History

Did ancient Phoenicians, a powerful Mediterranean nation of seafaring traders also known as the Canaanites in the Bible, really sacrifice their children in rituals involving human sacrifice, or was this claim just a fabrication?

This is the true story behind one of the most complex hostage rescue missions in history. In June 1976, an Air France flight from Tel Aviv to Paris was hijacked by a group of Palestinian and German terrorists and flown to Entebbe, Uganda. WONDER is packed with binge worthy reality documentaries for hours of entertainment. Check out our hub of diverse and empowering stories which explore the extreme side of life!

Many of New Zealand's native animals share an unusual trait - they're living giants. These islands are home to insects that grow as big as a rat. This island is home to the largest birds to ever live, the carnivorous snails which are as big as a fist, and the longfin eel a two-meter-long lake monster.

Is this cave in the spectacular Cheddar Gorge one of the UK's earliest homes? Tony Robinson and the Time Team delve deep into the earth to solve this prehistoric mystery Odyssey is your journey into the world of Ancient History; from the dawn of Mesopotamia to the fall of Rome. We'll be bringing you only the best documentaries that journey into the mysteries and ruins of worlds long lost.

This documentary follows an operation in Northern Canada that is dedicated to piecing together indigenous history. Due to global warming, melting ice on and around mountains is revealing more and more artefacts that have been perfectly preserved for over 1000 years. These amazing finds are. helping to document and preserve indigenous culture in the region, a culture which is often ignored.

The Ultimate History Quiz of 2022' Fingers on buzzers for a very special History Hit end-of-year treat. Tricky expert questions, history in the headlines, historical fact or fiction? It can only be the History Hit Big Quiz of 2022 - a seasonal test where you can pit your wits against our in-house history brains, or just sit back, grab a glass of whatever you fancy, and enjoy a fact-filled competition, chaired by Quizmaster supreme, Dan Snow. Battling it out are contestants Prof. Suzannah Lipscomb, Tristan Hughes, Matt Lewis and Alice Loxton. Everyone is welcome - from history know-it-alls to the whole family. Who can tell the difference between Mary Tudor and Marie Antoinette; the battles of Bosworth and Bunker Hill; Cleopatra’s needle and the Washington Monument? We’re all living through history, now let’s find out who’s been paying attention! ROUNDS

Despite being popularised by the film of the same name, Pocahontas was actually inspired by real life events. The story of Pocahontas is quite different to the Disney version and the "truth" is often disputed by various sources. We take a look at the various versions of events of this 400 year old story.

Does the Black Sea hide the dark secrets of a long-lost ancient civilization? An international group of experts examine the evidence for this possible bronze age civilisation and more in the depths of this mysterious sea. Odyssey is your journey into the world of Ancient History; from the dawn of Mesopotamia to the fall of Rome. We'll be bringing you only the best documentaries that journey into the mysteries and ruins of worlds long lost.

Dan Snow joins food historian Annie Gray to explore festive food through the ages. Porpoises, beaver tails, boar's head and puffins: these are just some of the exquisite dishes that have appeared at festive feasts in the past. In this episode food historian, Annie Gray joins Dan Snow in his kitchen to cook up some delicious Christmas fare from ages past. They make wassail - an ancient alcoholic punch - and mince meat pies as they talk about the pagan rituals, medieval feasts and Victorian traditions that dictate what we put on our Christmas dinner tables. You can make these festive delicacies at home as you listen! Find the easy-to-follow traditional recipes Dan and Annie used here: Annie's book is called 'At Christmas We Feast'.

Christmas is coming to Acton Scott, but first there's a huge amount of preparation to do. Ruth Goodman and food historian Ivan Day try their hand at making a Christmas pudding using the same methods as Bob Cratchit's wife in A Christmas Carol. Meanwhile, Alex and Peter light the forge for the first time to re-shoe the farm workhorse Clumper - the first time a horse has been shod at this forge in over five decades. Alex goes in search of a Christmas tree for the banquet, while Ruth and Peter head for the Victorian town of Blists Hill for Christmas shopping. At the cottage, Ruth meets Debbie Bamford to dye an array of colourful Christmas ribbons to decorate the tree and the presents that sit beneath it. Finally it's time for the Christmas meal in the estate's School Hall. With a rapturous toast to Queen Victoria and a quick trip to the cattle shed to wassail the animals, day turns into night and the drunken Victorian parlour games commence. The next morning it'll be time for the team to

Join Dr Eleanor Janega in this full length History Hit TV documentary as she gets to the bottom of medieval booze and drinking habits. How much alcohol did people in the Middle Ages really drink? What were they drinking? And where were they drinking it? Alcohol was an essential part of medieval life. In one of London’s oldest pubs, Ye Old Mitre, Eleanor discovers the origins of the humble pub with beer expert Pete Brown, and dispels the many myths surrounding the drinking habits of the people who drank here centuries ago We then stumble over to London’s East End, where Wild Card Brewery’s head brewer Janega Wise has crafted a special tipple using the same ingredients and techniques the average medieval brewer would have had at their disposal. Does it taste as good today as it did 500 years ago? Our ancient pub crawl ends in King Henry VIII’s vast wine cellar with Hampton Court’s Historic Kitchen Manager, Richard Fitch. We learn about the royals' unquenchable drinking habits, fanciful wine fountains and how important booze was for demonstrating wealth

Our Christmas traditions have changed a lot over the years but not as much as the work related side of the holiday. Tony Robinson takes a look back at some of the worst Christmas jobs in history, from puke collector to turkey gutter, you'll be thankful these jobs are a thing of the past!

Tony Robinson takes us back in time to meet a 13-year-old girl who risked her lfe every day working 14-hour shifts in a match factory. This is the real, ugly story of the Victorian era.

Dr Joann Fletcher looks at the mysterious world of the ancient Egyptian afterlife and reveals a strange and mysterious world. To them life was just a dress rehearsal for the perfect afterlife they were trying to reach. Joann clambers into rarely visited tombs, explores a treasure trove of long-buried objects and examines spectacular mummies to discover just why the Egyptians spent a fortune preparing for death - and what they hoped to find when they got there.

Christmas has been celebrated in England since around 1038, with unique and interesting ways of celebrating coming and going throughout history. Fun and festive feasts have always been the norm but the Tudors took this to the extreme.

In part two of Angle Of Attack, we chronicle the 100-year history of Naval aviation — from wobbly gliders and the shipboard landing in 1911 to modern supersonic jets and unmanned aerial vehicles. The documentary deftly interweaves archival footage, interviews with historical and military experts, contemporary footage of cutting-edge aircraft and insights from today's "Top Gun" fighter pilots in the Marine Corps and Navy. War Stories is your one stop shop for all things military history. From Waterloo to Verdun, we'll be bringing you only the best documentaries and stories from history's most engaging and dramatic conflicts. You can find more from us on

Few things are more instantly recognisable than art from ancient Egypt. But who were the craftspeople behind these exquisite works of art and how did they create them? Discover the world of the scribes of ancient Egypt and the meaning behind some of this period's most famous works of art. Odyssey is your journey into the world of Ancient History; from the dawn of Mesopotamia to the fall of Rome. We'll be bringing you only the best documentaries that journey into the mysteries and ruins of worlds long lost.

The Victorian farmers - Ruth Goodman, Alex Langlands and Peter Ginn - return to the Acton Scott estate in Shropshire to celebrate a traditional Victorian Christmas. There's an enormous amount of farm work to be done on the estate in the lead-up to the festive season, including the hay harvest, to make food for the animals over winter. Having been thwarted last time by rain, the team anxiously monitor the weather. Peter travels to the Royal Agricultural Society's annual show with sheep expert Richard Spencer to choose a new ram for the flock; back at the farm, Ruth makes mincemeat for the Christmas mince pies. She also prepares for the hoped-for hay harvest celebration with some essentials - bread and butter.

The fall of the Roman Empire is still shrouded in controversy and mystery. Mary Beard delves into if this superpower of the Ancient World really collapsed and if so why and when. Odyssey is your journey into the world of Ancient History; from the dawn of Mesopotamia to the fall of Rome. We'll be bringing you only the best documentaries that journey into the mysteries and ruins of worlds long lost.

Richard Roose, the Bishop of Rochester's cook, got caught up in the Anne Boleyn scandal and met a brutal end. The king's knacker Thomas Grimes was pressed into service as an executioner in the court of Henry VIII. This is the brutal story of life and death in England between the 16th and the 18th century.

Sixty-five million years ago, a meteor hit the earth near Mexico killing nearly all life on the planet. Out of the ashes, one reptile managed to survive in New Zealand: the Tuatara. Tuatara are some of the most bizarre reptiles on Earth. Despite their close resemblance to lizards, they are part of a distinct lineage, the order Rhynchocephalia. Scientists venture into some of the most remote parts of New Zealand searching for clues to its origins. They reveal it's distant relatives.

Between the Nile and the necropolis in the Valley of the Kings, thousands of Ancient Egypt's best artisans lived and worked, usually the rest of their lives, with their families and some servants or apprentices, often succeeded by their sons, building and decorating elaborate graves for the Pharaonic dynasty and its rich, mighty entourage. The town also had an almost complete network of logistics and so onto feed and supply the tomb builders and provide various services, almost a complete city, with its own police and administration, medicine and daily cult. Their lives, somewhat privileged, are exceptionally well end extensively documented, not in the least by pottery fragments used to write daily messages and private records.

2+ Hours Of Facts About Biblical History | Living In The Time Of Jesus examines the specific people, events and evidence presented in this documentary. When we think of Ancient Israel, perhaps the first thing that comes up is the stories from religious texts. However, what was it actually like to live there? How did ordinary people survive during the time of Jesus? Odyssey is your journey into the world of Ancient History; from the dawn of Mesopotamia to the fall of Rome. We'll be bringing you only the best documentaries that journey into the mysteries and ruins of worlds long lost.

At 9:00 a.m. on February 19, 1945, the soldiers of the United States Marine Corps 5th Division, H Company lowered themselves down rope cargo nets into landing crafts rocking in five-foot seas. They were less than a mile from the shore of the remote South Pacific island of Iwo Jima.

At one time Ancient Rome spread from Britain to North Africa, meaning its citizens came from all over the world. But who were these people and how did they fit into the diverse world of the roman empire. Odyssey is your journey into the world of Ancient History; from the dawn of Mesopotamia to the fall of Rome. We'll be bringing you only the best documentaries that journey into the mysteries and ruins of worlds long lost.

In this episode, Joann Fletcher explains how ancient Egypt's sank from the glory days of the Pyramid Age into a period of hardship. A chaotic chapter of famine, civil war and anarchy led Egypt to the brink of collapse. How did this time of catastrophic struggle not spell the end for the Pharaohs?

Tony Robinson reveals the grim occupations of workers from Georgian and Victorian era Britain. He will venture into the workhouses and factories to reveal the horrible conditions ordinary people were forced into. He also tries his hand at digging railways and rat-catching, as well as perhaps the worst job of them all, the tanner - a vocation that brought with it an intolerable stench and guaranteed social rejection.

The Colosseum is arguably the world's greatest ancient monument and its under threat. Join a team of restorationists and historians as they uncover the incredible history of the colosseum as they battle to save it. Odyssey is your journey into the world of Ancient History; from the dawn of Mesopotamia to the fall of Rome. We'll be bringing you only the best documentaries that journey into the mysteries and ruins of worlds long lost.

Few ancient civilisations can be said to have changed the world in such monumental ways as the Roman empire. Learn about their incredible achievement, many of which still shape our lives today. Odyssey is your journey into the world of Ancient History; from the dawn of Mesopotamia to the fall of Rome. We'll be bringing you only the best documentaries that journey into the mysteries and ruins of worlds long lost.

Along with Christianity, the Dark Ages saw the emergence of another religion — Islam. After emerging in the Near East, it spread across North Africa and into Europe in such a short time that there was originally no art. In more settled times, highly decorated mosques began to be built based on the prophet Mohammad's own home. Their architectural and scientific achievements, including the mapping of the stars, dwarfed anything existing in the western world. Januszczak visits the Dome of the Rock, desert palaces forgotten by modern Islam with their more sensual artwork, the Mosque of Ibn Tulun where it was believed Noah's Ark landed, and the Mosque of Cordoba. He identifies the Nilometer used to measure the flood of the Nile and uses an astrolabe that Muslims used to find the direction of Mecca.

How does a civilisation that lasted for several thousand years begin? Joann Fletcher talks us through the genesis of ancient Egypt and how its story progressed. Fletcher also discusses some of the common misconceptions about ancient Egypt, and how we're still learning new things about it even now.

In this video Matt Lewis, medieval historian and co-host of the Gone Medieval podcast reviews battle scenes in several well-known movies for historical accuracy. First, Matt rates the course of events and weapons used during the siege of Orléans from 'The Messenger' (1999). Next up, he reviews the disappointing lack of bridges in the Battle of Stirling Bridge as shown in 'Braveheart' (1995). The iconic passion project of Mel Gibson which features him as the Scottish knight, William Wallace. The rivalry between Chinggis Khan and Jamukha in ‘Mongol’ (2007) is up next, where the Mongols are praised for both their archery and horse riding skills. Lastly, the final scene of the fictional battle in ‘Robin Hood’ (2010) is reviewed, where Robin Longstride was memorably played by Russel Crowe.

In the tombs that ancient Egyptians prepared for their deaths, they left a record of how they lived more than 3000 years ago, today. But the full meaning of many of the images remains a mystery. In almost every Egyptian tome one image stands out; the blue lotus.

Uncover some of ancient Egypt's greatest mysteries, from Tutankhamun's tomb to the pyramids of Giza. Archaeologist Miriam Cooke and Egyptologist Dominic Montserrat go on an eye-opening adventure, sifting through prehistoric paintings, millennia-old artefacts, unearthed tombs, and rarely-seen hieroglyphs as they reconstruct the Egyptian past. Odyssey is your journey into the world of Ancient History; from the dawn of Mesopotamia to the fall of Rome. We'll be bringing you only the best documentaries that journey into the mysteries and ruins of worlds long lost.

For centuries, the Roman Empire was one of the defining powers of the ancient world. But how did this all begin? What is the origin story of Rome and how did it become one of the most powerful empires the world has ever known? Odyssey is your journey into the world of Ancient History; from the dawn of Mesopotamia to the fall of Rome. We'll be bringing you only the best documentaries that journey into the mysteries and ruins of worlds long lost.

The Baroque art tradition had spread across Europe, but England was still stuck in the middle ages. The renaissance hadn't even taken hold in England by the time Caravaggio was finding his fame. But alas, it finally did arrive in England. It found its climax through a tour of London's Hawksmoor churches, and Christopher Wren's iconic St Paul's Cathedral.

Joann Fletcher walks us through the various reasons behind the downfall of the great Egyptian empire. An empire that lasted for several thousand years wouldn't go down without a fight, but unfortunately, a slow burn of disaster was already well underway.

Joann Fletcher examines the extraordinary preparation ordinary Egyptians would have made for the afterlife. Discover the enormous cost, effort and time that would have gone into securing your passage into the afterlife in Ancient Egypt. Odyssey is your journey into the world of Ancient History; from the dawn of Mesopotamia to the fall of Rome. We'll be bringing you only the best documentaries that journey into the mysteries and ruins of worlds long lost.

The pyramids of Giza were, up until the 20th century, the largest structures in the world. For over 4000 years, they have aroused all kinds of speculation in all who have seen them. How were they built? And who built them?

In this video, we test a trebuchet against a medieval longbow, as History Hit teams up with Tod's Workshop and professional archer Joe Gibbs for a unique shootout. In their latest historic challenge, Luke Tomes and Louee Dessent find out whether a siege weapon can possibly match a longbow for accuracy over 140m. Who will win the battle of medieval missiles? Stick around to find out the result and to see one of the best longbow shots ever caught on camera! For this competition, Tod’s team built us our very own fortification made out of wooden pallets, with a garrison of plywood knights. We assigned a score to each of the defenders, with the ‘king’ in the middle being the most valuable target. But would the trebuchet or the longbow be able to hit the king at long range?

Estimated to have began between 1570 BC and 1544 BC, The New Kingdom of ancient Egypt would come to represent a mighty empire at the peak of it's power. This period would last around 500 years and would see large expansions in foreign trade as well as territory gains to make this an extremely prosperous period for the Egyptian empire.

Pharaohs, pyramids, and tombs filled with riches. These iconic images of ancient Egypt are all related to this ancient civilisation's upper classes. But what about ordinary people? What was the lived experience of an average person in ancient Egypt? Odyssey is your journey into the world of Ancient History; from the dawn of Mesopotamia to the fall of Rome. We'll be bringing you only the best documentaries that journey into the mysteries and ruins of worlds long lost.

How did Howard Carter Locate Tutankhamun's Tomb?' On November 4th 1922 a breathless archaeologist, who had spent his life working in Egypt, wrote a hurried diary entry: “First steps of Tomb Found”. This was the very moment that iconic archaeologist Howard Carter found the entrance to the tomb of the Ancient Egyption Pharaoh, Tutankhamun. In this very special film, shot in Egypt and England, Dan Snow commemorates the centenary of the most famous archaeological discovery of them all - walking in the footsteps of Howard Carter as he retraces the story of the discovery, from the beginnings of Carter’s career as a young artist recording reliefs in Hatshepsut’s magnificent temple, to the house he built especially close to the Valley of the Kings thanks to the support of Lord Carnarvon. The History Hit team has gained access to key places associated with this historic story: Highclere Castle, home of Lord Carnarvon; Tutankhamun’s Tomb in the Valley of the Kings, and his famous golden treasures in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo, which we explore with conservator Eid Murtah. And Dan discovers that

Joann Fletcher investigates what she believes to be a female, Egyptian mummy. However, the truth turns out to be far more mysterious and shocking. Odyssey is your journey into the world of Ancient History; from the dawn of Mesopotamia to the fall of Rome. We'll be bringing you only the best documentaries that journey into the mysteries and ruins of worlds long lost.

Art critic Waldemar Januszczak takes viewers on an exploration of the Baroque tradition, citing its best examples starting in Italy. We begin at St Peter's in Rome and detail the birth of the Baroque tradition as it burst forth in Italy.

Since 1735, legend has it that a demonic creature has stalked the woods of one of America's oldest states; the Devil has given its name not just to hockey teams but to shops, wine, musical bands and a dizzying array of memorabilia.

Following his disastrous attempts to turn Egypt into a monotheistic country, Akhenaten was shunned by his successors. His monuments were destroyed, his faith abandoned and his tomb desecrated. Or was it? Where does his body now lie if it exists at all and has his tomb ever been found? Odyssey is your journey into the world of Ancient History; from the dawn of Mesopotamia to the fall of Rome. We'll be bringing you only the best documentaries that journey into the mysteries and ruins of worlds long lost.

Whether he's known as Bigfoot, Sasquatch, Yeti or the Abominable Snowman, the ape-like monster covered in fur has captivated imaginations the world over. Willow Creek, the Northern California's Bigfoot Scenic Byway, is the epicenter of Bigfoot sightings.