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Bet You Didn't Know: London (2:21)

Once the largest empire in the world, London continues to top the charts in everything from finance to tourism.

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Videos (34)

  • Bet You Didn't Know: London
    Bet You Didn't Know: London

    Video Clip (2:21)

    Once the largest empire in the world, London continues to top the charts in everything from finance to tourism.

    Video Clip (2:21)
  • Deconstructing History: Big Ben
    Deconstructing History: Big Ben

    Video Clip (2:15)

    Did you know that Big Ben is the main bell inside London's famous clock tower, not the tower itself? Find out more about one of the city's most iconic landmarks.

    Video Clip (2:15)
  • Deconstructing History: Buckingham Palace
    Deconstructing History: Buckingham Palace

    Video Clip (2:46)

    Did you know that Buckingham Palace has a helipad and a lake? Get the facts and history behind the Queen's official London residence.

    Video Clip (2:46)
  • Bet You Didn't Know: London Landmarks
    Bet You Didn't Know: London Landmarks

    Video Clip (2:27)

    Get all the facts on London's most iconic landmarks.

    Video Clip (2:27)
  • Henry VIII
    Henry VIII

    Video Clip (2:04)

    You know he had six wives, but there was a lot more to this famous king.

    Video Clip (2:04)
  • British Royal Weddings
    British Royal Weddings

    Video Clip (2:22)

    The weddings of the House of Windsor have captivated worldwide attention throughout the 20th Century and into the 21st, from Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip to Prince William and Catherine Middleton.

    Video Clip (2:22)
  • Jack The Ripper
    Jack The Ripper

    Video Clip (3:06)

    Who was Jack the Ripper? Various theories about his -- or her -- identity have circulated for decades.

    Video Clip (3:06)
  • Deconstructing History: Titanic
    Deconstructing History: Titanic

    Video Clip (1:57)

    Everyone knows the Titanic was big, and we have the hard numbers to prove it. Discover what made it a supersized ship.

    Video Clip (1:57)
  • History Rewind: The Royal Wedding 1981
    History Rewind: The Royal Wedding 1981

    Video Clip (3:20)

    Rewind Breaking News The History Channel: British Movietone covers one of the most famous weddings in history: the marriage of Prince Charles of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer. This video clip is courtesy of The History Channel.

    Video Clip (3:20)
  • Coroner's Report: Plague
    Coroner's Report: Plague

    Video Clip (2:37)

    In the 14th century, a devastating plague known as the Black Death claimed an estimated 75 million lives. How did the people who contracted it know their luck had run out?

    Video Clip (2:37)
  • On the Road with Libby O'Connell: The Star Tavern, London
    On the Road with Libby O'Connell: The Star Tavern, London

    Video Clip (1:30)

    Libby O'Connell explores a London pub that served as the meeting place for the conspirators who pulled off one of England's biggest heists.

    Video Clip (1:30)
  • The Battle of Sterling Bridge
    The Battle of Sterling Bridge

    Video Clip (3:34)

    Braveheart used his knowledge of the countryside to defeat the British at Sterling Bridge.

    Video Clip (3:34)
  • Braveheart Attacks Lockleven Castle
    Braveheart Attacks Lockleven Castle

    Video Clip (2:32)

    Discover the story of how Braveheart and the Scottish army stormed Lockleven Castle in an effort to expel the English from Scotland.

    Video Clip (2:32)
  • The English Reformation
    The English Reformation

    Video Clip (2:05)

    Henry VIII's marital problems lead to a break with the Catholic Church and decades of conflict as England becomes a Protestant nation.

    Video Clip (2:05)
  • The Myth of King Arthur
    The Myth of King Arthur

    Video Clip (2:49)

    The Saxons continue to capture lands of the British aristocracy. During this time a prince emerges from the British. His name is Arthur, and Camelot begins.

    Video Clip (2:49)
  • Deconstructing History: Mayflower
    Deconstructing History: Mayflower

    Video Clip (2:35)

    How many people were on the Mayflower? And how long did it take for them to get to Plymouth? Get the facts.

    Video Clip (2:35)
  • Coroner's Report: Titanic
    Coroner's Report: Titanic

    Video Clip (2:01)

    When the "unsinkable" ocean liner Titanic was lost after hitting an iceberg on April 15, 1912, lifeboats saved only 700 of her passengers. What did the 1,500 people who went down with the ship experience in the icy waters of the North Atlantic?

    Video Clip (2:01)
  • Steam Engine Drives a Revolution
    Steam Engine Drives a Revolution

    Video Clip (2:50)

    The steam engine revolutionized the world of transportation. Was the invention really inspired by a boiling kettle? Get the real story.

    Video Clip (2:50)
  • Colonists Protest British Policies
    Colonists Protest British Policies

    Video Clip (3:05)

    From the 1760's onward, colonial anger grows as the British pass a series of taxes and laws. With each one, the two groups move closer to war.

    Video Clip (3:05)
  • Isaac Newton and a Scientific Revolution
    Isaac Newton and a Scientific Revolution

    Video Clip (2:47)

    The Protestant Reformation encourages both religious and scientific thought.

    Video Clip (2:47)
  • The Industrial Revolution
    The Industrial Revolution

    Video Clip (2:33)

    Beginning in the 19th century, advances in manufacturing revolutionize the American way of life.

    Video Clip (2:33)
  • WWI Firsts
    WWI Firsts

    Video Clip (1:18)

    WWI may have been the war to end all wars, but it was also the beginning of many military and civilian technologies.

    Video Clip (1:18)
  • American Revolution
    American Revolution

    Video Clip (3:20)

    Get the story of how a fledgling, largely disconnected nation won its freedom from the greatest military force of its time.

    Video Clip (3:20)
  • The Value of Tobacco
    The Value of Tobacco

    Video Clip (2:33)

    Tobacco was the lifeblood of the early Southern colonies, and its profits led directly to the rapid growth of slavery in the new nation.

    Video Clip (2:33)
  • 1916 Battle of the Somme
    1916 Battle of the Somme

    Video Clip (1:36)

    After two years of trench warfare, the Allies attempt to break through German lines on the Western Front. The ensuing battle will last for months and result in more than one million casualties.

    Video Clip (1:36)
  • Alfred the Great
    Alfred the Great

    Video Clip (3:46)

    Find out how Alfred the Great defeated Viking invaders and united the Saxon people.

    Video Clip (3:46)
  • The Mayflower
    The Mayflower

    Video Clip (2:18)

    From the Pilgrims' reasons for leaving Europe to the treacherous journey across the Atlantic, musician and artist Jeffrey Lewis puts to song the story of the Mayflower.

    Video Clip (2:18)
  • Life in Jamestown
    Life in Jamestown

    Video Clip (2:45)

    Find out what it took to be a settler in the early-American colony of Jamestown.

    Video Clip (2:45)
  • Death at Jamestown
    Death at Jamestown

    Video Clip (1:07)

    English settlers arrived at Jamestown expecting riches to fall into their hands, but were soon faced with a much harsher reality.

    Video Clip (1:07)
  • History Rewind: Coronation of Elizabeth II, 1953
    History Rewind: Coronation of Elizabeth II, 1953

    Video Clip (3:13)

    In a History Rewind video, on Coronation Day, a glittering spectacle in London is witnesses by millions. In the procession, Britain's prime minister Sir Winston Churchill is present, having served five monarchs.

    Video Clip (3:13)
  • Trench Warfare
    Trench Warfare

    Video Clip (1:14)

    Although best known for its role in the long slog of World War I, trench warfare actually got its start on the battlefields of the American Civil War. Find out how new weapons and technology played a part in both its development and destruction.

    Video Clip (1:14)
  • Allies Launch Disastrous Attack at Gallipoli
    Allies Launch Disastrous Attack at Gallipoli

    Video Clip (1:39)

    An ill-fated assault on Turkish forces leads to 500,000 casualties in World War I.

    Video Clip (1:39)
  • Body Snatching in London
    Body Snatching in London

    Video Clip (2:34)

    Don Wildman explores the black market of body snatching in Victorian London.

    Video Clip (2:34)
  • North Africa Campaign
    North Africa Campaign

    Video Clip (1:41)

    After Italy declares war, the Allies fight the Axis powers in North Africa for control of the Mediterranean.

    Video Clip (1:41)

Photo Galleries (8)

  • American Revolution: Key Military Figures
    American Revolution: Key Military Figures

    10 Photos

    View images of key military figures from the American Revolution, and learn what role they played in this war of independence.

    (10 Photos)
  • American Revolution: Events and Battles
    American Revolution: Events and Battles

    12 Photos

    Explore Revolutionary battle sites such as Lexington, Concord and Yorktown, and learn how the events that took place there shaped the course of the war.

    (12 Photos)
  • World War I Leaders
    World War I Leaders

    16 Photos

    World War I ravaged Europe from 1914 until an armistice was signed in November 1918. In all, more than 9 million soldiers would be killed, and nearly 21 million more wounded.

    (16 Photos)
  • World War II Political Leaders
    World War II Political Leaders

    9 Photos

    View photos of World War II political leaders.

    (9 Photos)
  • Allied Military Leaders
    Allied Military Leaders

    11 Photos

    View photos of Allied military leaders

    (11 Photos)
  • Titanic: Before and After
    Titanic: Before and After

    13 Photos

    Compare images of the Titanic before and after she sank. What has over 90 years at the bottom of the ocean done to the top deck, the hull?

    (13 Photos)
  • Titanic: Aboard the Ship
    Titanic: Aboard the Ship

    12 Photos

    Explore some of the most interesting artifacts salvaged from the Titanic's wreck and discover which influential figures perished when the great ship collided with an iceberg.

    (12 Photos)
  • Inventions: Transportation
    Inventions: Transportation

    12 Photos

    (12 Photos)

Speeches & Audio (40)

  • Churchill on the Battle of France
    Churchill on the Battle of France

    Audio Clip (7:40)

    In May 1940, Winston Churchill speaks on national radio for the first time as prime minister and calls for a struggle to the last breath against Nazi conquest and oppression.

    Audio Clip (7:40)
  • Churchill Prepares for German Invasion of Britain
    Churchill Prepares for German Invasion of Britain

    Audio Clip (0:21)

    On the final day of the evacuation of Dunkirk, June 4, 1940, Prime Minister Winston Churchill speaks before the House of Commons, triumphant over the rescue of 338,226 Allied troops from advancing German forces. In the address he warns the nation to expect a German invasion and defiantly declares that Hitler's troops will meet an enemy prepared to "defend our island whatever the cost may be."

    Audio Clip (0:21)
  • Edward VIII Announces His Abdication
    Edward VIII Announces His Abdication

    Audio Clip (5:14)

    On December 11, 1936, Edward VIII, king of Great Britain and Ireland, broadcasts his decision to renounce his throne. Because he insisted on marrying the twice-divorced American Wallis Simpson, Edward had no choice but to abdicate.

    Audio Clip (5:14)
  • Chamberlain Secures Peace in Our Time
    Chamberlain Secures Peace in Our Time

    Audio Clip (1:07)

    Seeking to avoid war in Europe, leaders from Britain, France and Italy signed the Munich Pact on September 29, 1938, agreeing to Hitler's demands and ceding Czechoslovakia to Germany. Upon his return to England the following day, the architect of the appeasement policy, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, declares "peace in our time."

    Audio Clip (1:07)
  • Tony Blair on the Death of Princess Diana
    Tony Blair on the Death of Princess Diana

    Audio Clip (0:34)

    On August 31, 1997, Lady Diana Spencer, the former wife of Prince Charles, was killed with her companion Dodi Fayed in a car accident in Paris. In an emotional speech outside the 12th-century stone church he attends in his parliamentary district in Sedgefield, Prime Minister Tony Blair remembers Diana as "the people's princess."

    Audio Clip (0:34)
  • Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II
    Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II

    Audio Clip (0:23)

    Princess Elizabeth is formally crowned queen of the United Kingdom in a live broadcast of the royal coronation ceremony on June 2, 1953.

    Audio Clip (0:23)
  • Anthony Eden on the Battle of Britain
    Anthony Eden on the Battle of Britain

    Audio Clip (1:54)

    On July 29, 1940, just weeks into the Battle of Britain, British Secretary of State Robert Anthony Eden calls upon the resolve and fortitude of the people to defend against the attacks on the British mainland that will be a turning point in the war.

    Audio Clip (1:54)
  • Chamberlain Declares War on Germany
    Chamberlain Declares War on Germany

    Audio Clip (2:58)

    On September 3, 1939, in a radio broadcast to his nation, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain announces that Germany's refusal to withdraw its troops from Poland after its September 1 invasion has pushed Great Britain to war.

    Audio Clip (2:58)
  • English Princesses Address British Children During World War II
    English Princesses Address British Children During World War II

    Audio Clip (0:42)

    In a radio address on October 13, 1940, the young Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret offer words of courage to British children who had been evacuated from Great Britain while their country was at war.

    Audio Clip (0:42)
  • Stanley Baldwin on the Impending World War
    Stanley Baldwin on the Impending World War

    Audio Clip (1:48)

    Former British Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin visited New York four months prior to the outbreak of World War II to discuss the international situation. He describes the British Empire's diminishing influence as a world power.

    Audio Clip (1:48)
  • Britain's Profumo Scandal
    Britain's Profumo Scandal

    Audio Clip (0:30)

    In 1963, a scandal gripped British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan's government when it was alleged that his secretary of war, John Profumo, engaged in an affair with 19-year-old Christine Keeler, who was also having an affair with an attache at the Soviet Embassy. A news report describes the outcome following the release of the official report on the scandal.

    Audio Clip (0:30)
  • Sex Scandal Shakes the British Government
    Sex Scandal Shakes the British Government

    Audio Clip (0:38)

    A 1963 news report of the Profumo Affair describes a prime minister in crisis. Once Secretary of War John Profumo resigned over his affair with a 19-year-old who had ties to a Soviet spy, many called for the resignation of Prime Minister Harold Macmillan as well.

    Audio Clip (0:38)
  • Churchill's Iron Curtain Speech
    Churchill's Iron Curtain Speech

    Audio Clip (0:21)

    On March 5, 1946, Winston Churchill receives an honorary degree from Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. In a speech delivered on the occasion, Churchill introduces the phrase "Iron Curtain" to describe the division of power between the Eastern Bloc and the West, and warns against Soviet designs for expansion.

    Audio Clip (0:21)
  • Princess Elizabeth's Wedding Ceremony
    Princess Elizabeth's Wedding Ceremony

    Audio Clip (6:08)

    The royal wedding ceremony of the 21-year-old heir to the British throne, Princess Elizabeth, and Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh, is broadcast live from Westminster Abbey on November 20, 1947.

    Audio Clip (6:08)
  • Prime Minister Nehru Speaks on Indian Independence Day
    Prime Minister Nehru Speaks on Indian Independence Day

    Audio Clip (0:34)

    Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru addresses his nation on the eve of August 15, 1947, the day India gained its independence after nearly 100 years of British rule. In his inspired speech, Nehru reminds his fellow countrymen of their "tryst with destiny."

    Audio Clip (0:34)
  • Gandhi Speaks to Press Upon Arrival in London
    Gandhi Speaks to Press Upon Arrival in London

    Audio Clip (0:23)

    After planting a tree in front of Kingsley Hall, Mohandas Gandhi gives a parting message about the fond memories he will have of East London, where he stayed during the 1931 Round Table Conference. As the sole representative of the Indian National Congress, Gandhi had been released from prison in order to attend the conference.

    Audio Clip (0:23)
  • Gandhi on His Religious Beliefs
    Gandhi on His Religious Beliefs

    Audio Clip (0:17)

    While in England in 1931, Mohandas Gandhi, who had led India's successful struggle for independence from Britain, made a recording for the Columbia Gramophone Company of a reading of his article "On God."

    Audio Clip (0:17)
  • Prince Charles Becomes Prince of Wales
    Prince Charles Becomes Prince of Wales

    Audio Clip (3:36)

    At Caernarfon Castle in Wales, Prince Charles was invested as the Prince of Wales. This title, given to him on July 1, 1969, made him the next heir to the British throne after his mother Queen Elizabeth II.

    Audio Clip (3:36)
  • Argentine Propaganda During the Falklands War
    Argentine Propaganda During the Falklands War

    Audio Clip (2:16)

    An example and description of actual propaganda broadcast by Argentine forces, designed to influence British troops fighting during the Falkland Islands conflict.

    Audio Clip (2:16)
  • Churchill Calls for Britain to Meet Nazi Threat
    Churchill Calls for Britain to Meet Nazi Threat

    Audio Clip (4:52)

    In a speech delivered on November 16, 1934, Winston Churchill questions his country's policy of appeasing Hitler and raises concerns over the rising power of Nazi Germany.

    Audio Clip (4:52)
  • Britain's Edward Heath Relies on Female Voters
    Britain's Edward Heath Relies on Female Voters

    Audio Clip (0:30)

    In an address, Edward Heath, Conservative Party candidate for prime minister, predicts that the women's vote will push him over the edge in a win against Labour's James Harold Wilson in the upcoming June 1970 general election.

    Audio Clip (0:30)
  • Tony Blair on Meeting Sinn Fein Leader Gerry Adams
    Tony Blair on Meeting Sinn Fein Leader Gerry Adams

    Audio Clip (0:16)

    On October 13, 1997, for the first time in a century of conflict, a British prime minister met with the leader of Sinn Fein, the unofficial political wing of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). When speaking to reporters afterward, Prime Minister Blair defends his cordial treatment of Adams.

    Audio Clip (0:16)
  • Tony Blair Campaigns
    Tony Blair Campaigns

    Audio Clip (0:36)

    In a campaign speech for the 1997 General Election, the Labour Party's Tony Blair promises his country a "new vision." On May 1, British voters gave the Labour Party a landslide victory.

    Audio Clip (0:36)
  • Hong Kong Turnover Ceremony
    Hong Kong Turnover Ceremony

    Audio Clip (2:48)

    Live coverage of the ceremony proceedings on July, 1, 1997, captures the moment when British soldiers lower the Union Jack and the Hong Kong flag to the strains of "God Save the Queen," followed by the raising of China's red banner with five gold stars as the national anthem plays.

    Audio Clip (2:48)
  • Chris Patten on the Transfer of Hong Kong to China
    Chris Patten on the Transfer of Hong Kong to China

    Audio Clip (0:49)

    The last British governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten, gives a speech to its people while handing back Hong Kong to Chinese authorities on July 1, 1997.

    Audio Clip (0:49)
  • Prince Charles at Hong Kong Turnover Ceremony
    Prince Charles at Hong Kong Turnover Ceremony

    Audio Clip (5:06)

    On July 1, 1997, Prince Charles delivers a speech marking the end of 156 years of British rule as Hong Kong is returned to China.

    Audio Clip (5:06)
  • Britain Recognizes People's Republic of China
    Britain Recognizes People's Republic of China

    Audio Clip (0:22)

    On January 6, 1950, the British government under Prime Minister Clement Attlee followed the USSR and several other nations in recognizing the new communist government of China. A news report provides details.

    Audio Clip (0:22)
  • Queen Elizabeth II Broadcasts Christmas Message
    Queen Elizabeth II Broadcasts Christmas Message

    Audio Clip (1:42)

    On December 25, 1963, Queen Elizabeth II delivers her annual Christmas greeting to her subjects in Great Britain and around the world.

    Audio Clip (1:42)
  • Queen Elizabeth II Opens the St. Lawrence Seaway
    Queen Elizabeth II Opens the St. Lawrence Seaway

    Audio Clip (3:31)

    On June 26, 1959, the Saint Lawrence Seaway, which provides access from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, was officially opened in a ceremony presided over by President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Queen Elizabeth II. In her opening ceremony speech, Queen Elizabeth praises the great engineering accomplishment.

    Audio Clip (3:31)
  • British Reaction to Suez Canal Crisis
    British Reaction to Suez Canal Crisis

    Audio Clip (1:10)

    In an address to the U.N. Security Council on October 31, 1956, Great Britain's Sir Pierson Dixon discusses French and English military operations in response to Egypt's nationalization of the Suez Canal.

    Audio Clip (1:10)
  • George Bernard Shaw on Pacifism
    George Bernard Shaw on Pacifism

    Audio Clip (2:04)

    Born in Dublin, George Bernard Shaw moved to London as a young adult and became one of the country's greatest playwrights. Shaw's socialist politics often informed his literary works. In a radio broadcast, Shaw makes a case for being kind to friends and enemies alike.

    Audio Clip (2:04)
  • King George VI's Empire Day Address
    King George VI's Empire Day Address

    Audio Clip (3:28)

    In an address delivered on Empire Day, May 24, 1940, King George VI describes Adolf Hitler's intention to conquer not only the British empire but also the world.

    Audio Clip (3:28)
  • Winston Churchill Rallies British Citizens
    Winston Churchill Rallies British Citizens

    Audio Clip (1:36)

    In one of his greatest speeches, delivered first before the House of Commons on June 18, 1940, and then broadcast to the nation, Winston Churchill inspires his countrymen to soldier on after the fall of France, assuring them that if Great Britain upholds its duty to fight, "men will still say, 'This was their finest hour.' "

    Audio Clip (1:36)
  • Reagan Addresses British Parliament
    Reagan Addresses British Parliament

    Audio Clip (0:17)

    On June 8, 1982, in the first speech by an American president to a meeting of both houses of the British Parliament, President Ronald Reagan presents his hope for a future that would "leave Marxism-Leninism on the ash heap of history."

    Audio Clip (0:17)
  • Bernadette Devlin Convicted for Role in Northern Ireland Riot
    Bernadette Devlin Convicted for Role in Northern Ireland Riot

    Audio Clip (0:44)

    In August 1969, Bernadette Devlin was arrested during the Battle of the Bogside, a riot that protested the British occupation of Northern Ireland. Convicted in 1970, she spent four months in prison while still an MP. In an interview following her conviction, Devlin strongly defends her position.

    Audio Clip (0:44)
  • Britain's Prince Edward VIII on the Great Depression
    Britain's Prince Edward VIII on the Great Depression

    Audio Clip (2:19)

    During the Great Depression, Edward, the eldest son of King George V, organized work programs for Britain's many unemployed. In a speech to his nation, Prince Edward appeals to its citizens to help one another through the hard times.

    Audio Clip (2:19)
  • St. Patrick's Day Address
    St. Patrick's Day Address

    Audio Clip (2:43)

    In his annual 1947 St. Patrick's Day radio address to the United States broadcast from Dublin, Prime Minister of Ireland Eamon de Valera reminds the world of Ireland's plight and asks for support in the effort to reunite the country.

    Audio Clip (2:43)
  • British Reaction to U.S. Nuclear Tests
    British Reaction to U.S. Nuclear Tests

    Audio Clip (1:18)

    On September 5, 1961, President John F. Kennedy ordered U.S. nuclear testing to resume, prompting British citizens to flock to the U.S. embassy in protest. A news reporter on the scene gets varying reactions from the British public.

    Audio Clip (1:18)
  • De Valera Observes Anniversary of Easter Rising
    De Valera Observes Anniversary of Easter Rising

    Audio Clip (0:34)

    Born in New York City in 1882, Eamon de Valera emigrated to Ireland as a child and participated in the Easter Rising against British rule, which began in Dublin on Easter Sunday, April 24, 1916. De Valera was sentenced to death for his participation in the rebellion but escaped execution because of his American birth. In a speech delivered on the anniversary, De Valera recounts the events of the protest.

    Audio Clip (0:34)
  • Prime Minister Attlee Addresses U.N. on Atomic Energy
    Prime Minister Attlee Addresses U.N. on Atomic Energy

    Audio Clip (1:09)

    On June 19, 1946, British Prime Minister Clement Attlee appears before the United Nations General Assembly to urge support for the Baruch Plan, which would place atomic energy under international control.

    Audio Clip (1:09)

Interactives (2)

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