It's often said that the British Royal Navy used gunpowder to test its rum in the 17th to 19th centuries. Here is the history behind the tale.

Thwarted bid to blow up House of Lords made 17th century Britain even less tolerant. Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent. ... Guy Fawkes’ Gunpowder Plot explained.

A diver has discovered a bronze cannon on the shipwreck of a warship that was destroyed by a gunpowder explosion and sank in 1665. The 17th-century ship the London formed part of a convoy sent in ...