Great Fire of London: Did you mean...?

Ancient Persian religion was a polytheistic faith which corresponds roughly to what is known today as ancient Persian mythology. It first developed in the region known as Greater Iran (the Caucasus, Central Asia, South...

A May 1941 photograph showing firefighters in Queen Victoria Street during the London Blitz. (Imperial War Museums)

A photograph showing bomb damage in Balham during the London Blitz (1940-1). October 1940. A bomb hit the Balham Underground Station, killing 68 people. The bus then drove into the crater, a frequent consequence of...

The Edicts of Ashoka are 33 inscriptions engraved on pillars, large stones, and cave walls by Ashoka the Great (r. 268-232 BCE), the third king of the Mauryan Empire (322-185 BCE) of India. One set, the so-called Major...

Zoroastrianism is the monotheistic faith established by the Persian prophet Zoroaster (also given as Zarathustra, Zartosht) between c. 1500-1000 BCE. It holds that there is one supreme deity, Ahura Mazda (Lord of Wisdom), creator...

Catherine II of Russia (Catherine the Great) was empress regent of Russia from 1762-1796. She was born in Prussia to Prince Christian August of Anhalt-Zerbst (1690-1747) and Princess Johanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp (1712-1760...

Theodoric the Great (l. c. 454-526 CE, r. 493-526 CE, also known as Flavius Theodoricus) was the king of the Ostrogoths who, at the encouragement and direction of the Roman emperor Zeno, invaded Italy, deposed King Odoacer...

The lighting of fires during the Aztec New Fire Ceremony of 1507, a ritual held every 52 years to ensure the continuation of the Sun. The priests carry fire bundles and wear turquoise masks in imitation of the fire god Xiuhtecuhtli...

A Celtic fire-dog excavated at Welwyn, Hertfordshire, England. Iron, 50-25 BCE. Height: 96.5 cm. Fire-dogs were likely used for spit-roasting meat at Celtic feasts. (British Museum, London)

On Cannon Street in the City of London, you can watch the London Stone. The stone's origin is unknown, but its importance as a landmark throughout London’s long history is almost incomparable, especially when thinking about the simplicity...