Our History

Macmillan has been advancing learning for over 175 years.

It all began when brothers Daniel and Alexander Macmillan founded their publishing company in 1843. They made a mark on the literary world, publishing an extraordinary range of works by extraordinary authors: Lewis Carroll, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Thomas Hardy and Rudyard Kipling to name but a few.

As the company grew, so did their belief in the importance of learning. Daniel and Alexander launched the Palgrave imprint and scientific research journal Nature to promote education and academic scholarship around the world. Both continue to be at the forefront of Macmillan and form key parts of ground-breaking research in their fields to this day.

When former British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan became Chairman in the mid twentieth century, he decided education should be a key investment area for the organisation. With his vision, the company established itself as a world-leading educational publisher with an outstanding reputation.

At Macmillan Education, we continue to build on this rich heritage. We use our unique place in the publishing world to educate communities by developing pioneering, forward-thinking educational materials.

Over the years, the structure of the group has shifted to expand into different sectors and markets. Today, there are many different companies that share the Macmillan name.