Dates That Made History

Season 22018

Historian Patrick Boucheron revisits the most important dates in history through the prisms of memory and collective imagination.

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10 Episodes

E01 33 AD: The Crucifixion of Jesus

Christians believe Jesus is a man who preached and performed miracles and died on the cross but was resurrected. But for historians, the crucifixion is the least unreliable indicator of the Jesus' existence.

March 17, 2018

E02 24 September 622: The Hegira

Muhammed’s first year in Medina, in year 622 of the Christian era, marks the beginning of the Muslim era and the birth of a new religion, civilisation, empire and calendar. The Hegira, Muhammed’s visit to the Mecca in Medina, also marks a major change : from then on, believers will pray in the direction of this new sacred place and no longer in the direction of Jerusalem.

March 17, 2018

E03 323 BC: Death of Alexander the Great

Alexander’s death marks the loss of the greatest conquerors in History, the only man who managed to extend the Empire to Eurasia, the Mediterranean and India. Different versions of The Romance of Alexander were found in the Persian, Arabian and Latin regions of the world, but also in Mali.

March 24, 2018

E04 1492: The New World

1492 was officially the year the Americas were 'discovered', marking the end of the Middle Ages. Yet it's possible that Christopher Columbus setting foot on a West Indian beach in October obscures a far more complex story.

March 24, 2018

E05 20 June 1789: The Tennis Court Oath

Because of its abstract nature, one tends to forget that the Tennis Court Oath was the key tipping point of the French Revolution, both from a symbolic and legal standpoint. On June 20, 1789, the deputies of the Third Estate, gathered in the hall of the Jeu de Paume at Versailles, swore together not to separate before having written a constitution to France. What happened that day at Versailles? Who are these men who made the people the sovereign of the French nation?

March 31, 2018

E06 11 February 1990: Liberation of Nelson Mandela

“I stand here before you not as a prophet, but as a humble servant of you, the people” : those are the first words pronounced by Nelson Mandela after his release from prison, after 27 years of incarceration. The event struck a chord worldwide, reminding us that South Africa, historically, was not only the first country to be colonised but also the last country to be decolonised.

March 31, 2018

E07 24 August 79: Destruction of Pompeii

The catastrophe led to a vast interdisciplinary project : volcanology reveals the force of the eruption, archeology and the study of texts uncover new objects of daily life found in the remains of buildings and roadways, including graffiti on the walls… The eruption of the Vesuvio froze the town of Pompei forever. But can one be sure that all of these discoveries date back to the eruption ?

April 7, 2018

E08 6 August, 1945: Hiroshima

As opposed to the official discourse, the United States viewed the Hiroshima operation as a large-scale scientific experiment to force the Japanese to capitulate and avoid a Russian invasion of Japan. The first mass bombing of the History: maybe 70.000 sustained fatal injuries.

April 7, 2018

E09 1347: The Beginning of the Black Death

Did the first outbreaks occur in China or in the Caspian Sea ? Experts still argue. But how did the plague actually spread ? After many controversies, it seems that the rat flea was the major carrier of this disease.

April 14, 2018

E10 1431: The Fall of Angkor

The fascinating discovery of Angkor’s ruins conveys images of magnificence and splendour : we’d like to believe in the idea of a lost civilisation, as was the case for the Roman Empire. Yet, the study of the ruins of these monumental temples gives no sign of any brutal disappearance : monumental inscriptions.

April 14, 2018

Dates That Made History

E01 33 AD: The Crucifixion of Jesus

E02 24 September 622: The Hegira

E03 323 BC: Death of Alexander the Great

E04 1492: The New World

E05 20 June 1789: The Tennis Court Oath

E06 11 February 1990: Liberation of Nelson Mandela

E07 24 August 79: Destruction of Pompeii

E08 6 August, 1945: Hiroshima

E09 1347: The Beginning of the Black Death

E10 1431: The Fall of Angkor

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic

Making History

Squid Game

Westworld

Stranger Things

Mr. Bean

Game of Thrones

Fallout

American Dad!

Arcane

Sherlock

The Queen's Gambit

FROM

WandaVision

The Office

The Mandalorian

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

The Simpsons

The Flash

The Boys

E01 33 AD: The Crucifixion of Jesus

E02 24 September 622: The Hegira

E03 323 BC: Death of Alexander the Great

E04 1492: The New World

E05 20 June 1789: The Tennis Court Oath

E06 11 February 1990: Liberation of Nelson Mandela

E07 24 August 79: Destruction of Pompeii

E08 6 August, 1945: Hiroshima

E09 1347: The Beginning of the Black Death

E10 1431: The Fall of Angkor