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The Best Episodes of Dates That Made History

Every episode of Dates That Made History ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Dates That Made History!

Best episode
S1E7 24 August 79: Destruction of Pompeii
8.022 votes
Worst episode
S2E10 October 17 1961 - The Paris Massacre
6.211 votes
Top season
Season 1
7.6avg
Binge time
20h 13m
45 episodes
BestEpisodes
WorstEpisodes
BestSeasons
AllEpisodes

Seasons3

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
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    Dates That Made History Season 1 Episode 7 - 24 August 79: Destruction of Pompeii
    8.0/10(22 votes)

    S1:E7

    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?

    Director:Pascal Goblot
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. Dates That Made History Season 1 Episode 2 - 24 September 622: The Hegira
    7.9/10(25 votes)

    S1:E2

    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.

    Director:Pascal Goblot
    Writer:Unknown

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  3. Dates That Made History Season 1 Episode 5 - 20 June 1789: The Tennis Court Oath
    7.7/10(22 votes)

    S1:E5

    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?

    Director:Lucie Cariès
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. Dates That Made History Season 1 Episode 4 - 1492: The New World
    7.7/10(21 votes)

    S1:E4

    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.

    Director:Denis van Waerebeke
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. Dates That Made History Season 1 Episode 8 - 6 August, 1945: Hiroshima
    7.7/10(21 votes)

    S1:E8

    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.

    Director:Lucie Cariès
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. Dates That Made History Season 2 Episode 20 - September 11 1973 - The Other September 11 - The Military Coup D'Etat Against Allende
    8.0/10(8 votes)

    S2:E20

    Before the attacks of 2001 took its place, September 11 was associated with another global event: that of the overthrow of the socialist government of Popular Unity by the Chilean armed forces, supported by the American secret service, in 1973.

    Director:Denis van Waerebeke
    Writer:Unknown

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  7. Dates That Made History Season 1 Episode 1 - 33 AD: The Crucifixion of Jesus
    7.6/10(24 votes)

    S1:E1

    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.

    Director:Denis van Waerebeke
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. Dates That Made History Season 2 Episode 6 - 1911 - The Conquest of the South Pole
    7.8/10(10 votes)

    S2:E6

    In 1911, the expedition led by the Norwegian Amundsen reached the South Pole, beating the British Scott to the punch. The story of the conquest of the poles is the last chapter of a long epic, closing the age of the great scientific explorations that began at the end of the 18th century and became extraordinarily popular since the end of the 19th century. 

    Director:Denis van Waerebeke
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. Dates That Made History Season 3 Episode 3 - 1816 - Frankenstein
    7.8/10(8 votes)

    S3:E3

    Frankenstein's creature, born from Mary Shelley's imagination during the summer of 1816 on the shores of Lake Geneva, embodies our fear of uncontrolled scientific progress leading to the dehumanization of the world and of life. How can a founding myth of modernity remain relevant?

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  10. Dates That Made History Season 2 Episode 4 - May 29 1453 - The Fall of Constantinople
    7.7/10(10 votes)

    S2:E4

    The fall of Constantinople marked the end of the Byzantine Empire – a power descending from none other than ancient Rome. Its symbolism has long since transcended its actual significance.

    Director:Benoît Laborde
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. Dates That Made History Season 1 Episode 9 - 1347: The Beginning of the Black Death
    7.5/10(22 votes)

    S1:E9

    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.

    Director:Pascal Goblot
    Writer:Unknown

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  12. Dates That Made History Season 2 Episode 7 - May 14 1610 - The Assassination of King Henry IV of France
    7.6/10(11 votes)

    S2:E7

    The assassination of Henri IV, peacemaking and reformist king, is as much a canonical scene in the History of France as it is a decisive break in political modernity. And first of all because it is a newsworthy event with an almost global dimension. We know that its spread to the “four corners of the world” is an indication of an open, if not connected, world.

    Director:Pascal Goblot
    Writer:Unknown

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  13. Dates That Made History Season 1 Episode 10 - 1431: The Fall of Angkor
    7.5/10(18 votes)

    S1:E10

    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.

    Director:Denis van Waerebeke
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. Dates That Made History Season 2 Episode 3 - 315 - The Donation of Constantine
    7.5/10(13 votes)

    S2:E3

    In the middle of the 8th century, the chancellery of the bishops of Rome was on the verge of becoming a spiritual heir to the Western emperors. That was when it committed the most important forgery in the history of the West.

    Director:Denis van Waerebeke
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. Dates That Made History Season 2 Episode 17 - 751 - The Battle of Talas and Height of the Tang Dynasty
    7.5/10(11 votes)

    S2:E17

    In the middle of the 8th century AD, in the heart of Central Asia, on the borders of present-day Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, a battle without victors was fought.

    Director:Juliette Garcias
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. Dates That Made History Season 2 Episode 19 - September 7 1812 - The Battle of Borodino
    7.5/10(9 votes)

    S2:E19

    Apart from Tolstoy's readers, few people actually know about the battle of Borodino, fought some 100 km from Moscow. Even today it remains a landmark and symbol of the Russian resistance to the invader Napoleon Bonaparte.

    Director:Thomas Sipp
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. Dates That Made History Season 3 Episode 7 - October 14, 1066 - Battle of Hastings
    7.5/10(6 votes)

    S3:E7

    On October 14, 1066, the political order of northwestern Europe was redrawn at Hastings: William, Duke of Normandy, defeated the Anglo-Saxon King Harold Godwinson in a costly battle. Two months later, he was crowned King of England in Westminster. The famous Bayeux Tapestry documents the victory and the end of the Viking Age.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  18. Dates That Made History Season 3 Episode 8 - 1143 - The Translation of the Quran
    7.5/10(6 votes)

    S3:E8

    When the Abbot of Cluny traveled to Spain in 1143 to commission a Latin translation of the Quran, he was not seeking dialogue, but rather to understand Islam in order to better combat it. The story of this first translation tells of encounter and resistance – far removed from the narratives of the "clash of civilizations" and Andalusian coexistence.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  19. Dates That Made History Season 3 Episode 12 - January 1, 1804 - Haiti's Independence
    7.5/10(6 votes)

    S3:E12

    January 1, 1804, marks the end of slavery in Saint-Domingue, which became Haiti, thus separating its history from its colonial power, France. It is not only the result of a national liberation war, but also leads to the founding of the first state on the American continent founded by former slaves. This is a truly significant event, not only in American and French history, but also in world history. However, the price of freedom was exorbitant, and the country is still paying it today.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  20. Dates That Made History Season 2 Episode 15 - -1348 – Akhenaten's Religious Revolution
    7.4/10(10 votes)

    S2:E15

    What if Blake and Mortimer had been right in the Mystery of the Great Pyramid? The history of the seventeen-year reign of Akhenaten, the 10th Pharaoh of the 18th dynasty, sometimes still seems to be a real historical mystery.

    Director:Florence Tran
    Writer:Unknown

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  21. Dates That Made History Season 1 Episode 6 - 11 February 1990: Liberation of Nelson Mandela
    7.3/10(20 votes)

    S1:E6

    “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.

    Director:Denis van Waerebeke
    Writer:Unknown

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  22. Dates That Made History Season 2 Episode 1 - April 21 -753 - The Foundation of Rome
    7.3/10(14 votes)

    S2:E1

    April 21, 753 BC: The Roman world was certain of its foundation date for more than 1000 years. The mythical tale, Ab Urbe Condita, formalized by Titus Livius, was based on the struggle of its founding twins: sons to a god, Mars, and a virgin, Rhea Silvia. Archaeological research and historical critics are now convinced of two things: the city is older and the myth is more recent.

    Director:Lucie Cariès
    Writer:Unknown

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  23. Dates That Made History Season 2 Episode 9 - August 25 1270 - King Louis IX Dies in Carthage
    7.3/10(13 votes)

    S2:E9

    On 25 August 1270 Louis IX died on the hill above Carthage. He was the only king in the history of France to die outside of national borders; even worse, on non-Christian soil. This day was a milestone in the career of a saint in the making. Even though the canonization of Saint Louis did not take place until 27 years later, in 1297.

    Director:Benoît Laborde
    Writer:Unknown

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  24. Dates That Made History Season 2 Episode 13 - July 4 1776 - The American Declaration of Independence
    7.3/10(13 votes)

    S2:E13

    The American revolution is sometimes watered down to the point where it can become an almost silent revolution.

    Director:Denis van Waerebeke
    Writer:Unknown

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  25. Dates That Made History Season 2 Episode 2 - -52 - The Siege of Alesia
    7.3/10(10 votes)

    S2:E2

    The defeat of Alesia, in 52 BC, marked the end of the well-known “Gallic War”, immortalized by its winner, Julius Caesar. Year zero of our French national history, Alesia became the founding act of an improbable Gallic unit, personalized in the guise of an impossible hero, Vercingetorix.

    Director:Thomas Sipp
    Writer:Unknown

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Best Episodes Summary

"24 August 79: Destruction of Pompeii" is the best rated episode of Dates That Made History. It scored 8.0/10 from 22 votes. Directed by Pascal Goblot and written by Unknown, it aired on April 7, 2018. This episode scored 0.1 points higher than the second highest rated, "24 September 622: The Hegira".

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