People Who Made History
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A Georgian Trailblazer! The Amazing Life of Charles Ignatius Sancho
Join Paterson Joseph, actor (‘Boat Story’, ‘Wonka’) and author (‘The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho’), in this special History Hit film as he takes us on a fascinating journey through 18th century London, discovering the life, loves and losses of a truly remarkable man.
Georgian Londo...
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Sex & Scandal: Royal Favourites
1 season
What does it take to become a royal favourite?
In Episode one we climb under the sheets and into the arms of the first Stuart King of England, James I and VI of Scotland. We’ll find out what made George Villiers stand out from the crowd and remain at the pinnacle of 17th century society and the...
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Alexander the Great in Egypt
History Hit's Tristan Hughes travels to Egypt to explore its extraordinary links to one of the most famous names from antiquity, Alexander the Great. Of all the lands in the Eastern Mediterranean, it is Egypt that has the most fascinating - and enduring - connection to this ancient conqueror.
I...
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Rollo the Viking: From Exile to Conqueror
You’re probably familiar with Rollo, a main character of the series Vikings. But did you know that he is based on a real-life Viking leader: Rollo?
After years of inquiry, based on a manuscript, you’ll discover, thanks to experts and re-enactments, the epic tale of this forgotten hero, ancestor ...
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The Man Who Volunteered for Auschwitz
In 1940 the Polish resistance decided it needed to send an agent to Auschwitz concentration camp. They were desperate to find out what was going on in a place that even by that stage of the war had an evil reputation. Historian Jack Fairweather tells the story of Witold Pilecki the Pole who volun...
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Edward II: Worst King of England?
Dr Helen Carr explores the extraordinary and chaotic reign of Edward II, a king with a reputation as a disastrous ruler. But how much of that is true?
Edward's accession as king of England in 1307 led almost immediately to conflict as he favoured close friends, and maybe lovers, like Piers Gaves...
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Alan Turing: The Pride of Manchester
A special film exploring the life and legacy of Alan Turing - genius pioneer of modern computing. With Alan's nephew Sir Dermot Turing and exclusive access to unseen family records, we investigate lesser known aspects of his incredible work. This story is rooted in the City of Manchester, home t...
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The Lady with the Lamp: The Florence Nightingale Museum
Alice Loxton pays a visit to The Florence Nightingale Museum to unveil the true story of the Lady with the Lamp. Joined by David Green and Amber Lickerish, she learns how Nightingale broke through the restrictions of Victorian convention, laid the foundations for modern nursing, and tirelessly ca...
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The Iron Lady: Margaret Thatcher with Charles Moore
Charles Moore discusses the legacy of Margaret Thatcher, the Iron Lady: where she succeeded, where she failed and why she still matters today.
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A Very Victorian Scandal: The Trials of Oscar Wilde
In 1895, the world's first celebrity trial challenged the creaking moral core of the British Empire. Dr Anthony Delaney traces the extraordinary trajectory of Oscar Wilde—from the toast of London’s West End, a shining star on both sides of the Atlantic, to the disgraced accused standing before th...
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The Real Richard III
1 season
Who is Richard III? This notorious King of England reigned for only two years, but left quite a mark! Is he an unsung hero of the medieval world or a cruel, manipulative child murderer?
Join Matt Lewis to forensically dissect the evidence for and against this so-called villain. From childhood t...
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Rise of Cleopatra
In this film three leading Egyptologists explore how Cleopatra became one of the most influential and powerful women of the ancient world.
We trace how Cleopatra's learning and intelligence enabled her to gain control of her own Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt; skilfully and ruthlessly overcoming her...
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Anne Boleyn and Katherine of Aragon - Brilliant Rivals
Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn - the first two wives of Henry VIII - are so often portrayed as opposites. Katherine as the loyal, scorned wife - Anne as the bright, bewitching upstart.
But now Prof. Suzannah Lipscomb returns to Hever Castle to explore what Anne and Katherine were really l...
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Becoming Anne Boleyn
March 2022 marks the 500th anniversary since Anne Boleyn made her debut at the court of King Henry VIII.
Prof. Suzannah Lipscomb investigates the story of Anne’s remarkable upbringing in England, the Netherlands and France before she arrived at the heart of Tudor England. For all Anne Boleyn’s...
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Boudica: Death to Rome
In 60/61 AD turmoil seized southern Britain. A massive anti-Roman revolt reared its ugly head in East Anglia, as tens of thousands of Britons attempted to evict the recently-arrived Romans from the island by the spear. At its head was one of the most famous figures in the whole of British history...
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Rebels: Owain Glyndŵr
In the second part of his new series, conflict analyst Professor Michael Livingston is continuing his journey across the length and breadth of the United Kingdom on the trail of some of Britain’s best known rebels.
In this episode Michael is heading to Wales to discover the astonishing story of ...
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My D-Day: Ken Cooke
Private Ken Cooke, from York, of 7th Battalion The Green Howards, is a D-Day veteran and fought in battles across France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. He sat down with History Hit tell tell us about his experiences in Normandy 78 years ago.
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Britain's Wild West: Discovering Hay Castle
The peaceful South Wales town of Hay-on-Wye offers few clues today of its brutal past on a violent frontier. A monument to this history can be found in Hay Castle. Once right on the border between England and Wales, it sits in a region densely packed with castles that saw border skirmishes and bi...
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Einstein and Hawking: Masters of Our Universe
1 season
In the early 1900s, Albert Einstein developed an idea - called Relativity - that changed our understanding of reality. It explained how both space and time were flexible - and how the Universe was made of a four-dimensional fabric called space-time. This single idea gave us a new way to understan...
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Tutankhamun: A Century of Discovery
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 Howard Carter found the entrance to the tomb of Tutankhamun.
In this very special film, shot in Egypt and England, Dan...
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Henry VIII: Statesman or Tyrant?
On Midsummer's Day in 1509 a 17 year old was crowned king of England. He would go on to transform his realm over almost four decades on the throne. He would revolutionise its religion, reforge its politics and its relations with neighbouring countries, and establish a royal navy. But, by the time...
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Tutankhamun: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh
Tutankhamun, 'The Boy King' of Ancient Egypt, is one of history's most famous names. Though his short reign proved fairly-insignificant, his legacy lives on thanks to Howard Carter's discovery of his magnificent tomb in 1922. Now, as the centenary of Carter's discovery creeps ever nearer, many of...