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Best World history videos, as recommended on Hacker News

123 videos about world history that Hacker News commenters keep recommending, mentioned between 2008 and 2026. Mostly explainer, documentary, lecture. Channels that come up most: CGP Grey, Denis Shiryaev, Historia Civilis, Fall of Civilizations. Sorted by how consistently HN recommended them over the years.

The most recommended is Try to Rule Fairly and You'll Be Overthrown: HN treats it as the standard short summary of how power and political incentives work, applied to governments, companies and workplaces.

• explainerTry to Rule Fairly and You'll Be OverthrownCGP Grey · 15 HN recommenders · 2016–2025
• explainerPrinciples for Dealing with the Changing World Order by Ray DalioPrinciples by Ray Dalio · 10 HN recommenders · 2022–2025
• explainerLondon Swallowed a City but Couldn't Digest It.CGP Grey · 12 HN recommenders · 2012–2024
• explainerWhy Some Diseases Only Traveled One DirectionCGP Grey · 11 HN recommenders · 2015–2024
• podcast8. The Sumerians - Fall of the First CitiesFall of Civilizations · 7 HN recommenders · 2020–2023
• documentaryThe Spider's Web: Britain's Second Empire | The Secret World of FinanceIndependent POV · 6 HN recommenders · 2019–2024
• explainerThe UK Is a Country Made of CountriesCGP Grey · 6 HN recommenders · 2015–2023
• lectureTiedustelueverstin arvio Venäjästä | 3.12.2018fin_topsu · 14 HN recommenders · 2022–2024
• talkDebt: The First 5,000 Years | David Graeber | Talks at GoogleTalks at Google · 8 HN recommenders · 2013–2024
• explainerThe EU Has Orbits, and the UK Fell Out of All of ThemCGP Grey · 7 HN recommenders · 2019–2023
• explainerMost Cities Got More Democratic. This One Didn't.CGP Grey · 6 HN recommenders · 2015–2023
• documentaryHyperNormalisation 2016crisalist · 6 HN recommenders · 2016–2020
• talkDr Shashi Tharoor MP - Britain Does Owe ReparationsOxfordUnion · 8 HN recommenders · 2017–2023
• documentaryJames Burke Connections, Ep. 4 "Faith in Numbers"DRS_Education · 4 HN recommenders · 2020–2026
• documentaryThe Battle of Midway 1942: Told from the Japanese Perspective (1/3)Montemayor · 7 HN recommenders · 2019–2022
• explainerThe Man Who Accidentally Killed The Most People In HistoryVeritasium · 6 HN recommenders · 2022–2026
• lectureTimothy Snyder: The Making of Modern Ukraine. Class 1: Ukrainian Questions Posed by Russian InvasionYaleCourses · 6 HN recommenders · 2022–2025
• lectureIrving Finkel | The Ark Before Noah: A Great AdventureThe Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures · 4 HN recommenders · 2021–2025
• lectureCracking Ancient Codes: Cuneiform Writing - with Irving FinkelThe Royal Institution · 3 HN recommenders · 2020–2024
• demoTom Scott vs Irving Finkel: The Royal Game of Ur | PLAYTHROUGH | International Tabletop Day 2017The British Museum · 6 HN recommenders · 2019–2025
• explainerThe Agricultural Revolution: Crash Course World History #1CrashCourse · 4 HN recommenders · 2015–2021
• explainerBuilding a Cathedral without Science or Mathematics: The Engineering Method Explainedengineerguy · 5 HN recommenders · 2023–2026
• documentaryHappy People | Spring (part 1) [Happy People Documentary | Spring in Siberia Part 1Дмитрий Васюков · 4 HN recommenders · 2015–2023
• talkThe Secret History of Silicon ValleyGoogle TechTalks · 5 HN recommenders · 2008–2016
• explainerEngland: South Sea Bubble - The Sharp Mind of John Blunt - Extra History - Part 1Extra History · 6 HN recommenders · 2018–2025
• explainerAlexander Pope Wrote a 35-Page Takedown of a HistorianCGP Grey · 5 HN recommenders · 2021–2025
• lectureCollapse of Complex Societies by Dr. Joseph Taintervlada888 · 5 HN recommenders · 2015–2023
• interviewKGB Defector Yuri Bezmenov 1985 Interview. Explains KGB Manipulation of US Public Opinion20th Century Time Machine · 4 HN recommenders · 2021–2025
• interviewFULL INTERVIEW with Yuri Bezmenov: The Four Stages of Ideological Subversion (1984)Nicholas Marshall · 4 HN recommenders · 2020–2026
• commentaryI Watched Ancient Apocalypse So You Don't Have To (Part 1)Miniminuteman · 4 HN recommenders · 2023–2025
• lecture1177 BC: The Year Civilization Collapsed (Eric Cline, PhD)National Capital Area Skeptics (NCAS) · 5 HN recommenders · 2017–2025
• documentary2. The Bronze Age Collapse - Mediterranean ApocalypseFall of Civilizations · 3 HN recommenders · 2021–2026
• explainerCarl Sagan - Cosmos - Eratosthenescarlsagandotcom · 4 HN recommenders · 2022–2024
• podcastJoe Rogan Experience #725 - Graham Hancock & Randall CarlsonPowerfulJRE · 4 HN recommenders · 2015–2020
• documentarySurviving in the Siberian Wilderness for 70 Years (Full Length)VICE · 4 HN recommenders · 2014–2023
• talkJames Baldwin vs William F Buckley: A legendary debate from 1965Aeon Video · 3 HN recommenders · 2020–2023
• lectureTimothy Snyder Speaks, ep. 14: Politics of Eternity, Politics of InevitabilityTimothy Snyder · 2 HN recommenders · 2018–2025
• other[4k, 60 fps] San Francisco, a Trip down Market Street, April 14, 1906Denis Shiryaev · 3 HN recommenders · 2020–2023
• explainerThis giant model stopped a terrible planTom Scott · 5 HN recommenders · 2018–2026
• documentaryThe Part of History You've Always Skipped | NeoslaveryKnowing Better · 4 HN recommenders · 2022–2026
• talk"Why do you lock your door?" - RVASec 2012Schuyler Towne · 2 HN recommenders · 2014–2020
• lectureWho is Yahweh - How a Warrior-Storm God became the God of the Israelites and World MonotheismESOTERICA · 3 HN recommenders · 2023–2024
• lectureRichard Feynman Lecture -- "Los Alamos From Below"The Quagmire · 3 HN recommenders · 2018–2023
• documentaryDon't Be a SuckerUS National Archives · 4 HN recommenders · 2020–2026
• lectureYuri Bezmenov: Psychological Warfare Subversion & Control of Western Society (Complete)GBPPR2 · 3 HN recommenders · 2017–2024
• documentaryThe Kennedy Assassination: Inside the Book DepositoryLEMMiNO · 5 HN recommenders · 2023–2024
• documentaryChinampas of Mexico: Most Productive Agriculture EVER?Andrew Millison · 3 HN recommenders · 2023–2026
• documentaryOswald Acted Alone: JFK Assassination Solved (Part 1 of 2)Sean Munger · 4 HN recommenders · 2023–2024
• documentaryChernobyl 3828TeleconStudio · 2 HN recommenders · 2014–2019
• documentaryThey Shall Not Grow Old – New Trailer – Now Playing In TheatersWarner Bros. · 3 HN recommenders · 2019–2023
• lectureKursk: The Epic Armored Engagement (2013)The National WWII Museum · 3 HN recommenders · 2018–2023
• documentaryDropping the Bomb: Hiroshima & NagasakiShaun · 3 HN recommenders · 2020–2025
• podcastDavid Reich — How one small tribe conquered the world 70,000 years agoDwarkesh Patel · 4 HN recommenders · 2024–2025
• explainerA New History for Humanity – The Human EraKurzgesagt – In a Nutshell · 3 HN recommenders · 2018–2025
• documentaryThe 1751 Machine that Made EverythingMachine Thinking · 2 HN recommenders · 2020–2023
• explainerWork.Historia Civilis · 3 HN recommenders · 2023–2025
• explainerEvery Ruler Makes the Same Mistake When They DieCGP Grey · 3 HN recommenders · 2017–2023
• talkThe Surprising History of Copyright and What It Means For...Google TechTalks · 2 HN recommenders · 2016–2021
• explainerHow Kodak Exposed Nuclear TestingVeritasium · 3 HN recommenders · 2021–2025
• documentaryThe Fallen of World War IINeil Halloran · 3 HN recommenders · 2020–2025
• tutorialHow to write cuneiform with Irving Finkel and @preservethings I Curator's Corner S4 Ep9The British Museum · 3 HN recommenders · 2023–2025
• explainerThe Origins of Russian AuthoritarianismKraut · 3 HN recommenders · 2022–2023
• explainerThe Longest Year in Human History (46 B.C.E.)Historia Civilis · 4 HN recommenders · 2021–2024
• documentaryPandora's Box, E1: The Engineers' Plotnagualdesign · 3 HN recommenders · 2014–2025
• explainerThe Constitution of AthensHistoria Civilis · 3 HN recommenders · 2018–2026
• explainerThe US-Canada Border Is 5,500 Miles of Pure NonsenseCGP Grey · 3 HN recommenders · 2016–2020
• explainerhistory of the entire world, i guessbill wurtz · 3 HN recommenders · 2018–2025
• tutorialMaking Mushroom Ketchup - 18th Century CookingTownsends · 2 HN recommenders · 2018–2022
• explainerHoly Post - Race in AmericaHoly Post Media · 2 HN recommenders · 2020–2025
• documentaryARROWS vs ARMOUR - Medieval Myth BustingTod's Workshop · 2 HN recommenders · 2020–2025
• demo[60 fps] The Flying Train, Germany, 1902Denis Shiryaev · 2 HN recommenders · 2020–2023
• explainerThe Iroquois ConfederacyHistoria Civilis · 2 HN recommenders · 2018–2025
• commentaryTrump's Biggest FailureKraut · 2 HN recommenders · 2020–2023
• lectureMark Blyth - A Brief History of How We Got Here and WhyMcMaster Humanities · 2 HN recommenders · 2019–2022
• documentaryURBEX | Abandoned Soviet Space Shuttles (Buran) in BaikonurExploring the Unbeaten Path · 1 HN recommender · 2018–2022
• documentaryDon't Be a Sucker - 1947Weirdo Video · 2 HN recommenders · 2017–2025
• lectureThe Myth of the Robber Barons with Burt FolsomFoundation for Economic Education · 2 HN recommenders · 2014–2020
• explainerWhat Eating the Rich Did For JapanAsianometry · 2 HN recommenders · 2023–2026
• lectureLESSON 1: Do Not Obey In AdvanceTimothy Snyder · 2 HN recommenders · 2023–2025
• documentaryThe Wright Brothers DID Invent the AirplaneGreg's Airplanes and Automobiles · 2 HN recommenders · 2023–2025
• explainerUnderstanding the Russian mindsetCaspianReport · 2 HN recommenders · 2019–2022
• explainerWhy Britain Uses Separate Hot and Cold TapsTom Scott · 2 HN recommenders · 2015–2025
• otherCharlie Chaplin - Final Speech from The Great DictatorCharlie Chaplin · 2 HN recommenders · 2022–2026
• otherEisenhower Farewell Address (Best Quality) - 'Military Industrial Complex' WARNINGEwafa · 2 HN recommenders · 2018–2023
• musicThe Epic Of Gilgamesh In SumerianPeter Pringle · 3 HN recommenders · 2021–2025
• explainerPounds, shillings, and pence: a history of English coinageLindybeige · 2 HN recommenders · 2021–2026
• documentaryHow Semiconductors Ruined East GermanyAsianometry · 2 HN recommenders · 2023–2024
• explainerWhat Happened Before History? Human OriginsKurzgesagt – In a Nutshell · 2 HN recommenders · 2016–2022
• explainerThe Most Complex International Borders in the WorldWonderWhy · 2 HN recommenders · 2015–2018
• comedySergey Kuryokhin: Lenin was a mushroom / С.Курехин: Ленин был грибом, part 1xox · 2 HN recommenders · 2016–2018
• demo[4k, 60 fps] A Trip Through New York City in 1911Denis Shiryaev · 2 HN recommenders · 2020–2024
• lectureEric Cline | 1177 BC: The Year Civilization CollapsedThe Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures · 2 HN recommenders · 2016–2020
• documentaryTaken for a Ride - The U.S. History of the Assault on Public Transport in the Last CenturyPEACE REBEL · 2 HN recommenders · 2015–2025
• talkIs the world getting better or worse? A look at the numbers | Steven PinkerTED · 2 HN recommenders · 2018–2022
• interviewKGB defector Yuri Bezmenov's warning to AmericaPersian Humanist · 1 HN recommender · 2017–2024
• explainerSalmon Sushi Is Not RealMy Name Is Andong · 1 HN recommender · 2021–2023
• explainerSome Countries Exist Only on PaperCGP Grey · 1 HN recommender · 2016–2020
• interviewFormer KGB Agent Yuri Bezmenov Explains How to Brainwash a Nation (Full Length)Federaljacktube · 1 HN recommender · 2016–2017
• tutorialI finally made GARUM | Ancient Rome's favorite condimentTasting History with Max Miller · 1 HN recommender · 2020–2021
• otherWuppertal Schwebebahn 1902 & 2015 side by side videoEtt & Annat · 1 HN recommender · 2020–2025
• otherA Trip Down Market Street, 1906 - With Sound!Mike Upchurch · 1 HN recommender · 2018–2024
• commentaryEmpire Files: How Palestine Became ColonizedTeleSUR English · 1 HN recommender · 2018–2022
• comedyThe Sinister Reason Weed is Illegal | Adam Ruins EverythingDropout · 1 HN recommender · 2017–2019
• documentaryMcNamara meets with Castro (Fog of War)8bitRicky · 1 HN recommender · 2018–2024
• demoAMAZING VIDEO! Man Lifts 20 Ton Block By Hand?Mystery History · 1 HN recommender · 2018–2024
• otherDuck And Cover (1951) Bert The TurtleNuclear Vault · 1 HN recommender · 2013–2022
• documentaryThe Bronze Age Collapse - Before the Storm - Extra History - Part 1Extra History · 1 HN recommender · 2017–2022
• comedyhistory of japanbill wurtz · 1 HN recommender · 2016–2025
• lectureDECLINE of EMPIRES: The Signs of Decayeon3 · 1 HN recommender · 2018–2023
• interviewSarah C. M. Paine — Why dictators keep making the same fatal mistakeDwarkesh Patel · 1 HN recommender · 2023–2025
• explainerThe centuries-old debt that's still paying interestTom Scott · 1 HN recommender · 2021–2026
• explainerWhy the Soviet Computer FailedAsianometry · 1 HN recommender · 2022–2024
• otherNew York City in 1993 in HD - DTheater DVHS Demo TapeYoutube Pedant · 1 HN recommender · 2016–2022
• other[60 fps] A Trip Through Paris, France in late 1890s / Un voyage à travers Paris, 1890Denis Shiryaev · 1 HN recommender · 2020–2024
• musicComplete History Of The Soviet Union, Arranged To The Melody Of Tetrispigwiththefaceofaboy · 1 HN recommender · 2011–2021
• explainerThe British Museum is full of stolen artifactsVox · 1 HN recommender · 2020–2022
• documentaryUkraine on FireGlobal Tree Pictures · 1 HN recommender · 2022–2022
• documentary15. The Nabataeans - The Last Days Of PetraFall of Civilizations · 1 HN recommender · 2022–2024
• newsAdmiral Jeremiah Denton Blinks Morse Code Warning as P.O.W.Audie Murphy American Legend · 1 HN recommender · 2018–2023
• comedyAdam Ruins Everything - The Sinister Reason Weed is IllegaltruTV · 1 HN recommender · 2018–2022
• podcastProf. Timur Kuran on "The Portal", Episode #004: "The Economics of Revolution and Mass Deception."Eric Weinstein · 1 HN recommender · 2019–2025
• documentaryHyperNormalisation by Adam Curtis HD Full [2016] [Subs]L33T GUY · 1 HN recommender · 2019–2026
• demoHow the pyramids were built in EgyptGeopolymer Institute · 1 HN recommender · 2017–2024