The Spectacular Downfall of Bad King John

Absolute History, a British-based Youtube channel that's "the home of fun, shocking, and curious tales from throughout history. From Tony Robinson's Worst Jobs in History to Suzannah Lipscomb's Hidden Killers, join us to learn about our history the entertaining way." Sir Anthony Robinson "is an English actor, author, broadcaster, comedian, presenter, and political activist. He …

The Remarkable Travels of Marco Polo in the 1200s and 1300s

Myth: Venetian blinds were invented in Venice, Italy. (Check it out at History's Myths.) If Marco Polo had traveled North or West instead of East to Persia and China and South to Egypt where he traded things for window blinds, the story goes, "it would have been curtains for all of us." That's a legend, …

5 Recently Produced Historical Movies Worth Watching

With the advent of streaming services, international or foreign films are no longer the exclusive reserve of specialty theaters in big cities or college towns. Amazon Prime now has five historical dramas by South Korean, Russian, German, Indian and Malaysian filmmakers that can transport viewers to other nations and time-periods. HistorySpark recommends five historical dramas …

Why is the Heir to the British Throne Called the Prince of Wales?

The Generalist Papers: "The son of Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, is of course called the Prince of Wales. But why is that, when he's part of the English royal family? Well, it has to do with a story of war, political intrigue, and conquest." Related: Prince of Wales (Wikipedia). Conquest of Wales By Edward I …

The Crusades Explained in 14 Minutes

"The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were intended to recover Jerusalem and its surrounding area from Islamic rule." -- Wikipedia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2hqa3AX5kY …

China’s Most Creative Dynasty, The Song, Ruled From 960 to 1279

"In the 10th century, China almost broke apart forever in civil war" begins this BBC 2 documentary on China's golden age. "Michael Wood explores the history of the world's newest superpower. Here, he focuses on the Song dynasty era (960-1279), including its art, inventions and cuisine." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dT6TwsMtTRY&list=PLYwpg6LoPL6OmNYBuUxZdazRdqzx2DI6Q&index=1&t=1s This episode tells the tale of what's broadly …

Debates: History Vs. Genghis Khan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eq-Wk3YqeH4&list=PLJicmE8fK0Ehj95_A5aaOvfzkKTrt3G3W&index=1 Ted-Ed: "He was one of the most fearsome warlords who ever lived, waging an unstoppable conquest across the Eurasian continent. But was Genghis Khan a vicious barbarian or a unifier who paved the way for the modern world? Alex Gendler puts this controversial figure on trial in History vs Genghis Khan. Lesson by Alex …

Economic Systems, Macroeconomics and History

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B43YEW2FvDs Crash Course Economics: "Jacob Clifford and Adriene Hill teach you about Economic Systems and Macroeconomics. So, economics is basically about choices. We'll look at some of the broadest economic choices when we talk about the difference between planned economies and market economies. We'll get into communism, socialism, command economies, and capitalism. We'll look at …

Did Pope Gregory’s Order to Kill Cats Set Off the Bubonic Plague?

A popular myth is that Pope Gregory IX in the 1200s had a phobia against cats, issued an edict or papal bull ordering all the cats in Europe to be slaughtered. That eventually caused the bubonic plague, the theory goes, because the deaths of cats caused an infestation of rats, who brought disease and epidemics. …

Byzantium: Greco-Roman Eastern Empire for 1100 Years, Was Lost 560 Years Ago, But Traces Remain

Traces of Byzantium, the Greco-Roman Eastern Empire that dominated for a thousand years, can still be found in Turkey, Eastern Europe and the Middle East, as this documentary illustrates. It was overtaken by the Ottoman Empire in 1453. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byzantin...//Empire, from 395–1453 A.D. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_...Emperors. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byzantin...Architecture. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_...Orthodox Church.