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. Hosted on…

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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for…

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 gr…

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

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, Marg…

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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy f…

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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

The pioneering yet reclusive artist was one of founding figures of British pop art whose bold, vibrant work helped define a movement. Image: Getty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

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…

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 Hosted …

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 …

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…

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.…

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 boardroo…

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…

“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 …

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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 ag…

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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Host…

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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

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 Hosted o…

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 suff…

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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more in…

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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Belgian agent was caught, beaten and sent to a concentration camp but survived to tell her story. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How Francesco Rivella - a young chemist from Northern Italy - changed breakfast forever after spending ten years refining the recipe for Nutella. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priva…

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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Glittering, attacking player who battled his American chess rival Bobby Fischer in a gripping world title match in 1972. Image: Getty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The two-time Oscar-winning actor starred in some of Hollywood’s most iconic films, including ‘The French Connection’ and ‘Unforgiven. Image: Getty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.