Nightshift – Kurzgesagt After Dark
Explore the weird, beautiful, and sometimes unsettling side of history. 🌚 Because the story of the past is also the story of us, of humanity. The videos are made by a small, very excited group within kurzgesagt, powered not by AI but by curiosity, craft, and a nightshift… or two. 😅 A true passion project, built with the same care you know from us.
The Fall of the Last Zulu King
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Sources & further reading:
https://sites.google.com/view/sources-riseofzulu
In the early 19th century, Shaka Zulu transformed a small chiefdom in Southern Africa into one...
The Real Story of the Mongolian Singing Dunes
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Sources & further reading:
https://sites.google.com/view/sources-sanddemon
For centuries, people have wondered about the strange sounds coming deep from the mountains of Kazakhstan. The singing sand dunes have sparked the imagination and countless stories about what might be the true source of these humming melodies, from trapped evil spirits to the restless...
The Most Terrifying Nuns of the Middle Ages
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Sources & further reading:
https://sites.google.com/view/sources-vikings-vs-nuns
In the late 9th century, Vikings have raided kingdom after kingdom and nearly conquered all of England. Wealthy monasteries and defenseless nuns were especially tempting targets and often suffered great losses. However, all of that stopped when Vikings were confronted by princess Aethelflaed, daughter of Alfred the Great.
Who...
When Burning People Became a Business
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Sources & further reading:
https://sites.google.com/view/sources-witch-hunt
In the 17th century in Germany, one of Europe’s most terrifying witch hunts turned the town of Bamberg against itse...
The Most Ridiculous War Humans Ever Fought
History doesn’t repeat itself, the uninformed do. Get every side of every story at https://ground.news/night. Subscribe for 40% off unlimited access to world-wide media and see beyond your blindspots.
Sources & further reading:
https://sites.google.com/view/sources-emuwars/
Back in 1932, Australia went to war against the most unusual enemy. It wasn't another country or an invading army. It was a flock of 20,000 emus! They invaded and devastated farmers' wheat fields and the government had no other option but to take out the big guns, literally. What followed has since become one of...
Why Being a Renaissance Queen SUCKS
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Sources & further reading:
http://sites.google.com/view/sources-henrys-speed-run
Could YOU survive a royal marriage? Henry VIII had six wives, but becoming Queen of England is only the beginning of the challenge. To survive this, you have to navigate religious upheaval, political games, shifting alliances...
Her Visions Defeated an Army
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Sources & further reading:
https://sites.google.com/view/sources-desert-sorceress/
In the late 7th century, the Arab Empire expanded across North Africa, defeating the Persians and humbling the Byzantines, and now they seemed unstoppable. But one ruler stood in its way: Dihya, a warrior queen remembered as a sorceress, rebel and liberator. She united tribes into one of the strongest forces of resistance, an...
Everything You Know About Ninjas Is Wrong
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Sources & further reading:
https://sites.google.com/view/sources-ninjas/
Ninjas are one of the most famous warriors in history. But almost everything we think we know about them is wrong. The real shinobi of feudal Japan were not magical assassins in black outfits. They were spies, scouts, detectives, infiltrators, and samurai caught in the brutal wars that unified Japan.
How did a small group...
Cleopatra’s Brutal Rise to Power
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Sources & further reading:
https://sites.google.com/view/sources-cleopatrasnemesis/
Cleopatra is often remembered as a seductive queen, but in reality, she was a highly skilled and ruthless political player, willing to eliminate anyone who stood in her way to secure the throne and shape the future of her kingdom... even her own family.
This is the story of Cleopatra VII, the last queen of Anc...
How This Queen Became the Biggest Drug Lord
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Sources & further reading:https://sites.google.com/view/sources-opium-wars/
In the 18th century, the British Empire faced a growing demand for Chinese tea, but nothing they offered could convince their trading partner to offer them better terms. Finally, the British discovered a successful counter measure, a product China actually seemed ready to buy: opium. British traders...
Why History Forgot About This Extraordinary Emperor
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Sources & further reading:https://sites.google.com/view/sources-indiaexport/
More than two thousand years ago, one of the deadliest battles in Indian history changed the course of the entire empire. Instead of creating a legacy of conquest, it sparked an exchange of ideas, trade and knowledge. Over centuries, these ripples would help shape half of the world, thanks to merchants, monks and schol...
The Rise and Fall of the Richest Man In California
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Sources & further reading:
https://sites.google.com/view/sources-gold-rush/
When gold was discovered in California in 1848, hundreds of thousands rushed west in one of the largest migrations in history. But while others chased fortune in the dirt, Samuel Brannan made himself the richest man in California.
He understood something others didn’t: the real gold wasn’t in the ground.
It was in the people chasing it.
This is the st...
The Tragic Life of the Most Powerful King in History
Do you have a balanced news diet? Go to https://ground.news/night to see reporting from a variety of sources and perspectives around the world. Subscribe for 40% off their unlimited access Vantage plan through our link. For 72 years, Louis XIV ruled as the most powerful king in Europe. He centralized power, reshaped the map of Europe, and turned Versailles into a glittering machine of spectacle and control. But no king can rule his own body. Behind closed doors, he lived at the mercy of his doctors, enduring the brutal limits of 17th century medicine. This is the tragic...
How Humans Fought The Biggest Creature On Earth
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Sources & further reading: https://sites.google.com/view/sources-whalefuel/
For centuries, humanity hunted the largest animals that ever lived. Not for food, but for light, machines, and profit. Whale oil powered cities, fueled industrialization, and pushed entire species to the brink of extinction. This is the story of commercial whaling, and what it reveals about progress and destruction.
Nightshift is a new channel by kurzgesagt. It’s a passion p...
How One Pirate Captain Fought The Whole Chinese Empire
She commanded 1,800 ships, led tens of thousands of pirates, and forced an empire to negotiate. This is the story of Zheng Yi Sao, the most powerful pirate in history. From her rise to power to the floating pirate confederation that ruled the South China Sea, we're exploring how one woman reshaped trade, war, and authority in the early 19th century. Nightshift is a new channel by @kurzgesagt .
It's a passion project focused on longer, darker, and more emotional stories from history, crafted by a small team of humans. Let us know what you think, we'd love to he...
