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

Rare Find Reveals New Insights Into Black Death • Discovery of a mass burial by a team of researchers reveals how the English countryside was devastated by the bubonic plague.

Al-Jazari, Medieval Master of Robotics • Born in modern-day Turkey, Ismail al-Jazari dazzled his rulers with pumps and clocks, a fabulous automaton that played the flute, and a machine regarded as the first ever programmable robot.

Everyone Screamed for Ice Cream • For centuries, no matter the name—flavored ice, sorbet, sherbet, custard, gelato, or ice cream—these frozen treats have stayed just as sweet for centuries.

THE PAINTERS OF EGYPT • The artists who decorated Egypt’s tombs and temples followed a distinctive style forged at the dawn of Egypt’s history.

MYSTERY OF THE MISSING WONDER • The site of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon has eluded historians for centuries. Scholarly sleuthing has now thrown up a startling new theory as to where the most mysterious of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World was located.

THE GREAT POMPEII PROJECT • Stunning frescoes and mosaics, fast-food stands, and a stable with horses are just a few of the recent discoveries made in Pompeii, the bustling Roman city buried and preserved by the eruption of Vesuvius in a.d. 79.

THE SILENT SENTINELS • UNYIELDING WARRIORS IN THE BRUTAL FIGHT FOR THE 19th AMENDMENT

THE FIRST BOMBS • IN SUMMER 1945 THE UNITED STATES PLANNED TO USE ITS DEVASTATING SECRET WEAPON—THE ATOMIC BOMB—AGAINST JAPAN. UP UNTIL THE MOMENT OF JAPAN’S SURRENDER, U.S. OFFICIALS WERE DELIBERATING OVER THE NUMBER OF STRIKES AND TARGETS IN AN ATTACK PLAN THAT INCLUDED HIROSHIMA, NAGASAKI, AND MORE.

Kilwa, City of Coral and Gold • African, Arabian, and Persian cultures fed the rise of Kilwa, once one of the richest cities on Africa’s Swahili coast. The trade in gold funded lavish building projects that would dazzle visitors until the city was toppled by Portuguese colonists.

Next Issue