The inaugural meeting of the new African History Seminar at London's Institute of Historical Research will take place on October 14 from 5:30-7:30 PM. Zeinab Badawi will talk about her fantastic book, An African History of Africa. You can register here: www.history.ac.uk/news-events/... Join us!

On Tuesday 7 October I’m giving a tour of East India Company monuments in Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s Cathedral. Details here… www.bacsa.org.uk/event/westmi...

New in 'Transactions of the Royal Historical Society' 'Irish Catholic Recruitment into the British Army during the American Revolution: A Case Study of the 46th Regiment of Foot', by Sadie Sunderland bit.ly/4m80z84 What can Irish recruitment tell us about the complexity of the C18th military? 1/2

***The #CFP for the #BSECS2026 conference closes on the 15 September 2025*** Submissions are welcome on any aspect of #18thC history, culture, and literature, but particularly on our conference theme 'Big and Small'. @pembrokeoxford.bsky.social, 7-9 January 2026 www.bsecs.org.uk/conferences/...

How did the East India Company come to govern St Helena? Why was the island so important for Britain's empire in Asia? Found out in our free online history talk with Dr John McAleer on Tuesday, 14 Oct 6pm (BST/GMT+1). www.uk-sthelenaheritagetrust.org/post/st-hele...

How did the East India Company come to govern St Helena? Why was the island so important for Britain's empire in Asia? Found out in our free online history talk with Dr John McAleer on Tuesday, 14 Oct 6pm (BST/GMT+1). www.uk-sthelenaheritagetrust.org/post/st-hele...

On 17-18 September, the Society is visiting historians at the University of Aberdeen. The visit includes a public lecture by Prof Matthew Smith (UCL): 'Slavery, Big Data, and the Cultures of Caribbean Ancestral Histories', 5.30pm, Weds 17 Sept, King's College, Aberdeen bit.ly/4lVoM1d #Skystorians

Peter J. Marshall (1933-2025) and the Royal Historical Society: an appreciation bit.ly/4mSADyn We are very grateful to @petermandler.bsky.social for his reflections on Peter Marshall, former President of the Society (1996-2000), which are published today on the RHS blog #Skystorians

A huge win for people and nature! The #Tanzanian government has officially ruled out any large-scale soda ash mining at Lake Natron a vital #Ramsar wetland and the only major breeding ground for Africa’s #flamingos. Read more: tinyurl.com/24wdb7r4 #SaveLakeNatron#conservationmatters

Friday 5 September is the closing date for the following three funding calls, hosted by the Royal Historical Society: > Martin Lynn Scholarship in African History > Early Career Fellowship Grants > Open Research Support Grants Full details and eligibility for these awards bit.ly/425YJgC

On 29 August 2016 the new airport on St Helena held its first , charity runway dash. The event was well attended and supported, and gave many Saints a first experience of the “air side” of the airport before it opened.

What is the significance of Indian textiles in global economic history? Co-organising a one-day workshop with Tirthankar Roy on the topic, to mark the launch of the new book ‘Textiles from Bengal’. Limited places available, book via link👇 www.lse.ac.uk/Economic-His...

Join us, at 6.30pm on Friday 12 September, for our next RHS Lecture: Professor Yasmin Khan on 'Mars and Britannia: the British Imperial Way of Warfare' bit.ly/3Hv2jK8 Booking for in-person and online attendance is now open. All are very welcome #Skystorians

This is William Rex - a scale model of a Dutch ship of the line. Built in the Vlissingen dockyards. It was once proudly displayed in the Admiralty of Zeeland’s council chamber in Middelburg. 🚢 👁️ https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200315848

Note to self: Be more Red Kite. 🔥💅 📷 Paul Browning

Applications for SHAPE Involve and Engage 2026-27 will open on 1 September. This innovative public engagement programme requires UK researchers to work in partnership with a gallery, archive, library or museum (GLAM organisation). Find out more: buff.ly/efUOSoL

Are you a researcher who could do with £8k to engage the public about your research working with a gallery, museum, library or archive? We’ll shortly be opening a call so I just wanted to give you a heads up this is coming www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/funding/shap...

The National Army Museum is an underrated venue for exploring many varieties of Victorian art and image-making.’ Tom Stammers finds more than patriotism and propaganda on display at the London institution.

This week, booking also opened for our next RHS lecture: 'Mars and Britannia: the British Imperial Way of Warfare' with Professor Yasmin Khan bit.ly/3Hv2jK8 Yasmin's is the next in our 2025 lecture programme and takes place at Mary Ward House, London, and online. All are welcome #Skystorians

Honouring the enslaved Africans released on St Helena. Just a fortnight left to visit 'The Portrait Gallery - Stories of the Face' at the Museum of St Helena, where bioarchaeology joins forces with art to create a powerful memorial to stolen lives. wix.to/gRlD4gZ

Rosemary Sweet and I have written a book about #18thc British travellers to Spain and Portugal, and I'm really happy it's now free to download here: uclpress.co.uk/book/no-coun... (hard copies also available!) #skystorians #c18th

256th anniversary of birth of Napoleon, one of St Helena's most famous residents, in Ajaccio the capital of French Mediterranean island of Corsica, on 15 August 1769. Napoleon was to spend five of his 51 birthdays on St Helena where he was held in exile from October 1815 to his death on 5 May, 1821.

Honouring the enslaved Africans released on St Helena. Just a fortnight left to visit 'The Portrait Gallery - Stories of the Face' at the Museum of St Helena, where bioarchaeology joins forces with art to create a powerful memorial to stolen lives. wix.to/gRlD4gZ

Join Dr David Morgan-Owen, British Academy Mid-Career Fellow, for Britain, Conflict & the Sea – a two-day conference at the National Maritime Museum (12–13 Sept), exploring how the practice, imagery, and idea of maritime conflict have shaped British history. Find out more below ⬇️

Studying, researching or teaching in the histories of the British Empire or Commonwealth ? Try using the Bibliography of British and Irish History (BBIH), it contains 650,000+ resources from 55 BCE to today! Find out how to use BBIH

Autumn schedule for @ihr.bsky.social 's British History in the Long 18th Century fortnightly seminar is now live. @long18thsem.bsky.social. Join us in person at the IHR in London or on Zoom, for Mansfield on the Chevalier d'Eon, servants' travel, rhetorics of slavery, Bengal textile workers & more.

This super panorama of St Helena, detailing its early fortifications, was painted in 1787 by Dutch clergyman and watercolourist Jan Brandes. It's one of almost 600 of his works preserved ‪@rijksmuseum.bsky.social‬ 👉 wix.to/87Xvbb1 #StHelena #militaryhistory #ukots

Can't get enough MMoR & @kingshistory.bsky.social conferences?? We're thrilled to be associated with "Caribbean Connections", organised by Michael Bennett and @drmishaewen.bsky.social and taking place 25-26 June at King's. See the CfP here.... #EarlyModern 🗃️

We are very sorry to learn of the death last Saturday of Professor Peter J. Marshall (1933-2025), former Rhodes Professor of Imperial History @kingshistory.bsky.social and President of the Royal Historical Society, 1996-2000 bit.ly/4lUl74K Peter will be greatly missed by many #Skystorians

It’s #SharkWeek! Earlier this year we had a big encounter while filming with @irishwildlifetrust.bsky.social! Filmed by pole cam following @irishbaskingshark.bsky.social Code of Conduct. Huge thanks to Grace Carr & skipper Dave Edwards! #SciComm #Conservation #Explore

At 20.17 GMT on 20 July 1969 Apollo 11’s Lunar Module Eagle touched down on the moon. “Tranquility base here. The Eagle has landed,” were first words spoken on moon by Neil Armstrong, and were first heard on earth at what was NASA's Devil's Ashpit Tracking Station on Ascension Island.

Well this is exciting! Wildling, a new, free mobile app, launches today. 😍🍃 From secret woods to riverside trails to *stunning* RSPB reserves (not that we’re biased), it brings wild places & hidden green spots together in one simple place. Download now & get into nature: brnw.ch/21wU0ga

10 July 1942 saw opening of the runway on Ascension Island, also known as Wideawake Airfield or Ascension Island Auxiliary Field. Runway was used by more than 25,000 aircraft during WW2 and during Falklands War became busiest airport in the world for number of aircraft movements

Shorebird chicks are hatching here in Greenland! This year, egg predation has been intense, especially on Turnstone clutches, so every successful hatch feels extra special. This Turnstone male brooded its four chicks right next to my phone. A bit too close maybe...

On 4 & 5 July 1821 news of Napoleon’s death on St Helena on 5 May finally reached UK and France. News arrived on HMS Heron that had sailed from St Helena on 7 May. The death reported in The Evening Star of 4 July, but most, including in Paris, got news from The Times on 5 July

Just finished ‘Distant Freedom’ by Andrew Pearson - an excellent account of St Helena’s role in the suppression of the transatlantic slave trade based on extensive historical and archaeological research.

FACT OF THE DAY. 18 June 1815. An international army led by the Duke of Wellington defeated Napoleon Bonaparte’s forces at the Battle of Waterloo in Belgium. The defeat marked the end of Napoleon’s reign and of French domination of Europe. Napoleon was banished to exile in Saint Helena.

Peter Hicks (Fondation Napoléon) explores a new angle to Napoleon's clandestine activities while in exile. ageofrevolutions.com/2025/02/17/n...

Acquisition récente du musée de la Marine (qui gagnerait à être mieux éclairé), d'Eugène Isabey, Matelots saluant le Christ en sortant du port de Saint-Valery-en-Caux (1867). Anciennement aux collections de Napoléon III puis Eugénie. Acquis grâce à la Fondation Napoléon.

Huge news: the new edition of Napoleon’s correspondence is now online thanks to the folks at the Fondation Napoléon napoleonica.org

Le masque mortuaire de Napoléon, un visage pour l’éternité, par Isabelle Tamisier-Vétois Napoleonica® la chaîne, de la Fondation Napoléon youtu.be/z7LzEkQr6b4?...

#Parution : Napoleonica. La Revue, 2024/2 (n° 49). Napoléon et l'esclavage. Paris : Fondation Napoléon, 2024. www.cairn.info/revue-napole...

Our free Summer Scholars talks are back, starting next week on Thursday 3 July. Drop in to explore wide-ranging research into our Americas collections – from hidden women mapmakers to community curriculum in rural Jamaica. See the full programme and find out more: bit.ly/BLSummerScho...

Are you a PhD student using the Library for your research, or interested in doing so? Join one of our Doctoral Open Days for a deep dive into the areas of our collection which might be relevant to your research, as well as top tips on using the Library 👇 bit.ly/BLPhDOpenDays

Headfirst into the weekend? It must be #FlyDay! 📷 @manxmannin.bsky.social

June has flown by! Bear reminds us to take time to stop & enjoy the flowers 😅 Enjoying a busy summer of films, friends & sunshine

Expertise matters! Napoléon makes the case for valuing specialist knowledge over forceful opinion in our latest post, "Chacun son métier." Read it here: wix.to/3mFmkAR #Expertise #KnowledgeMatters #cabbages

Our friends at the Commonwealth Heritage Forum launch their #free online talks on Wed 11 Jun, 6pm, with Michael Mallinson speaking about the fate of the port city of Suakin, #Sudan. The evocative ruined houses of St Helena are on the agenda on 9 July. www.commonwealthheritage.org/introducing-...

UKOTCF's Conference 13th-16th October 2025 will include sessions on: Sharing Experiences, Financing/resourcing, Using technology and data, Achieving Biodiversity & Sustainability targets and Identifying and preparing for future challenges and opportunities. Sign-up www.ukotcf.org.uk/our-conferen...