People Who Made History

People Who Made History

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People Who Made History
  • 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...

  • Buffalo Bill: The Man Behind the Legend

    Buffalo Bill was America’s first celebrity… and the most famous man in the world at the turn of the 20th century.

    He was a former scout, soldier, Buffalo hunter…but what he’s most known for of course, is his showmanship. He vied with PT Barnum for the title of greatest showman on earth.

    At the ...

  • Sir Thomas More - Not Just the Tudors... Lates

    How far would you go to save your immortal soul?’

    This is the question that plagued Tudor High Chancellor, Sir Thomas More. Lawyer, philosophiser, and advisor to Henry VIII, when the court turned on its head at the arrival of Anne Boleyn. Hounded by prolific characters like Thomas Cromwell, his ...

  • 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...

  • Queen Victoria at Kensington Palace with Lucy Worsley

    BAFTA winning historian and Joint Chief Curator of Historic Royal Palaces Lucy Worsley takes Dan on a tour of Kensington Palace, one of the principle royal residences since 1689. It was the childhood home of Queen Victoria who was born on the 24 May 1819. The rooms of the royal residence are bein...

  • Tutankhamun: Life Not Death

    Renowned Egyptologist Prof. Joann Fletcher explores the most famous pharaoh of them all - Tutankhamun. Jo has curated a very special exhibition in her hometown, Barnsley, not only to celebrate the world of Tutankhamun, but also the people from northern England who played an important role in his...

  • Heroes of the Somme

    Heroes of the Somme uses original archive from the Western Front to uncover the stories of seven of the men whose remarkable bravery in 1916 won them the Victoria Cross, Britain’s most prized military medal. Interviews with modern day family members reveal the personal stories of each character, ...

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • Dynasties: Families that Changed the World

    1 season

    This documentary explores powerful families in different spheres of influence that have had an impact either directly or indirectly on the lives of others. How and why did they attain and maintain these positions over generations?

  • The Life and Times of Avi Shlaim

    Avi Shlaim is Emeritus Professor of International Relations at St Antony's College, Oxford. Here he discusses his life - from his birth in Baghdad, to studying in Britain and his ongoing historical research.

  • 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...

  • A Voice for Richard

    Imagine if we could hear one of the most fascinating figures from history speak again.

    In this special film, Richard III expert Matthew Lewis follows a remarkable project to give Richard III back his voice and to hear and see him speak again. Forget the words put into his mouth by Shakespeare a...

  • The Complete History Of Vladimir Putin's Rise To Power

    Vladimir Putin is the modern face of dictatorship, rising out of the ashes of the chaotic Yeltsin years. In the 90's, Putin was a relatively unknown figure would go on to occupy an untouchable position in a country spanning 11 timezones. We delve inside the twisted mind of Vladimir Putin.

  • Tutankhamun: Life, Death and Legacy

    1 season

    Dan Snow presents this archaeological documentary series about Tutankhamun, the boy king.

  • 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.

  • Ghosts of the Romanovs

    At about 1am on 17 July 1918, in a fortified mansion in Ekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains, the Romanovs – ex-tsar Nicholas II, ex-tsarina Alexandra, their 5 children, and their 4 remaining servants – were awoken by Bolshevik captors and told they must dress and gather their belongings for a swif...

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • The Road to the Crown - Elizabeth I's Coronation Procession

    On January 14th 1559 one of the most extraordinary royal parades of Tudor England made its way through the heart of London. It was the Coronation Procession of Queen Elizabeth I.

    In this special History Hit film, made to coincide with the coronation of King Charles III, royal historian Tracy B...

  • The Count of Monte Cristo: The True Story

    Behind the famous novel by Alexandre Dumas about the adventures of a man betrayed, abandoned, and left for dead who resurrects to quench his thirst for vengeance, lies a true, dreadful story.

    Turned in by his so-called friends, a man named Picaud is locked away for years in the Alps with a prie...

  • Remembering the Few with Wing Commander Tom Neil

    Last summer, we were lucky enough to interview Wing Commander Tom Neil, one of the last of 'the Few' who fought in the Battle of Britain. During the Battle he shot down at least 13 enemy aircraft; he saw over half his squadron shot down within 5 minutes; he is also credited with the longest fligh...

  • Charting History

    1 season

    In this series for History Hit, we unroll the map to create a visual timeline of the most successful empires in history.