Exploration
Space
disasters and near misses
A chronology of the disasters (and some near misses) of the space programmes
of the US and Soviet Union, plus those of such relative newcomers as
the European Space Agency, China and Brazil.
The Last Aztec
The downfall of the Aztecs ruled by the emperor Moctezuma II, who were defeated by a small force of Spaniards under Hernando Cortes.
- The Coldest March
An extract from Dr Susan Solomon's book in which she defends the reputation of Captain Scott of the Antarctic. - Death,
Deceit and the Nile
The story of the search for the source of the White Nile in 1857-8 by Sir Richard Burton and John Speke. Includes information on slavery and travel tips to the area. - Endurance:
Shackleton and the
Antarctic
Background information on Shackleton and his expedition, and on his mentor Scott, plus details about Antarctica itself. - In the Shadow of the Moon
The 16 men who walked on the moon. - The Last Aztec
The downfall of the Aztecs ruled by the emperor Moctezuma II, who were defeated by a small force of Spaniards under Hernando Cortes. - Marco Polo
The 13th-century Venetian traveller who acted as Kublai Khan’s emissary – or did he? - Nazi Gold
The desperate attempt of Nazi leaders to hide their ill-gotten gains at the end of World War II. - The
Real Captain Bligh
William Bligh wasn't the sadistic martinet who provoked the mutiny on the Bounty. Rather he was a brilliant navigator, pioneer of ethnography and thorn in the side of the naval establishment. - The Search for the Northwest
Passage
From the 15th century, European mariners sought to find a seaway through the ice-bound Arctic to the Orient. This website examines attempts including the fatal Franklin expedition and Amundsen’s success. - Space disasters and near misses
A chronology of the disasters (and some near misses) of the space programmes of the US and Soviet Union, plus those of such relative newcomers as the European Space Agency, China and Brazil. - Tony Robinson’s Titanic Adventure
Historical background to the shipwreck plus details of an investigation of the ship’s remains carried out in 2005 by film-maker James Cameron. - The Vikings
Flourishing from the 8th to the 11th century, these people of the north had a legendary reputation for destruction and gruesome violence. However, the real Vikings were a bit different. - The Vinland Map: Real or hoax?
Some claim that the map – said to show North America – was made in about 1440, before Columbus's explorations. Others say it's a forgery. Read our guide to the controversy and make up your own mind. - Walking on the Moon
Timeline that takes you from the creation of the Moon, through the history of astronomical discovery, to the development of rocket science and the Apollo programme and the landing on the Moon itself. - Yamashita’s Gold
Was a fortune in gold hidden in the Philippines by the Japanese imperial family at the end of World War II?
