History news headlines

The towering flight of rainbow stairs at the Batu Caves in Malaysia has made it popular with Instagrammer tourists.

On January 18, 1977, a crowded commuter train travelling to Sydney derailed, killing 83 people and triggering a massive rescue effort to free trapped passengers.

More land is being made available near the grave of the revolutionary writer who inspired global communism.

Vicious winter storms have pummeled much of the US in recent days, bringing bitter cold and hazardous conditions.

A new exhibition shows off the journey of the photograph in Australia. Called Shot, it delves into the NSW State Library's collection of two million images and delivers a visual feast of 400 captivating moments between 1845 and 2022, many displayed for the first time. It's on until 3 November 2024.

Australian researchers have helped solve a long-standing scientific mystery surrounding the world's largest-ever primate more than 200,000 years after it became extinct.

A Melbourne collectors shop has rushed to sell off its Nazi artefacts, a day before new legislation banning the trade of Nazi items comes into effect.

Its mathematically the least accessible place in the entire world. So how did the statue get left behind here?

You can find the new Today In History Gallery here.

Kids around Australia were desperate to have these toys under their Christmas tree this year.

A 19-million-year-old bone from South Australia is changing our understanding of whale evolution.

New research has solved a decades-old mystery about a hidden layer beneath one of the Dutch artist's most famous paintings.

The postcard was written and posted by a bloke named Barry from Dawes Point in Sydney, on August 27, 1981, not arriving at its final location until 2023.

After 50 years of neglect Rome's "lost" imperial palace Domus Tiberiana has reopened as an open-air museum.

The final auction price is set to smash the current record for a vehicle number plate, auctioneers say.

Take a rare glimpse into cultural artefacts from the ancient world.

The famous 19th-century Tasmanian scientist resorted to gruesome means to advance his reputation.

Watching a game of football helped convince the anonymous petty thief he should return it to its rightful home.

The Parthenon Marbles, which have sat in the British Museum for over 200 years, have been a longstanding source of dispute.

The lighthouse keeper's cottage is perched on beautiful South Head at Vaucluse and has only one neighbour in sight.

Lawyers are circling as the Colombian government prepares to salvage the sunken Spanish galleon, the San Jose, as a matter of urgency

The American Ornithological Society says some birds named after humans are associated with controversial historical figures.

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.

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.