Your History

Umpire Dickie Bird

Wed, 24 Sep 2025 23:01:00 GMT

Umpire and cricketer, Dickie Bird was one of cricket’s best-known and warmly regarded figures. Here, Mike Atherton, the the former England captain, and Times Chief Cricket Correspondent describes how no umpire before or since has been quite as famous. Dickie Bird had a long and illustrious career as an international umpire and a long-standing affiliation with his beloved Yorkshire County Cricket Club.

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Physicist Rainer Weiss

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 23:01:00 GMT

The Nobel prizewinning physicist Rainer Weiss, whose measurements of gravitational waves validated Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity - and all down to what was described as a ‘chirp.’

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Robert Redford - actor, director, activist

Thu, 18 Sep 2025 23:01:00 GMT

Robert Redford was one of the most successful and influential figures in American cinema. A leading man who brought gravitas to stardom, he starred in hits like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Great Gatsby, and All the President’s Men, which he also produced. He later became a pivotal force in independent film with the founding of the Sundance Film Festival. Yet behind the fame was a man who distrusted Hollywood, guarded his privacy, and found solace in the wilderness of Utah.

Aubrey Allegretti reads the obituary of Robert Redford, who died at the age of 89.

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Ricky Hatton - champion boxer

Mon, 15 Sep 2025 15:00:00 GMT

Ricky Hatton was a two-weight world boxing champion, beloved for his fearless style in the ring and his laddish charm outside it. Nicknamed “the Hitman,” he won 45 of his 48 professional bouts - and outside the ring, he fought his own demons with the same relentless spirit.

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The Duchess of Kent

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 15:00:00 GMT

The Duchess of Kent—known in non-royal life as Katharine Kent—was a woman who balanced royal duty with profound personal conviction. She embodied a spirit of “royal empathy” well before it became associated with Princess Diana, and is remembered for her warmth, her passion for tennis and music, and her quiet dedication to charitable work behind the scenes.

Image: Getty

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Giorgio Armani - fashion revolutionary

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 23:00:00 GMT

From window dresser to fashion empire, Giorgio Armani reshaped modern fashion. This is his story, as told through the words of the obituary team at The Times.

Image: Getty

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Major General Brian Pennicott - Falklands veteran

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 23:01:00 GMT

A career Royal Artillery officer, Major General Brian Pennicott played a pivotal role in the Falklands War, by chance, becoming one of the few witnesses to Argentina’s surrender in 1982. That night, he toasted the Queen beneath her hastily rehung portrait with a bottle of whisky. In retirement, he settled on the edge of Salisbury Plain - never far from the sound of gunfire.

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Stuart Prebble - 'Grumpy Old Men'

Tue, 26 Aug 2025 23:01:00 GMT

Stuart Prebble rose through television’s ranks to become ITV’s chief executive, but found his biggest hit away from the boardroom - turning middle-aged men complaining into comedy gold with Grumpy Old Men. The show became a cultural phenomenon, spawning spin-offs, books, and even a West End show.

Image: Getty

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Joan Anderson - Hula Hoop Originator

Thu, 21 Aug 2025 23:01:00 GMT

Joan Anderson, an Australian model, introduced the hula hoop to America in the 1950s. However, when the toy became a worldwide craze, she received none of the credit.

Photo Credit: Chris Riess and Amy Hill

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Terence Stamp - actor

Mon, 18 Aug 2025 23:01:00 GMT

Once hailed as the “world’s best-looking man” - Terence Stamp was a striking presence who embodied the glamour of the swinging sixties, and went on to reinvent himself as one of cinema’s great villains. Charismatic, enigmatic, and forever restless, he was an actor of dazzling contradictions - never quite what the world expected him to be.

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Biddy Baxter - The brains behind Blue Peter

Thu, 14 Aug 2025 23:01:00 GMT

She turned yoghurt pots into treasure, pets into celebrities, and treated her young audience as valued "customers". For 26 years, Biddy Baxter was the driving force behind Blue Peter, transforming it into the cleverest show on children's television and attracting audiences of up to 12 million.

Image: Getty

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Jim Lovell - Apollo 13 commander

Mon, 11 Aug 2025 15:00:00 GMT

Jim Lovell was the cool-headed astronaut who became one of the first men to orbit the moon, and later commanded the Apollo 13 mission - famously telling mission control, “Houston, we’ve had a problem.” In the days that followed, his skill and leadership helped bring the crew safely home, turning what could have been a disaster into one of NASA’s greatest recoveries.

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Dame Stella Rimington - first female head of MI5

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 23:01:00 GMT

As the first female head of MI5 and the first chief to be publicly identified, Stella Rimington, brought freshness and innovation to MI5 and a much-needed openness during her time as director-general.

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Allan Ahlberg - Children's Author

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 23:01:00 GMT

Allan Ahlberg was the beloved children’s author of Peepo! and The Jolly Postman. Capturing the everyday magic of childhood with his illustrator wife Janet, he wrote over 150 books. We remember the teacher-turned-writer whose work shaped generations of young readers.

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Margot Friedländer - Holocaust survivor

Mon, 28 Jul 2025 23:01:00 GMT

In January 1943, 21-year-old Margot Friedländer returned to her home in Berlin to find her family gone – her 17-year-old brother had been arrested by the Gestapo, and her mother had turned herself in to the authorities to be with him. She left Margot a note with just five words, urging her to "try to make your life." After 15 months in hiding, Margot was deported to the Theresienstadt concentration camp. Decades after her liberation, Margot became one of the very few Berlin-born Holocaust survivors to return to Germany, saying Berlin was "how I actually discovered true humanity.”

Image: Getty

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Hulk Hogan - WWE Superstar

Fri, 25 Jul 2025 23:01:00 GMT

Hulk Hogan helped turn wrestling into a global spectacle. Known for his flamboyant physique, yellow moustache and trademark bandana, he was one of WWE’s most iconic stars. But the story of Terry Bollea, the man behind the persona, was every bit as fascinating as the one he performed in the ring.

Image: Getty

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Ozzy Osbourne

Wed, 23 Jul 2025 12:54:36 GMT

The Black Sabbath star, known as the Prince of Darkness, leaves behind a legacy that's shaped heavy metal rock music and inspired a generation of fans and musicians.

Image: Getty

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Muhammadu Buhari - Former President of Nigeria

Fri, 18 Jul 2025 23:01:00 GMT

From the barracks to the presidential villa, Muhammadu Buhari was a strong and disciplined leader who left a lasting mark on Nigeria’s history – first as a firm military ruler in the 1980s, and three decades on, as its democratically elected president.

Image: Getty

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Peter Phillips - pop artist

Mon, 14 Jul 2025 23:01:00 GMT

The pioneering yet reclusive artist was one of founding figures of British pop art whose bold, vibrant work helped define a movement.

Image: Getty

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Lord Tebbit

Wed, 09 Jul 2025 05:15:54 GMT

Lord Tebbit was one of the most combative figures in British politics, and was known as Thatcher's 'enforcer'. A key architect of 1980s union reform, he survived the Brighton bombing and later left frontline politics to care for his wife, Margaret, who was severely injured in the bombing.

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Sandy Gall - foreign correspondent

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 23:01:00 GMT

He was one of Britain’s most intrepid and inspiring foreign correspondents - a journalist who dodged bullets, bombs and dictators to bring distant wars into the nation’s living rooms. From Kinshasa to Kabul, Sandy Gall reported with grit and clarity, surviving more near-death experiences than he cared to count. Though best known as the voice of ITN’s News at Ten, it was far from the studio and on the frontline that he found his purpose as a journalist.

Image: Getty

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Nina Kuscsik - pioneering marathoner

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 23:01:00 GMT

Nina Kuscsik was a trailblazing athlete who challenged the patronising rules of her sport and helped open the door for generations of female distance runners. She made history as the first woman to win both the Boston and New York Marathons in the same year and led the fight to secure a marathon event for women in the Olympics.

Image: Getty

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Madeleine Kasket - classical music publicist

Thu, 26 Jun 2025 23:01:00 GMT

Actress, model and music publicist, Madeleine Kasket, helped the fledgling radio station Classic FM to find its footing. Her connections included the greats of the classical music world - the tenor Plácido Domingo, cellist Julian Bream, and flautist James Galway. For a decade from the mid 1980s her partner was the harmonica player Larry Adler. The society photographer Baron was so taken with her look that he published a photograph of her for the Evening Standard in the same pose as the famous bust of the Egyptian queen, Nefertiti.

Image credit: Baron

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David "Syd" Lawrence - cricketer

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 08:07:30 GMT

David "Syd" Lawrence - the first British-born black cricketer to play for England - was fearsome fast bowler whose career was cruelly cut short by injury. He fell horribly in the middle of his delivery stride as he was about to bowl on the last day of the Third Test between England and New Zealand in Wellington on February 10, 1992. He said that it “felt like a sniper had shot me in the knee” and although he never played for England again, it was typical of his bravery that he attempted a comeback for Gloucestershire in county cricket not once but twice.

Image: Getty

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Piano legend Alfred Brendel

Thu, 19 Jun 2025 23:01:00 GMT

Alfred Brendel, one of the most influential pianists of the 20th and 21st centuries, was born in a small Czech town and came of age during the Second World War. Self-taught and fiercely intellectual, he brought clarity, wit and emotional depth to the works of composers like Beethoven, Schubert and Mozart - leaving a lasting mark on classical music.

Image: Getty

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Gerry Francis - footballer and change maker

Tue, 17 Jun 2025 23:01:00 GMT

Gerry Francis was the first black South African to play in the English First Division. A child of the apartheid era, he came to Britain to prove himself against white players after being inspired by Nelson Mandela. He shone briefly on the pitch, but he believed his playing career was cut short by what he called the "racist attitudes in the boardroom".

Image: Shutterstock

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Brian Wilson

Fri, 13 Jun 2025 17:00:00 GMT

Brian Wilson was the musical genius behind The Beach Boys and didn’t just write songs, he created an idea of California as a state of bliss. From sun-kissed harmonies to the psychedelic heights of Pet Sounds and Good Vibrations, he was the creator of the Beach Boys’ musical golden era. But behind the blissful soundscapes, lay a turbulent life and a troubled man.

Image: Getty

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Richard Garwin, creator of the hydrogen bomb

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 23:01:00 GMT

“I decided that it would be a lot better if they weren’t used, a lot better if they were impossible to build." Richard Garwin was credited as the physicist who turned a crude design of a hydrogen bomb into something close to a blueprint in a couple of weeks. “I understood what many of these hydrogen bombs would mean” he said later "But if I hadn’t designed it, somebody else would have, probably within the year or so." He was also a remarkable inventor in many other fields of physics and who went on to influence the creation of many aspects of modern life we now take for granted.

Image: Getty

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Michael Tretow - Abba's fifth member

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Described as a musical “joy maker,” Michael Tretow was the sound engineer behind all of Abba’s first eight albums and every one of their hit singles between 1973 and 1982. Experimenting with different recording techniques, he helped develop Abba’s remarkable signature sound.

Image: Alamy

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The world's photographer, Sebastião Salgado

Tue, 27 May 2025 23:01:00 GMT

Sebastião Salgado, one of the world’s most prodigious and impactful photographers chronicling the world we inhabit. Working in high-contrast black and white, Salgado sought to convey profound truths about the world in which we live, leaving a legacy of over half a million images.

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The Bolshoi's Yuri Grigorovich

Thu, 22 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Yuri Grigorovich, a revered and sometimes divisive figure in the history of the Bolshoi Ballet. As a leading choreographer of the 20th century, he played a pivotal role in shaping a bold, contemporary vision for Russian ballet.

Image Credit: Getty

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Joseph Nye - The creator of 'soft power'

Tue, 20 May 2025 09:35:58 GMT

Joseph Nye, coined the two word phrase: “soft power” as a way of encapsulating a new way to see US foreign policy - a path through influence rather than military force and it became a catch phrase for many nations to rethink their place in the world.

Image Credit: Getty

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Karen Durbin - feminist journalist

Tue, 13 May 2025 23:01:00 GMT

Karen Durbin championed feminism, free expression, and sharp writing. A defining voice at New York's The Village Voice and its second female editor-in-chief.

Image: SYLVIA PLACHY/COURTESY BARNARD COLLEGE ARCHIVE

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David Thomas - founder of Pere Ubu

Tue, 06 May 2025 23:01:00 GMT

The uncompromising frontman of Pere Ubu, the art-punk band whose experimental sound left a lasting mark on modern music - inspiring generations of artists to take risks and push boundaries.

Photo credit: Getty

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Virginia Giuffre

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 23:01:00 GMT

Virginia Giuffre was one of the most outspoken accusers of convicted sex offenders Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, his former girlfriend. She alleged they trafficked her to the Duke of York when she was 17, a claim Prince Andrew has always denied. Following her death aged 41, her family have described her as a "fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse and sex trafficking".

Warning: This episode of Your History contains references to sexual abuse and sex trafficking.

Image: Getty

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Anne Harper - A Political Firebrand

Sun, 27 Apr 2025 23:01:00 GMT

This episode of Your History tells the story of Anne Harper - miners’ strike campaigner, activist and fierce voice for working-class women.

Image Credit: Getty

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Pope Francis

Mon, 21 Apr 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Pope Francis has died aged 88 after contracting pneumonia, ending a tumultuous pontificate of 12 years in which the Argentine pope championed liberal causes, shook up the Church’s bureaucracy and clashed with conservative Catholics. The Times obituary of Pope Francis is read by Kaya Burgess, religious affairs correspondent.

Photo credit: Getty

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Mario Vargas Llosa - A giant of Latin American literature

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 23:00:00 GMT

Nobel prize winning author with an insatiable intellectual curiosity who also ran a failed attempt to become president of his native country - Peru .

Picture credit: Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images

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Clem Burke - Blondie’s Beating Heart

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 12:06:35 GMT

Drummer Clem Burke powered the sound of punk and new wave, and played with Dylan, the Ramones and Iggy Pop as well as Blondie. This week we explore the life of rock's tireless rhythm machine, and some of the science behind his seismic beat.

Image Credit: Getty

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Captain Richard Farnfield - Cold War Submarine Commander

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 23:03:38 GMT

Cold War Royal Navy captain who trailed a soviet ballistic submarine for more than ten thousand miles without being detected. He would go on to command the 10th Submarine Squadron, which operated the Polaris nuclear deterrent.

Photo credit: Farnfield family

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Val Kilmer - A Hollywood Firecracker

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 23:01:00 GMT

A Hollywood legend renowned for roles in Top Gun and The Doors, but with a career marked by dedication to craft and a volatile on-set persona. From his early days at Juilliard to his battle with throat cancer, Kilmer’s journey was as dramatic as his performances.

Photo Credit: Getty

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Constable Trevor Lock - Hero of the Iranian Embassy Siege

Thu, 03 Apr 2025 23:01:00 GMT

Constable Trevor Lock found himself at the centre of one of Britain’s most infamous events - the Iranian Embassy siege. The six-day stand-off ended with the dramatic storming of the building by the SAS in 1980. Despite his vital role in saving countless lives, Trevor Lock never courted publicity: He simply did his duty.

Photo credit: Getty

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Anne Frank - Her 80th Anniversary

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 12:40:19 GMT

This week The Times publishes an obituary of Anne Frank, eighty years after her death. She was fifteen when she died in Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1945, after two years in hiding. Her diary has been published in more than eighty languages and provides a vivid insight into the life of a young jewish girl who has become an emblem of the suffering of all Holocaust victims.

Photo credit: Alamy

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Primrose Dunlop - Australian Socialite and Countess.

Fri, 28 Mar 2025 00:01:00 GMT

The Australian socialite who chased a fairytale title across continents, only to be left jilted at the altar by a so-called Ottoman prince. But she would rewrite her story, later marrying for love and becoming an unexpected countess.

Photo credit: Getty

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George Foreman - The Heavyweight Champion

Mon, 24 Mar 2025 18:14:04 GMT

Two-time heavyweight champion and Olympic gold medalist who lost one of the most famous boxing matches in history on one night in an African jungle clearing. Later in life he became a devout Christian and returned to the ring to become the oldest champion ever at age forty five.

Image: Getty Images

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Eddie Jordan - A Formula 1 Legend

Thu, 20 Mar 2025 15:52:21 GMT

Formula 1 legend who built a team from nothing and built it to win races, working with some of the leading drivers of his generation. But he was also a canny businessman with an eye for the deal.

Image: Getty

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Andrée Dumon - Comet Line agent who helped Allied airmen

Tue, 18 Mar 2025 12:01:00 GMT

The Belgian agent was caught, beaten and sent to a concentration camp but survived to tell her story.

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'Nutella' and Francesco Rivella

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 01:01:00 GMT

How Francesco Rivella - a young chemist from Northern Italy - changed breakfast forever after spending ten years refining the recipe for Nutella.

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Tuppy Owens - Sex campaigner

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 09:00:05 GMT

The author of saucy sex guides linking fantasy and pornography while championing the right of everyone to have the sex life of their own choosing. The Associate Editor of The Times Magazine. Jane Mulkerrins tells the details - at least those we were able to print - of the life of Tuppy Owens.

Photo Credit: Getty

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The People's Painter - Jack Vettriano

Thu, 06 Mar 2025 12:07:35 GMT

The self-taught 'people's painter' from Scotland who battled rejection from critics and art experts alike only to become one of the most successful artists in Britain.

Photo credit: Getty

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Russian chess grandmaster Boris Spassky

Mon, 03 Mar 2025 16:43:06 GMT

Glittering, attacking player who battled his American chess rival Bobby Fischer in a gripping world title match in 1972.

Image: Getty

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Hollywood legend Gene Hackman

Thu, 27 Feb 2025 18:30:42 GMT

The two-time Oscar-winning actor starred in some of Hollywood’s most iconic films, including ‘The French Connection’ and ‘Unforgiven.

Image: Getty

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Roberta Flack, legendary singer behind ‘Killing Me Softly’

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 16:33:43 GMT

The R&B singer was the first artist to win consecutive Grammy awards for record of the year, including for her hit The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.

Image: Getty

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Suzanne Massie - 'the woman who ended the Cold War'

Fri, 21 Feb 2025 05:00:00 GMT

Suzanne Massie, an American scholar of Russian history who played an important role in the thawing of relations between US President Ronald Reagan and the Soviet Union in the 80s, and who some believe may have ‘helped to end the Cold War’.

Image: Getty

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Squadron Leader Jack Hemmings

Tue, 18 Feb 2025 15:18:44 GMT

The decorated wartime pilot, Jack Hemmings, co-founded the world’s largest humanitarian airline, the Mission Aviation Fellowship and, in 2022, at the age of 100, became the oldest person to perform aerobatics in a Spitfire.

Image: Courtesy of MAF

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Question Time supremo, Barbara Maxwell

Thu, 13 Feb 2025 01:00:00 GMT

The BBC producer who created Question Time. Maxwell's programme changed the landscape of political debate on British TV, but she frequently clashed with the show’s presenter Robin Day.

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Ken Capstick

Tue, 11 Feb 2025 16:48:04 GMT

Ken Capstick, the right-hand man to the miner’s union leader, Arthur Scargill, and who played a prominent role fighting the Thatcher government’s plans for mass pit closures.

Image credit: Getty

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Aga Khan IV

Thu, 06 Feb 2025 15:06:19 GMT

Prince Karim Al-Husseini, the Aga Khan. A billionaire philanthropist, who was for nearly seven decades the spiritual leader of the world’s 15 million Ismaili Muslims.

Image credit: Getty

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Farmer, Tony Martin

Tue, 04 Feb 2025 18:00:00 GMT

The Norfolk farmer who became a household name, and divided the nation, after going to prison for shooting and killing a child burglar.

Image credit: ANDREW PARSONS/PA

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Marianne Faithfull

Fri, 31 Jan 2025 14:24:17 GMT

The musician who found fame as Mick Jagger’s girlfriend, battled drug addiction and enjoyed an acclaimed career revival.

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The princess and the ballerina

Wed, 29 Jan 2025 01:00:00 GMT

Princess Birgitta, the Swedish royal who grew up in palaces, but settled in a bungalow in Munich. And Kirsten Simone, the much-loved Danish prima ballerina who turned heads with what was, at the time, considered a daringly erotic interpretation of Carmen.

Photo credit: Getty

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Denis Law, Joan Plowright & David Lynch

Wed, 22 Jan 2025 01:00:00 GMT

Three greats, all from very different fields of work; film-maker David Lynch, known for ground-breaking films including Mullholland Drive, Blue Velvet and The Elephant Man; the stalwart of stage and screen, distinguished actress Joan Plowright; and the incredible Manchester United and Scotland football legend Denis Law.

Photo credit: Getty

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French politician Jean-Marie Le Pen and American singer Sam Moore

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 01:00:00 GMT

Jean-Marie Le Pen, a French far-right politician who built a substantial following but whose antisemitism and xenophobia meant opponents on all sides united against him. And, the American singer Sam Moore, one half of the duo Sam & Dave who were best known for their 1967 hit Soul Man.

Photo credit: Getty

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Author David Lodge and socialite Jocelyn Wildenstein

Wed, 08 Jan 2025 01:00:57 GMT

David Lodge, an academic and author, revitalised campus novels with his witty takes on university life, Catholicism, and sex. And, Swiss-born New York socialite Jocelyn Wildenstein, who sadly was also known as “the poster child for plastic surgery gone wrong.”

Image credit: Getty Images.

Further reading: What happened to the Bride of Wildenstein and her $2.5 billion?

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President Jimmy Carter & Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

Tue, 31 Dec 2024 14:07:16 GMT

Jimmy Carter was the only US President to win a Nobel Peace Prize for his work done after leaving office. He was by common consent, the “best former president America has ever had”. And Manmohan Singh was India's reluctant Prime Minister who changed the lives of millions.

Image credit: Getty Images.

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The Times Obituaries 2024

Tue, 24 Dec 2024 01:00:14 GMT

In this special episode of Your History, presented by Jane Mulkerrins, a chance to reflect on the extraordinary lives of individuals who left their mark on the world, from French pop icon Françoise Hardy to Russian dissident Alexei Navalny. We also hear about the lives of groundbreaking Irish novelist Edna O’Brien, tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, TV doctor Michael Mosley and American music legend Quincy Jones — their stories reminding us of the power of resilience, creativity, and ingenuity found in the obituaries printed in The Times during 2024.

Image credit: Getty

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Champions of wrestling and wrestling with words

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 17:35:41 GMT

Tony Brignull was a master of the art of advertising during the ‘golden age of advertising’ when it is said a well chosen phrase could grab everyone’s attention.

And the wrestler known throughout the wrestling world as simply “Goldbelt”, Brian Maxine was a flamboyant wrestling champion who dominated the sport of wrestling through the 1960s and 70s and beyond.

Image credit: Seymour/News Group Newspapers Ltd.

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Holocaust survivor Renee Bornstein, and Cuban trumpet maestro Manuel "Guajiro" Mirabal

Wed, 11 Dec 2024 00:01:45 GMT

In Nazi-occupied France, Renee Bornstein hid in barns and convents before her capture aged ten, the Holocaust survivor bravely shared her childhood ordeal so that the world would never forget, and Cuban trumpeter Manuel "Guajiro" Mirabal best known for his work with the Buena Vista Social Club who became the heartbeat of Cuban music for generations.

Image credit: Getty Images and Holocaust Matters.

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Sir Robert ‘Bom’ Gillies and Judith Jamison

Wed, 04 Dec 2024 00:01:09 GMT

The Times Obituaries remembers the lives of Sir Robert Gillies, the New Zealand infantryman who fought at the Battle of Monte Cassino and was thought to be the last of the Maori Battalion, and Judith Jamison, star and artistic director of the boundary-pushing Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

Image credit: Getty Images.

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Barbara Taylor Bradford and geneticist Lyudmila Trut

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 18:00:11 GMT

Barbara Taylor Bradford, the journalist who became a publishing sensation in her 40s with the best-selling novel 'A Woman of Substance', and the Soviet-era scientist Lyudmila Trut who tamed foxes to act like dogs.

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John Prescott

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 00:05:00 GMT

Lord John Prescott, a major figure in Labour politics and the former deputy prime minister, was Sir Tony Blair's loyal deputy for 10 years after Labour's 1997 general election landslide. A politician who helped define an era.

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Timothy West CBE and Paul Morrissey

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 01:00:37 GMT

Today we explore the life of Timothy West CBE, the distinguished performer, who sparkled in roles such as King Lear and Churchill; And Paul Morrissey, American writer-director, who collaborated on many of his early works with the legendary visual artist Andy Warhol.

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Paul Stephenson & Sir John Nott

Wed, 13 Nov 2024 14:36:26 GMT

Paul Stephenson was one of the leaders of the Bristol Bus Boycott in 1963, and Sir John Nott was Secretary of State for Defence during the Falklands war of 1982.

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American music maestro, Quincy Jones

Tue, 05 Nov 2024 17:20:10 GMT

We explore the life of Quincy Jones, an icon of American entertainment who shaped modern music for decades working with musical legends from Frank Sinatra, to Michael Jackson.

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Geoff Capes and Phil Lesh

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 16:39:31 GMT

Today we explore the lives of Geoff Capes, the British shot putter, strongman and Highlands Games competitor; And, Phil Lesh the innovative bass player for the American rock band ' The Grateful Dead'.

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Liam Payne, General Sir Mike Jackson & Galina Brok-Beltsova

Fri, 25 Oct 2024 13:55:31 GMT

Today we explore three extraordinary lives - pop sensation Liam Payne, General Sir Michael Jackson, and WWII veteran Galina Brok-Beltsova, one of the last surviving Soviet female fighter pilots.

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Alex Salmond & Ratan Tata

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 09:27:39 GMT

Alex Salmond, the former First Minister of Scotland, a major figure in British politics, who took Scotland to the brink of independence; and Ratan Tata, the Indian industrialist who put his faith in British industry.

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Lord Ouseley of Peckham Rye and Frank Coppa

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 08:08:04 GMT

Today we explore the life of Lord Ouseley of Peckham Rye, who was the first black chair of the Commission for Racial Equality. Plus, Frank Coppa, the New York-born gangster who was the inspiration for the 1997 American crime drama film ‘Donnie Brasco’.

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Dame Maggie Smith and Kris Kristofferson

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 16:29:10 GMT

Dame Maggie Smith, the acclaimed and award-winning actor known for her sharp wit, keen eye, and extraordinary talent; and Kris Kristofferson, the country music superstar and A-list Hollywood actor.

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Peter Jay and Tito Jackson

Tue, 24 Sep 2024 15:37:06 GMT

Peter Jay, a former Times Economics Editor who went on to become Britain’s youngest Ambassador to the US, before returning to the world of journalism as a TV presenter and BBC Correspondent; and Tito Jackson, the older brother of Michael, the “King of Pop”, and an original member of the Jackson 5, the group which helped to pioneer the Motown sound.

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James Earl Jones, Alberto Fujimori and Sérgio Mendes

Wed, 18 Sep 2024 07:46:07 GMT

James Earl Jones, the multi-award winning actor best-known as the voice of Darth Vader; Alberto Fujimori, former Peruvian President and one of the most controversial figures in post-war Latin American politics; and pioneering Brazilian musician Sérgio Mendes, the master of the bossa nova.

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Derek Boshier and Helen Fisher

Tue, 10 Sep 2024 15:44:14 GMT

Derek Boshier, amongst the first artists to propel British pop art, his work supported by the likes of David Bowie and contemporary David Hockney. And the life of Helen Fisher, one of America’s most prominent anthropologists who's studied the science of romantic love, attachment, adultery, divorce, and the evolution and future of family life.

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A Prima Ballerina, German Football Manager & a Modern-day Caveman

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 13:50:12 GMT

Three extraordinary lives today: Rowena Jackson, New Zealand’s first prima ballerina; Willi Lemke, the German politician turned football manager; and Michel Siffre, the French geologist who lost track of time after living in a dark cave for 1,500 hours.

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England Manager Sven-Göran Eriksson & Virginia Ogilvy, Countess of Airlie

Tue, 27 Aug 2024 17:23:04 GMT

Sven-Göran Eriksson managed England's so-called "Golden Generation". And while his success was limited, he brought perspective, respect and a calmness that was before missing. And the life of Virginia Ogilvy, Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth II.

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Tech Entrepreneur Mike Lynch

Fri, 23 Aug 2024 16:52:10 GMT

A special profile of Mike Lynch, one of Britain's most celebrated tech entrepreneurs, who lived for years under investigation by U.S. prosecutors until his acquittal just months ago.

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French Actor Alain Delon & WWII Platoon Commander Brian Wilson

Tue, 20 Aug 2024 14:16:39 GMT

Alain Delon was once dubbed the most beautiful man in the world and modelled himself on being a French James Dean, but his life was full of scandal. He cosied up to criminals in the underworld and the hard right of French politics. Plus, we explore the life of Lieutenant Brian Wilson, who narrowly survived Operation Market Garden - one of the Allied forces worst defeats of WWII.

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The Father of Grappa & How to Critique Freud

Tue, 13 Aug 2024 14:08:47 GMT

Italian, Benito Nonino played a key part in elevating what was once seen as an uncouth grappa into a premium beverage. And we look back at Sigmund Freud's life and work through the eyes of one of his greatest critics, Frederick Crews.

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A Vietnam War Criminal & The Queen's Private Secretary

Tue, 06 Aug 2024 14:12:51 GMT

Second Lieutenant William Calley was the sole person convicted for the 1968 My Lai massacre: US forces indiscriminately killed as many as 500 unarmed Vietnamese villagers. And we hear about the career of Lord Robert Fellowes, Queen Elizabeth II's private secretary during a tumultuous period of divorces in the Royal Family and Princess Diana's death.

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Novelist Edna O'Brien & Designer Sir Kenneth Grange

Tue, 30 Jul 2024 14:01:04 GMT

In 1960, Ireland’s minister for culture pronounced Edna O'Brien's first novel, The Country Girls, “a smear on Irish womanhood”. Over time she would come to be hailed as one of the country’s most gifted writers. And we celebrate the life and work of Sir Kenneth Grange who, as a designer, created objects that changed the way we live.

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Snooker Champion Ray Reardon & Aid Worker Simon Boas

Tue, 23 Jul 2024 14:01:39 GMT

Ray Reardon was one of Britain’s best-known sportsmen, but when he was honoured at Buckingham Palace in 1985 with an MBE for services to snooker, the Queen enquired: “And what do you do?” What he did, was win, triumphing in the World Snooker Championship six times. And we marvel at the life of aid worker Simon Boas, whose candid reflections on his terminal cancer diagnosis moved millions of people around the world.

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Sex Therapist Ruth Westheimer & Royal Cake Decorator Eddie Spence

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 13:27:44 GMT

Dr Ruth Westheimer's voice was once mocked as “a cross between Henry Kissinger and a canary”. But the sex therapist felt it was one of her biggest assets, because she sounded like “Grandma Freud”. Westheimer escaped Nazi Germany and later found fame by talking honestly in public about once-taboo, bedroom topics. And we celebrate the life of Eddie Spence, known as "The King of Royal Icing".

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Foreign Minister Roland Dumas & Wimbledon champion Vic Seixas

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 14:05:59 GMT

Roland Dumas wielded such clout in the Élysée that he was called “le vice-president”. But despite being a closely trusted ally of François Mitterrand, his career in politics was blighted by allegations of corruption. While the 1953 Wimbledon champion, Vic Seixas, was perhaps under appreciated, and definitely underpaid.

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Biochemist Akira Endo & Cuban Revolutionary Olga Morgan Goodwin

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 13:45:33 GMT

Akira Endo discovered the ‘penicillin for cholesterol’. But when offered the drugs he made possible, for his own high cholesterol, he opted for diet and exercise instead. And we hear the remarkable story of the Cuban revolutionary, Olga Morgan Goodwin, who turned on Fidel Castro and was imprisoned for trying to overthrow him.

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Actor Donald Sutherland & Campaigner Leah Levin

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 13:54:58 GMT

"Offbeat, relaxed, and never overly reverential about his craft". The actor Donald Sutherland was described as one of the finest actors never to win an Oscar. And we recall the life of Leah Levin, who in spite of holding no legal qualifications, dedicated her life to righting the wrongs of the British criminal justice system.

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Singer Françoise Hardy & Psychologist Sue Johnson

Tue, 18 Jun 2024 06:45:14 GMT

Bob Dylan wrote Françoise Hardy a poem before they even met. But the iconic french singer-songwriter was irritated by the public's fascination of her beauty rather than her music. And we explore the work of the psychologist, Sue Johnson, who devoted her life to unravelling the mystery of love.

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TV Doctor Michael Mosley & Astronaut Bill Anders

Tue, 11 Jun 2024 13:57:53 GMT

'Trust me, I'm a doctor' was an instruction many were happy to follow. The BBC show's host, Michael Mosley, combined infectious enthusiasm and dedication to the scientific method. Today we hear his story, plus that of William Anders, astronaut, engineer and photographer of one of the most famous photos ever taken.

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Rugby Star Rob Burrow & 'The Godfather' Producer Albert Ruddy

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 14:30:11 GMT

Today, we hear two remarkable stories of dogged determination. First, the inspirational life of Rob Burrow, the Rugby League star who campaigned so bravely in the face of his motor neurone disease diagnosis. And second, the Oscar winning producer of The Godfather, Albert Ruddy, and the story of the extraordinary steps it took to bring the iconic mobster movie to our screens.

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President Ebrahim Raisi & Commander ‘Sharkey’ Ward

Tue, 28 May 2024 14:42:36 GMT

Each week we explore two fascinating lives. Often they’ll be remarkable people whose achievements are universally celebrated. But sometimes, they’ll be people whose lives have other significance. Today we hear two life stories: one about the Iranian president, Ebrahim Raisi who died, along with the Iranian foreign minister, in a helicopter crash. And we look back on the life of Commander ‘Sharkey’ Ward, a decorated British pilot who played a decisive role in the Falklands war.

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Introducing Your History

Thu, 23 May 2024 14:00:12 GMT

Introducing Your History, where each week we detail absorbing, life-affirming accounts of remarkable lives.

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