National Geographic History

See how National Geographic History magazine inflames and quenches the curiosity of history buffs and informs and entertains anyone who appreciates that the truth indeed is stranger than fiction with a digital subscription today. And that history is not just about our forebears. It’s about us. It’s about you.

FROM THE EDITOR

National Geographic History

Were Humans in North America Before the Ice Age? • New analysis of fossilized footprints in New Mexico’s White Sands National Park challenges theories about the peopling of the Americas.

Ada Lovelace, Programming Pioneer • Born to a mathematician and a Romantic poet, Ada Lovelace combined her parents’ gifts into her own unique vision of a future world where computing could be king.

Pizza Margherita • The iconic Neapolitan dish was allegedly named for Queen Margherita of Italy after she sampled it in Naples, but food historians say this origin story, served up for years by chefs and authors alike, is more than a little half-baked.

The Dreyfus Affair: France’s Battle for the Truth • Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish officer, was wrongly convicted of selling military secrets to France’s enemies. The controversial case caused a devastating split in France that lingers today.

DEATH COMES TO CAESAR • Julius Caesar had become the most powerful man in the Roman Republic. In the eyes of his enemies, he was all but king. To protect Rome from tyranny, they turned to murder.

VISIONS OF ANGKOR • The capital of Cambodia’s Khmer Empire was both a sacred and cosmopolitan city, welcoming religious pilgrims and merchants alike. Abandoned in the 1400s, Angkor’s splendor would not fade but endure through the centuries.

GOLDEN COMPLEX

THE KNIGHTS’ TALES • Chivalry, faith, and honor were embodied by the lives of medieval knights, who fought for church and crown. The lives of these men are filled with accounts of legendary bravery and bloodshed.

SEATS AT THE ROUND TABLE

LESSONS FROM THE PAST

TALE OF THE SWAN KNIGHT

WINNER TAKES IT ALL

WELL-ROUNDED MEN

BOUCICAUT’S FINAL DEFEAT

SOFONISBA UNSUNG GENIUS OF THE RENAISSANCE • Painting with tenderness and bravura, Sofonisba Anguissola stunned Michelangelo with her talent. Appointed as a court painter to the king of Spain, the Italian artist became Europe’s first female superstar artist.

THREAT OF THE THAW • As the seas rise and Alaska’s permafrost melts, the history of the Yup’ik people is in danger as archaeological sites and artifacts become exposed to the ravages of time and climate change.

HERITAGE AT RISK

Giza’s Untouched Royal Tomb • In 1925 a royal grave from one of Egypt’s earliest dynasties was found—intact—in the shadow of the Great Pyramid of Khufu.