History news headlines

It appeared the unlucky statesman had been caught in a crossfire, but investigations revealed something more sinister.

A government project to protect the seafront uncovered footprints dating back millions of years.

If you've got one of these lying around, you could be about to strike it rich.

In the 122 years since Federation, Australia has held 44 referendums to alter the Constitution – but only eight have been successful.

The colours that adorned the white marble included a particularly mysterious purple.

Leonardo da Vinci was in an experimental mood when he started painting the "Mona Lisa", new research suggests.

A new book shows the "vibrant and exciting coming of age of Australia's first city".

Taiwan's first homemade submarine has been greeted with a stark warning from its superpower neighbour.

The exploits of soldiers and sailors who sailed from Australia to strike deep behind enemy lines 80 years ago are being commemorated today.

From the decision to beatify an entire family, to the declaration an unbaptised baby was baptised in its "mother's blood", it's a move without precedent in the history of the Church.

Surviving battering storms and challenges to Sealand's sovereignty in international waters since 1966, an intriguing legend tells of how one family repelled the clutches of a powerful neighbouring empire.

Ancient humanity was almost wiped out about 900,000 years ago when the global population dwindled to around 1280 reproducing individuals

Two people arrested for allegedly tearing a giant hole through the UNESCO World Heritage Site with an excavator

The man, who was a minor at the time of the alleged crimes, has been changed with accessory to murder.

Calls for the repatriation of priceless treasures have intensified after 2000 items vanished from the museum.

The Powerhouse Museum has lifted the curtain on a new, major exhibition - promising to lead us on a journey across time and memory.

The musum confimred the skull was located outside the gate to Eden Lookout early this morning.

The Smithsonian largely assembled the macabre hoard in the early 20th century under a racist scientist's direction.

Shifting sands have revealed artefacts from colonial-era life off the coast of South Australia.

As a former prime minister's portrait has been revealed, we have looked back at all of the leader's since federation.

Decades before the internet and smart devices, when there were fixed, wired telephones, it was a huge and time-consuming task to keep Australian homes and businesses connected.

An old, turn-of-the century Victor piano with warped and weathered keys sits forever waiting in the front parlour.

The sole survivor of a wartime atrocity has become the first woman to be commemorated in bronze at the national war memorial.

UNESCO has a list of 55 places around the world it considers most in danger, including on our very own doorstep.

UNESCO has recommended that one of the most popular and fragile tourist destinations in Italy be added to its heritage danger list.

The Warracknabeal and District Ladies Restrooms isn't just any toilet block - it's got a visitor book, a lounge area, toys for children and even a small kitchenette.

The once-busy facility has been abandoned for more than a decade and the mayor wants a solution.

A new species of dinosaur has been discovered in Thailand.

More than a million Aussies go on a cruise from Australia every year, with Sydney one of the most sought-after cruising ports in the world. But the origins of the $5b industry in the nation dates back over 90 years and can be traced to two ships.

Fragments of a skull believed to have been that of composer Ludwig van Beethoven have been donated to a university in Austria after spending decades in the United States.

The only living survivor of HMAS Canberra that sank off the Soloman Islands in 1942 has told of the "luck" he encountered.

Uniforms date back thousands of years when they were used to identify military members, and were also worn in early schools. Now they're worn to identify, protect and signify the authority of workers from cabin crew to nurses. Here are some of Australia's uniforms through the decades.

Peter Gaspar, 86, was a young boy when he was sent to the Terezin concentration camp in his home country.

For a lot of people, mention of the French Revolution conjures up images of wealthy nobles being led to the guillotine - but that may not be true.

Who was the American scientist behind the most destructive weapon in global history.

To celebrate 100 years of serving Aussies that rich, salty deliciousness, Vegemite has unveiled a brand new look to mark its centenarian birthday.

Van Houten, now in her 70s, received a life sentence for helping Manson's followers carry out the 1969 killings of a grocer and his wife.

"Extraordinary" video footage shows historic firsts and touching family moments.

The man behind the alleged act of vandalism on Rome's Colosseum has apologised to "the Italians" and to "the world", after apparently "learning" how significant the monument is.

A new museum exhibit will celebrate 50 years of the Sydney Opera House.

Italy's culture minister is calling for a man to be "identified and sanctioned" after he was filmed allegedly carving his and his fiancée's names into the Colosseum in Rome.

US talkback host Alan Berg was murdered in front of his apartment on June 18, 1984.

A new 'supersized' lizard with a body covered with spiked armour which lived in Australia during the ice age has been identified by researchers.

An ancient leg bone and part of a skull found in a cave in Laos has contradicted our ideas about how humans spread across the world.

Embattled mayor of small town has insisted he broke no rules by green lighting the controversial removal of Neolithic-era stones

Images of artifacts laying hundreds of metres beneath the ocean offer new insights into Mediterranean culture, experts say.

Displaying or selling the symbol which 'celebrates an evil ideology' could see perpetrators jailed for up to a year.

An ancient human cousin may have buried its dead and carved symbols into cave walls, surprising findings for a creature with a small brain.

The former FBI agent spent two decades spying for the Soviet Union and Russia under the nose of US authorities.

For the first time since 1951, the British Commonwealth has a King - and that means that on Monday 12 June 2023, much of Australia will have a new reason to sleep in or sneak in a weekend away.