History Today

The Lichtenberg Ratio James Hoare Wed, 10/21/2026 - 07:45

On 25 October 1786 the physicist Georg Christoph Lichtenberg happened upon the aspect ratio for the perfect piece of paper.

Britain and the Premium Bond James Hoare Wed, 10/21/2026 - 07:44

For much of its modern history state lotteries were seen as antithetical to Britain’s moral values. The introduction of the Premium Savings Bond in 1956 was a major shift in government policy. What had caused it?

Isabel Allende’s Chilean Exorcism James Hoare Tue, 10/20/2026 - 08:43

Why did Chilean history take such a wrong turn? For Isabel Allende the question is best asked with fiction.

Hungary’s Contested 1956 Revolution James Hoare Tue, 10/20/2026 - 08:40

In late 1956 hundreds of thousands of Hungarians joined an uprising against the country’s Moscow-oriented government. 70 years on, the revolution’s meaning is still unclear.

‘A Rich Harvest of Bitter Fruit’ by Stephen Long review James Hoare Mon, 10/19/2026 - 08:37

A Rich Harvest of Bitter Fruit: CIA and MI6 Covert Action in Communist Albania at the Dawn of the Cold War by Stephen Long discovers a farcical attempt to overthrow Enver Hoxha.