BBC History Magazine - May 2011

As blockbuster film The Eagle brings one of the great mysteries of Roman Britain to UK cinema screens, investigates what really happened to the Legion of the Ninth? Professor takes a closer look at the role of superstition in the English Civil War, including Charles I’s nephew, Prince Rupert, and his supposed demon dog. consider the role of the Ministry of Information in assessing popular morale during the 1940 Battle of Britain. examines President Kennedy’s role in the Bay of Pigs invasion when US-backed exiles made a disastrous attempt to overthrow Cuban leader Fidel Castro. With royal wedding fever set to hit the country, takes a look at regal marriages throughout history. discovers how political institutions have developed around the world and talks to BBC History Magazine’s Rob Attar about his findings. nominates 1 May 1851 as a big day in history – the date that Queen Victoria opened the Great Exhibition at the famous Crystal Palace. speaks to BBC History Magazine’s Charlotte Hodgman about the evolution of Elizabethan drama during the 16th century, and visits nine associated places. offers his advice for those visiting Samarkand, the capital of the mighty Timurid empire, in 1404.