Timeline - World History Documentaries

The Great Plague of 1665 killed 100,000 Londoners – one in three of the people living in the city. While kept diaries have provided terrifying testaments to the horrors of that summer, other stories have been hidden in the archives of London churches for centuries. Rare documents unearthed in some of the cities oldest places of worship now tell the story of what it was like for an ordinary person, more often than not living in poverty, as the plague swept through London. This factual drama follows the lives of those living in Cock and Key Alley, one of the dank and di...

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In 1988, following a deadly attack on a bus near Israel's nuclear facility, Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin ordered a high-stakes secret mission. Operating 1,500 miles from home, Israel’s elite special forces unit, Sayeret Matkal, alongside Mossad, planned "Operation Show of Force." Disguised as tourists and backed by naval and air support, commandos infiltrated Tunis to target PLO commander Abu Jihad inside his heavily guarded villa. This high-quality historical documentary reveals the intelligence, deceptive tactics, and dramatic execution behind one of the most ambitious special forces operations in modern military history.

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Once the biggest and most influential city on the planet, founded by Alexander the Great and home to Cleopatra, Archimedes and the largest library in the world. How did this shining beacon for civilisation and knowledge meet its classical demise?

Featuring stunning visualisations from the major movie Agora, acclaimed historian Bettany Hughes looks at Alexandria past and present, unearthing archaeological gems and following in the footsteps of Hypatia, the city's last great female philosopher and guardian of great Library of Alexandria - whose murder would bring down the curtain not just on an era but on the...

The notorious Stalag Luft III was a specially built prison camp on Germany's border with Poland. It held 10,000 Allied airmen of all nationalities during the Second World War, and was designed to be escape proof. But for Allied prisoners of war, it was their duty to escape. This fascinating and poignant documentary tells the story of the brave and resourceful men who organised the historic Great Escape and paid a tragic price for carrying out their duty. While previous escape attempts had proved unsuccessful, the most severe punishment for recaptured prisoners was usually a spell in solitary confinement. But...

As the Industrial Revolution reshaped society, a new generation of radical thinkers challenged how humanity understood reality, religion, and freedom. From Hegel’s grand systems to Nietzsche’s critique of traditional morality and Sartre’s existentialism, this documentary explores how 19th and 20th-century philosophers transformed Western thought. Discover how these profound ideas continues to influence modern politics, ethics, and human consciousness.

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In July 1969, a dangerous NASA experiment was launched that has remained a virtual secret – until now. Six heroic men were sealed inside a tiny deep-sea capsule and set adrift. Their mission: to survive for 30 days exploring the deep, uncharted depths of the Gulf Stream. World renowned marine archaeologist, James Delgado, reveals the story of the astounding PX-15 submarine by recovering the wreck and reuniting the surviving crew.

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A set of inscribed panels carved by the ancient Maya people of Central America inspired Dr Neil Brodie of Cambridge University, an expert on the looting of archaeological treasures, and Mayanist Simone Clifford-Jaegar, to mount an expedition to the jungles of Guatemala. Their mission - to find the lost city from which the stone panels came. Archaeologists have been searching for the mysterious place known as Site Q since the 1960s without success. Quest For The Lost City travels down the Usumacinta River, a site well-travelled by experts; and then deep into the jungle where the explorers find a...

From Galileo’s clash with the Inquisition to Immanuel Kant’s revolution of reason, this comprehensive documentary explores the greatest minds of the Enlightenment. Discover how radical thinkers like Hobbes, Descartes, Locke, Spinoza, and Hume defied religious doctrine, questioned the nature of reality, and risked execution to shape modern science, politics, and human rights. Witness the intellectual war that shattered medieval dogma and forged the modern Western world.

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"Science doesn't proceed or get better with established ideas. You have to challenge"

Recently a team of fossil hunters working in Kenya came upon a set of fossilised teeth and a series of bones. Their find set in motion a chain of events that ignited excitement across the scientific world, for if they were correct in their findings, not only would they have found the oldest human ancestor, but much of the received wisdom humankind's evolution would have to be rewritten. This programme is the story of their discovery and the implications it has for understanding of...

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This extraordinarily moving documentary tells the story of Holocaust survivor, Henia Bryer, in her own words. Born into a middle-class Jewish family, Henia lost her father, brother and sister during the German occupation. She survived four concentration camps (including Auschwitz) and the horror of the Death March. Henia went on to bear witness to the creation of Israel in 1948 before making a new life for herself in South Africa. Created with the intimacy of a home movie by Henia's niece Lisa Bryer, producer of many films including The Last King of Scotland, it was made so her grandchildren could...

From secret military programs to history’s most infamous mysteries, dive deep into the events that shaped our world. Explore the tragic secrets of the Sedlec Ossuary, the high-stakes tension of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the dark history behind the Whitechapel murders, and the devastating engineering failures that changed modern safety forever. Featuring expert analysis and rare historical records, this documentary unpacks the real stories behind the headlines. Discover the truth behind history's most fascinating turning points, notorious trials, and forgotten catastrophes.

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Inside Operation Moshtarak, the massive 2010 Allied offensive to reclaim the Taliban stronghold of Marjah in Helmand Province. Experience the raw combat reality faced by US Marines as they navigate deadly IED networks, elite sniper fire, and brutal room-to-room combat while attempting to execute President Obama’s counterinsurgency strategy.

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Forensic geologist Scott Wolter travels to the Hawaiian Islands to investigate the legend of the Menehune - a race of dwarf-like people in Hawaiian tradition. Often dismissed as mythical, new evidence suggests these ancient builders may have been a real group of people. By examining the sophisticated dry-stack masonry of the Menehune, Wolter seeks to separate fact from folklore.

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An intimate profile of Richard Nixon

Nixon In The Den develops a fresh account of Nixon and his ruthless ambition to escape a loveless, impoverished background. Historian David Reynolds argues that Nixon was genuinely successful as an international statesman, with historic visits to Communist China and the Soviet Union in 1972 helping thaw the Cold War. Yet, behind the scenes, Nixon's diplomacy was a story of intrigue and rivalry. The very methods that won Nixon acclaim on the international stage also doomed his presidency in the infamous Watergate scandal. With the help of Nixon's scribbled memos, audio recordings...

Discover the extraordinary history of the airfields that defined the 20th Century. From the birthplace of British aviation at Farnborough to the "strongest link" in the Battle of Britain at Biggin Hill, we explore the legends and the legacy of flight. Witness the development of the Spitfire, the secret science of radar that stopped Hitler’s invasion, and the pioneering spirit that led to the supersonic Concorde. Featuring exclusive access to restoration workshops and interviews with veterans, this is the definitive story of the machines and the people who conquered the skies.

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On May 12, 1989, Southern Pacific freight train 7551 rocketed down California’s Cajon Pass at over 100 mph before derailing into a San Bernardino neighborhood. Caused by fatal weight miscalculations and failing brakes, the crash killed four people and destroyed seven homes. But thirteen days later, a second catastrophe struck the exact same street when a damaged underground pipeline ruptured, igniting a massive inferno. This documentary investigates the series of tragic human errors, mechanical failures, and oversight lapses that led to one of the most disastrous chain reactions in American transportation history.

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Did the age of chivalry ever really exist? The discovery of 38 mutilated skeletons from the War of the Roses in the late 15th century casts doubt on this age.

The bodies had multiple stab wounds and their noses and ears had been cut off which, suggests archaeologist Chris Knusel, was to prevent their souls going to heaven.

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A moving and intimate portrayal of Nelson Mandela filmed on the campaign trail in the days leading up to South Africa's first democratic election.

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Explore the dark turning points of modern history, from catastrophic industrial accidents like the 1984 Bhopal disaster to high-stakes Cold War blunders like the Bay of Pigs. Discover the true stories behind political scandals, aviation tragedies, secret military operations, and unsolved mysteries that altered the global landscape forever. Featuring detailed accounts of the Battle of Stalingrad, the Watergate cover-up, and the 1983 Beirut Barracks bombing, this comprehensive documentary breaks down the tragic events, costly errors, and historical cover-ups that shook the world during the 20th century.

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This landmark documentary was produced 5 years after the end of The Falklands War and features interviews and insights from both the Argentinian and British sides.

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Britain would have lost her empire and the war in 1942 had Axis forces beaten the British army in the Middle East. Tim Collins re-investigates Britain's critical desert campaign, and the controversial battle tactics needed to take on the unbeaten Panzer army in total war, preventing Hitler from gaining Egypt, Iraq and the oilfields. Foreshadowing current world events, this oil-rich region was crucial to the war effort. These are the World War II battles that shaped the Middle East, and created the world in which we live today.

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Forensic investigator Scott Walter tracks the trail of Captain Kidd’s lost fortune. From the 17th-century jail cells of Boston to the crumbling mansions of the Astor family, we investigate if America’s first millionaire discovered a pirate's hoard. Featuring exclusive access to Kidd’s personal treasure chest and the original trial documents, we reveal the truth behind the man who was hanged three times and the cursed legacy he left behind. Is the treasure still hidden in Maine, or was it the secret fuel for an American empire?

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Forensic geologist Scott Wolter uncovers a mysterious link between the ancient serpent mounds of Scotland and North America. Was there a secret global priesthood sharing knowledge thousands of years before Columbus?

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Did ancient Polynesians reach California centuries before Columbus? Is there a lost Egyptian city hidden within the prohibited zones of the Grand Canyon? Forensic geologist Scott Wolter travels from Hawaii to the American Southwest to investigate "out-of-place" artifacts that defy conventional history.

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Before it became the setting for the hit series 'Downton Abbey', Lord and Lady Carnarvon opened the doors of Highclere Castle, their stunning lakeside country house, for a documentary all about the running of their rambling estate in Hampshire. Documentary first broadcast in 1996.

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In 1942, determined to prove that France was leading the fight against Nazism, General de Gaulle offered Stalin a squadron of French pilots to fight on the Soviet front. That regiment, known as Normandy-Niémen, were legendary, winning 273 aerial victories. But the men paid a heavy price. 43 pilots were killed during combat.

Using archives, reconstructions and 3D animations, we tell the heroic story of the French pilots who fought with the red star painted on their planes.

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