The British Empire was the largest empire in history. At its height in 1922, it covered around a quarter of Earth's land surface and ruled over 458 million people. Established by England in the late 16th century, "the empire on which sun never sets" lasted for more than 300 years. The empire survived until the 1980s, with one final gasp in 1997 before it finally collapsed.
So, how was such a vast and powerful empire created, and what contributed towards its downfall? Click through and revisit Great Britain's colonial past.