Holy Land, fell to the Muslims in 1291, the Hospitallers took refuge on Cyprus. Twenty years later they seized the island of Rhodes and made it their headquarters. They used Rhodes as a centre of operations against the Ottomans until 1522, when they were forced off the island by Suleiman the Magnificent. The Hospitallers were homeless until 1530, when Holy Roman Emperor Charles V gave them…

PARR THE STAR The most celebrated player of Dick, Kerr Ladies football team was Lily Parr, a nearly six-feet-tall (chain-smoking) left footer with a booming strike. She scored 43 goals in her first season – aged 14 – and went on to net more than 900 goals in her career. ALL LOVE AND ROSES? In 1458, King Henry VI tried to bring together his feuding nobles with a public display called ‘Loveday’. During the parade – in London on 25 March – those on the Yorkist side held hands with Lancastrians. It failed – the Wars of the Roses lasted three decades.…

How Was It For You? Women, Sex, Love and Power in the 1960s By Virginia Nicholson Viking, £20, hardback, 512 pages This evocative, empathetic account of the so-called ‘sexual revolution’ of the 1960s opens with a s riking thought experiment: imagine the pensioners round you today as they were some 50 years ago, when they were young people buffeted by the opportunities and the strictures of a decade of political and social change. As Virginia Nicholson skilfully argues, change didn’t happen quickly, and nor did it happen for everyone. Through interviews with a cast of fascinating women, she sketches the ways in which fashion, music, politics and sex offered new forms of self-expression – and the chance to change Britain forever. “Change didn’t happen quickly, and nor did it happen…

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MARAZION Just opposite the island is the small coastal town of Marazion, which was not even mentioned in the Domesday Book, but is perfect for those who like a quiet life. MARAZION MARSH Near the town of Marazion you’ll find one of the country’s finest RSPB bird reserves, famed for its reed bed, and festooned with wading species, including bitterns. THE GARDEN With such beautiful buildings abounding, you wouldn’t expect to get sidelined by plants, but the Gulf Stream means that the Mount’s flora is breathtaking. THE CASTLE There are few picture-postcard-perfect fairytale castles like this – perhaps why this one’s starred in Dracula, Never Say Never Again, and even famous BBC idents. FOOTSTEPS Bronze footsteps have been wrought into the ground to show where famous rulers have walked in…

113 The length, in days, from the Ottomans arriving, to the end of the Great Siege of Malta in 1565. The Christian victory put a temporary halt to Turkish expansion. See page 68. 18,000 The number of Enigma messages being harvested per day at Bletchley Park in 1944. The messages were received by a force of 1,676 Wrens. See page 63. 21 The age of outlaw Billy the Kid when he was killed during a shootout with Sheriff Pat Garrett in 1881. By the time of his death, the Kid was reputed to have killed eight men. See page 52.…

Mirrors are probably not an object you’d associate with the Celts, but they were known for their exquisite craftmanship – making jewellery and weapons out of silver, gold and bronze. Mirrors have been found in British Iron Age burials dating between 100 BC and AD 100. This bronze example was found in a burial in Great Chesterford, Essex, and is decorated with typical Celtic patterns. The front was polished to enable the owner to see their reflection and it had a handle.…

Q If you could turn back the clock, which single event in history would you want to change? I would go back to 28 June 1491, to the Tudor royal palace by the Thames at Greenwich. The atmosphere would have been tense – Elizabeth of York, wife of Henry VII, was in labour. I would change the gender of the baby born that day to find out what it would have been like if Henry VIII had been a girl. His sister Margaret clearly had something of her more-famous brother’s character and capacity. I’d love to know how the 16th century would have unfolded in Britain under Queen Margaret I instead of King Henry VIII. Perhaps with less head-chopping and religious violence? Q If you could meet any figure from…

JAMES WATT POWERS THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION On 5 January 1769, a patent was granted for a “new invented method of lessening the consumption of steam and fuel in fire engines”. It would change the industrial world forever, and be James Watt’s greatest invention. While repairing a model Newcomen steam engine – that had been in use since 1712 – the Scottish engineer (right) noticed the amount of steam being wasted. He developed added a separate condensing chamber, which vastly improved the engine’s efficiency and enabled it to use less fuel. Watt’s engines could be used anywhere, from factories to mines, and once he was in partnership with manufacturer Matthew Boulton they soon were everywhere. Watt’s contribution became one of the driving forces behind the Industrial Revolution, and his legacy was…

When we think of the French Revolution, we often think of the rise of Napoleon and flag-waving at the barricades as popularised in Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables . By its end, the monarchy had fallen, the old political and social system – known as the ‘Ancien Régime’ – had ended, and an overzealous use of the guillotine had spread fear across the country. The Revolution began in 1789. Though most of the working classes were poor and hungry, the aristocracy remained rich and well-fed in their palaces. These were the hallmarks of a feudal system that meant little had changed since the Middle Ages. The King wielded absolute power, having stripped political roles from the nobility, and the majority of French citizens had little hope of change. The country had…

It was Ascension Day, 1573. Crowds filled Beauvais Cathedral in northern France, ready to celebrate holy mass. But as the solemn procession snaked towards the high altar, heavy thuds could be heard resonating throughout the stone edifice. Before the eyes of horror-struck worshippers, the colossal 500-foot crossing tower came crashing down, a veil of debris and dust slowly enveloping the church. Only a few years in existence and the tallest of its kind, this was not the first time this ambitious addition had been the cause of the cathedral’s collapse. Beauvais Cathedral continues to be plagued by structural problems. High above the continuous stream of 21st-century churchgoers and tourists, modern braces are the only element keeping it from crumbling. These may be an unsettling reminder of a medieval disaster, but…

AUDREY HEPBURN Despite being a child during the war, the future film and fashion icon did her bit by aiding the Dutch Resistance. Hepburn’s mother had moved to the Netherlands hoping the neutral country would avoid attack, but that was not to be – the Nazis invaded in 1940. While both her parents actually supported fascism, the young Hepburn raised money for the Resistance by dancing at secret performances, and, like other children, she may have acted as a courier too. After she rose to global stardom, Hepburn only intensified her humanitarian efforts. She became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 1989. ROALD DAHL Anyone who has read Going Solo knows there was more to Roald Dahl than beloved stories of a Big Friendly Giant, chocolate factories and marvellous medicines. Shortly…

In 2015, Charlotte received an MBE in recognition of her tireless campaigning and support of Bletchley Park Trust, the museum that has enlightened millions about the work done in secret by thousands of men and women. The award is the pinnacle of an impressive CV. As a reward for a meticulous performance at Bletchley over three years, Charlotte was transferred in 1944 to a new building in the US: the Pentagon. “I was staggered by the invitation. Me? A humble staff sergeant.” Despite teething problems, cross pollination between British and American codebreakers had increased since 1942. “I was the only ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Service) girl in the whole building! I did the same job I left behind at the Park. I suppose I was a natural administrator.”…

Following the Great Siege of Malta, Turkish naval expansion was halted, but it was only a temporary setback. The next year, the ageing Suleiman launched one last land campaign, though he died at the moment of victory at Szigetvar in southern Hungary. The Ottomans, now under Selim II, captured Cyprus, but their fleet suffered a major defeat by a Christian coalition of, among others, Spain, Venice, Genoa and the Hospitallers at Lepanto in 1571. Even so, the Ottomans recovered. Hostilities rumbled on during the 17th century. In 1683, an Ottoman army tried to capture Vienna, only to be routed by a Polish relief force and their defeat at the hands of the Austrians at Zenta, Serbia, in 1697 finally put an end to their hopes of conquering central Europe.…

COLUMN OF VICTORY Looming over the park’s northern reaches is a 41-metre column, a salute to the 1st Duke of Marlborough. A statue of him dressed as a Roman general stands on top. ARCH OF TRIUMPH Those visiting the palace grounds from Woodstock pass under this magnificent archway, built in 1723 by Nicholas Hawksmoor and based on the Arch of Titus in Rome. GRAND BRIDGE It was only when Capability Brown submerged much of John Vanbrugh’s oversized bridge by creating a lake that it properly fitted the scale of its surroundings. THE GREAT HALL The exquisite ceiling, painted by Sir James Thornhill in 1716, depicts the 1st Duke in Roman costume showing his plans for the Battle of Blenheim to Britannia. WINSTON’S BIRTHPLACE His parents had hoped their first son…

“The 1960s sexual revolution was for everyone – but mainly men” Social historian Virginia Nicholson explains why the 1960s can’t be written off as a “long, luscious debauch”, and how modern feminists might learn from that turbulent decade Your book features some hugely interesting women. How did you track them down, and decide who to include? I’m prompted by reading widely around the subject. For example, reading about the plight of women whose babies were affected by the ‘wonder-drug’ thalidomide sent me in search of a mum in this situation. And knowing that the Playboy Club first opened in London in 1966 made me eager to talk to somebody who’d worked there as a bunny girl. My wishlist didn’t include things such as ‘Woman willing to talk about having abortion’…

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“It’s 12 noon in London, 7am in Philadelphia, and around the world it’s time for Live Aid!” With these words, the British broadcaster Richard Skinner opened Live Aid on 13 July 1985. The dream of the benefit concert was to raise money for victims of famine in Ethiopia. Lasting from 1983 to 1985, it claimed the lives of 1.2 million people and displaced double that number within the country. A BBC news report in October 1984 by Michael Buerk, who described the situation in Ethiopia as a “biblical famine”, inspired musician Bob Geldof to organise and release charity single Do They Know It’s Christmas? Following its immense success, Geldof and fellow music star Midge Ure wanted to do more. The idea of putting on a televised, fundraising concert featuring the…

UNKNOWN Alexander Gordon opens a distillery in Southwark, London, to make a quality gin. Gordon’s becomes a hugely popular London dry, before relocating to Fife, Scotland. 3 JUNE The Transit of Venus – where Venus passes directly between the Sun and Earth – is witnessed across the world as well as by George III in his new observatory at Kew. 18 AUGUST Lightning strikes the Bastion of San Nazaro in Brescia, Italy, which was being used to store gunpowder. It causes a giant explosion, which is said to have killed as many as 3,000 people. 6-9 SEPTEMBER Famous actor David Garrick holds a Shakespeare Jubilee in Stratford-upon-Avon, cementing the Bard’s growing reputation and the importance of the town. 9 OCTOBER Captain Cook lands in New Zealand. The first encounters with…

London’s famous waxwork museum allows visitors to get up-close and personal with their favourite celebrities and figures from history, but it actually has quite a gruesome history itself. Marie Tussaud was a French artist who learnt how to create wax models in Paris, where she worked with Philippe Curtis – a modeller whose wax museums Tussaud inherited. Tussaud was imprisoned as a royalist after working as the art tutor for Louis XVI’s sister, Madame Élisabeth. During the Reign of Terror, she was released on the grisly condition that she create death masks of those who had recently been guillotined – including those of Louis XVI and Robespierre. Tussaud eventually left France, taking her waxwork collection to Britain and establishing her Baker Street exhibition in 1835. The ‘Chamber of Horrors’ room…

NOVEMBER 1950 E The Mattachine Society is formed by activist Harry Hay and designer Rudi Gernreich (right) in Los Angeles. It is one of the first sustained gay rights groups in the US. It was followed by other groups – ONE and the Daughters of Bilitis – that did much to lay the groundwork for the greater liberalisation that occurred during the 1960s. JULY 1967 Across the pond, the Sexual Offences Act 1967 decriminalises sex between two men over 21 and ‘in private’ in England and Wales. It does not extend to the Merchant Navy or the Armed Forces, or Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man. DECEMBER 1973 The American Psychiatric Association removes homosexuality from its list of mental disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical…

1. ARCADE Series of arches supported by piers or columns. 2. BOSS A structural feature, such as a knob or projection on the intersection of a rib-vault (not pictured). 3. CROSSING Central space at the junction of the nave, chancel and transepts. 4. CHANCEL The eastern end of the church, where the altar is positioned. 5. MOULDING Shaped ornamental strip. 6. TRANSEPTS Transverse portion (arms) of a church. 7. SHAFTS Main part of a column. 8. RIB-VAULT A vault (arched stone roof) with a masonry framework of intesecting arches (ribs). 9. TRACERY Openwork pattern of masonry or timber. 10. VAULTING SHAFT Shaft leading to a springing (level at which arch or vault rises from supports) of a vault.…

14 MAY 1607 Jamestown, Virginia The first permanent English settlement in North America is founded by the Virginia Company of London. It very nearly fails, but still gives the English a foothold in the New World. MARCH 1775 Appalachian Mountains Frontiersman Daniel Boone blazes the Wilderness Road from North Carolina and Tennessee through Cumberland Gap, establishing a settlement west of the Appalachians. NOVEMBER 1805 Astoria, Oregon The Lewis and Clark Expedition reaches the shores of the Pacific Ocean on the west coast, at the mouth of the Columbia River, having traversed through the Continental Divide. “THE WIDE WESTERN HORIZON BECKONED AND TEASED WITH PROMISE” OCTOBER 1812 Wyoming Scottish fur trader Robert Stuart and a small party discovers the South Pass through the central Rocky Mountains. It becomes the main conduit…

Still alive at the time of writing and thriving at 101, Pamela’s war work began with her recruitment to the indexing department of Hut 4. She was one of the very few examples of women being promoted from “humdrum roles”. Pamela became head of Naval Indexing, a section that has subsequently been hailed as a precursor of the Information Age. Co-ordinating vital fact-finding forays long before the advent of the microchip, she remains modest about her wartime achievements. “I think I was promoted because I couldn’t type! Yes I suppose most of the Heads of Sections meetings were with men. I was given my own room and had some responsibility but I missed the girls’ chatter.”…

BODLEIAN LIBRARY Among Oxford’s dreaming spires sits arguably England’s most famous library. Daily tours are available along with visits to the iconic Radcliffe Camera. www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk WINSTON CHURCHILL’S GRAVE The former prime minister is buried in the graveyard of St Martin’s church in the village of Bladon, a short drive away. www.woodstockandbladon.com/ churches/bladon BAMPTON This chocolate-box village will be familiar to fans of Downton Abbey, as the outside scenes were filmed here. www.cotswolds.info/places/ bampton…

Sterling, £25, hardback, 224 pages This sumptuous book offers an overview of Renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci’s staggering body of work through 100 images, from paintings and anatomical sketches to manuscripts and engineering diagrams. The big-hitters are here – ‘Madonna and Child with Flowers’, ‘The Baptism of Christ’ and, of course, the ‘Mona Lisa’ – but so too are more esoteric offerings from the worlds of maths and science. A great way to mark the 500th anniversary of the influential polymath’s death.…

Thanks to BBC History Revealed reader Anita Hochste , who emailed this beautiful photo of Muiderslot Castle in the Netherlands, taken during a visit in April. If you’d like to share your thoughts and photos on a historical trip you’ve made – and possibly be featured on our Letters page – send them to us using the details in the Get in Touch box to the right. Anita receives a hardback copy of History Year by Year: The Ultimate Visual Guide to the Events that Shaped the World.…

Summer is finally here, and what better way to make the most of the long, light days, than to immerse yourself in a world of history. In this mini-magazine, you’ll find a wealth of inspiration for fun-filled family days out across the UK – from the Neolithic wonders of Stonehenge, to history festivals, battle reenactments and living history events. And if you’re planning a trip to one of Britain’s many medieval castles, we’ve included some handy tips that will help you spot some of their hidden secrets. We’ve also included a selection of exhibitions and events taking place this summer – from the daring aerial feats of Scotland’s National Airshow, to the food and drink of ancient Pompeii. You can find even more ideas for historical days out in part…

NEW BUILDS The new visitor centre was opened 1.5 miles from the stones in 2013, offering fresh insight into the site. CENTRE OF THE CIRCLE Inside the exhibition centre, a 3600 virtual tour shows how the stone circle looks from the inside. NEOLITHIC HOUSES Inside the reconstructed Neolithic houses, you can get a feel for life in the area 4,500 years ago. EXHIBITS Hundreds of prehistoric objects are displayed at the visitor centre, from arrow heads to pottery. PULL YOUR WEIGHT This reconstruction shows how the stones may have been transported over 150 miles. SUNRISE Sunrise – especially at summer solstice – is a magical time to enjoy the wonder of Stonehenge.…

LAND’S END Fifteen miles across the peninsula, on the west coast, is the area long chosen to stand for the furthest southern tip of the country. John O’Groats is a quick 603-mile stroll to the north. www.landsend-landmark.co.uk PENZANCE Made famous by Gilbert and Sullivan, the pirate-plagued town makes the most of its maritime heritage and idyllic beaches. www.penzance.co.uk MARAZION St Michael’s Mount’s nearest settlement claims to be Cornwall’s oldest town, and while it has little of historical import, it does have two world-class beaches. www.marazion.info…

EXHIBITION LAST SUPPER IN POMPEII Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, 25 July–12 January 2020 www.ashmolean.org/pompeii The people of Pompeii had a love affair with food – they produced some of the finest wine and oil which they exported across the Roman Empire. This exhibition explores their relationship with eating and drinking – even revealing what Pompeii’s inhabitants were chomping on the night that Mount Vesuvius erupted. Some of the items on display from Pompeii have never been out of Italy before. Booking in advance is recommended to secure your preferred entry time. FESTIVAL THE GREAT EXHIBITION ROAD FESTIVAL South Kensington, London, 28-30 June bit.ly/2uIo5Ry Championing curiosity, discovery and exploration, this free three-day collaborative festival will bring back the spirit of the 1851 Great Exhibition – the vision of Prince Albert. Plenty of…