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Stay up to date with the latest historical discoveries, research, and events from around the world. Our news section brings you insightful articles on key developments in history, uncovering new perspectives and interpretations of the past. From archaeological finds to new historical analysis, explore the current discussions shaping our understanding of history.

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On this day in history

1349 - Up to 3,000 Jews were massacred in Erfurt, Germany in an effort by the local population to prevent the Black Death from spreading to their town.

1556 - England's first Protestant Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, was burned at the stake for heresy on the orders of Catholic queen, 'Bloody' Mary.

1804 - The Code Napoléon, the French civil code established under Napoleon, came into force. Allowing freedom of religion and forbidding privilege based on birth, it formed the basis for many modern legal codes.

1829 - The Duke of Wellington, 60 years old and the prime minister, fought a bloodless duel with the Earl of Winchelsea over Catholic emancipation.

1871 - Otto von Bismarck became the first chancellor of the German Reich, which he had largely created.

1871 - Journalist Henry Morton Stanley set off on his trek into the interior of Africa to find the explorer David Livingstone.

1918 - Germany began their Spring Offensive along the Western Front during the First World War. It was designed to overrun the Allies lines before the full force of American resources could be sent to help.

1943 - A suicide bomb plot to kill Hitler failed when Hitler did a whistle-stop tour round a museum, which didn't give the bombs time to go off. Both Hitler and the bomber, Gersdorff, survived unscathed.

1945 - Operation Carthage, the British bombing raid on Gestapo headquarters in Denmark, killed 86 schoolchildren.

1963 - Alcatraz Prison, famed for being inescapable, ceased operations. It was too expensive to run and maintain.