Weave together the many narratives of world history with our highly curated and expanding selection of diverse,…
Hours of research by our editors, distilled into minutes of clarity.
From a skeleton-adorned church in the Czech Republic to wooden churches built without nails in Russia, this video explores some of Christianity's most intriguing architectural feats. These places of worship were built in remote areas throughout history, and show amazing innovation. See a fascinating glimpse into the overlooked structures, along with stories of how and why they came to be.
Ear, nose, and throat expert David Howard discusses how his research team extracts vocal folds from preserved human tissue, which allows them to model the deceased person's larynx. From there, they can create a synthetic voice based on the organ's geometry.
The great eighth-century BCE poet Homer's "Iliad" and "Odyssey" portray a great warrior culture based in large palaces around the Aegean Sea in the Mediterranean. Historians and archaeologists have long believed Homer's stories were based on the Mycenaean civilization, which flourished several centuries before his time.
The Aztecs controlled a vast territory through military might and intimidation. One very key—and to moderns, totally taboo—tactic of control was the ritual of human sacrifice, attested to by written accounts and archaeological discoveries at Tenochtitlan. While an effective scare tactic, the ritual was also based in fully-developed beliefs the world was sustained by blood.
The Knights Templar sought to protect Christian pilgrims and expand their religion’s influence through might. The warrior monk organization formed after the First Crusade and were named after the fallen First Temple of King Solomon, out of which they were based—leading to the name “Templars.” This article describes the rise and fall of the monastic order.
British taxes on colonists to pay for the French and Indian War were just one element. Thousands of miles of separation between London and the colonies, expanding territories, a distinct colonial identity, and political conflicts combined to prompt the revolution.
If you can’t quite picture how human beings managed to lug 30-ton stones over miles of prehistoric English countryside and stand them up, this short animation from English Heritage can help. The Stone Age engineering involved using giant wooden rollers and carving precisely interlocking tongue-and-groove joints to hold the heavy stones in place.
A short but informative TED-Ed video summarizing the most important aspects of Byzantine civilization: how it all started, why Constantinople was so special, a few remarkable Byzantine authors (including Princess Anna Comnena, historian of her father’s reign), the Ottoman conquest, and why don’t just call the Byzantines “Romans.”
The odds of surviving to retirement were not good, and even after they were freed, many gladiators returned to fight dangerous—but lucrative—“exhibition matches.” Many more stayed in the orbit of the arena by becoming trainers or referees. Others went on to more surprising careers, including politics.
The “world’s most popular history podcast” hosts a nuanced discussion of the legacy of the British Empire with guest Sathnam Sanghera, a journalist and author of the books Empireland and Empireworld. The conversation goes beyond declaring empire wholly good or bad, instead contemplating issues including how empire is taught in British schools.
The US adopted a two-pronged "island hopping" campaign across the Central and Southwest Pacific from 1943–44, deliberately targeting strategically crucial but less-defended islands. This allowed forces to bypass heavily fortified Japanese strongholds and build airfields for bombers aimed at Japan, drastically accelerating the path toward Tokyo while conserving manpower and resources.