The History of Britain Magazine
Welcome to the History of Britain! The home nations share a varied and shared history unlike anywhere else, so we thought it only right to create a section dedicated to our mutual heritage.
The Second Opium War
The First Opium War had culminated in the unequal Treaty of Nanking, with which neither Britain nor China were entirely happy. By October 1856 relations were becoming tense again between the two countries…
First Opium War
Learn how a trade dispute between Britain and China over the import of British opium into China would ultimately lead to war…
The Birth of the NHS
70 years ago, on the 5th July 1948 an historic moment occurred in British history, a culmination of a bold and pioneering plan to make healthcare no longer exclusive to those who could afford it but to make it accessible to everyone: the NHS was born.
James ‘Paraffin’ Young
There was a time (albeit a very short time) when Scotland was the largest producer of refined oil in the entire world, all because of just one man – James ‘Paraffin’ Young.
Land Girls and Lumber Jills
In 1939, it was not only men who answered the call to serve their nation and preserve freedom. Women were also called, and answered they did…
Crossword Panic of 1944
The planning of the D Day landings was almost complete – what could possibly go wrong?…
The Great British Seaside Holiday
The great British seaside holiday came into its heyday in the 1950s and 1960s, now affordable to many through paid annual leave (thanks to the Holiday Pay Act 1938)…
