September 2025

On 1st September 1982, Deng Xiaoping addressed the 12th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. Held approximately every five years, the National Congress allows the Party to change its leadership and alter the Party’s Constitution. The 12th Congress was the second since Chairman Mao’s death in 1976, and the first since Deng’s rise […]

  The University of Manchester is recruiting students to provide guided historical tours around campus. The tours cover our major buildings, landmarks and sites of discovery as well as notable individuals from the University’s past. The tours run on a regular basis and last approximately an hour. Our University Heritage Guidesrepresent the University and convey […]

At the Council of Clermont in 1095, Pope Urban II preached for the First Crusade as an ‘armed pilgrimage’: a penitential war that imitated the suffering of Christ whilst recapturing the Holy Land of Jerusalem from the Muslims. This appealed to many different members of Western European society, from lowly peasants who normally worked on […]

Tito’s wife, Jovanka Broz, recently died in her home state of Serbia after a relatively reclusive final few decades due to an initial period of home imprisonment. Ben Beach explores the role of wives of notorious dictators, and questions whether they are innocent bystanders or conspirators.

In 500 BC, in a relatively obscure kingdom in Italy, a noblewoman was raped by the son of the king. 2,200 years later, the American Constitution was enshrined into law after the success of the American Revolution. If you believe in the butterfly effect, you may think that the latter might have never happened without […]

Whilst transgender politics now have an important voice in the modern societal landscape, this is only possible due to the experiences of people such as Lili Elbe, one of the first recipients of gender reassignment surgery. Lili Elbe, photo via Wikicommons Media Born in 1882 Vejle, Denmark as Einar Wegener, Elbe studied at the Royal […]

Grand palaces, extravagant attire, and laudable charity work: the invariable characteristics of the leader’s spouse can be crucial to preserving supremacy. Following the bombing of the Syrian Nation Security HQ in July 2012, which resulted in the deaths of central military and security figures of Bashar al-Assad’s government, press speculation began to ensue regarding the […]

The Glorious Revolution of 1688 was the culmination of a century of upheaval after the British Civil War (1642-1651). It saw William III of Orange-Nassau and his wife, Mary, both grandchildren of Charles I, depose King James II of England and become joint monarchs. Their accession was particularly noteworthy as it was in conjunction with […]

Pocahontas is a renowned historical figure, thanks in the most part to the eponymous Disney film that placed her firmly in our historical awareness.  Daughter of Powhatan, the leader of an Algonquin tribe, Pocahontas’ life has been sanitised and romanticised to erase any suggestion of the violence of colonialism, from her supposed relationship with John […]

If modern cinema is to be believed, the official anthem of the Vietnam War is Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Fortunate Son. Seldom is a Vietnam war film produced without the distinctive twang sounding as a helicopter soars over Vietnamese grasslands. Some 50 years after the height of Vietnam music, it is tempting to view such songs […]

Greater Manchester hosts a variety of museums seeking to display Manchester’s extensive and diverse history. With the lifting of COVID restrictions, many of Manchester’s museums have sought to take a fresh look at the city’s history and culture. Kate Curtis interviews Tony Korris who graduated from Manchester with a degree in Politics and Modern History […]

Following the Mexican Revolution, the newly formed government pursued art as a means of building national identity and establishing a collective narrative about the war. Art is a powerful means of self-expression, and it was often successful in establishing new senses of national character and history, but it was less able to grapple with the […]

Born on 8 January 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi, Elvis was born with an identical twin, Jesse, who was delivered stillborn. With no other siblings, Elvis grew a close attachment to his parents who encouraged him to pursue musical inspiration through attending an Assembly of God organisation. As his family relocated to Memphis, Tennessee, Elvis took […]

Getting into the Festive Spirit: Previously mentioned in the November issue, we thought we would remind you again that there’s no better way to get into the Christmas spirit than at the Manchester Christmas Markets! Spread around the city centre, explore this year’s markets to drink some mulled wine, whilst eating festive food and shopping […]