Dan Snow
@thehistoryguy.bsky.social
Creative Director of the world's best History Channel https://linktr.ee/HistoryHit | I host the Dan Snow’s @HistoryHit podcast
Tonight in 1833 was "The Night the Stars Fell”. A spectacular occurrence of the annual Leonid shower: "thousands of luminous bodies shooting across the firmament in every direction."
In Tennessee it convinced some slave owners that it was the end- they apologised to their slaves
In Tennessee it convinced some slave owners that it was the end- they apologised to their slaves
November 10, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Tonight in 1833 was "The Night the Stars Fell”. A spectacular occurrence of the annual Leonid shower: "thousands of luminous bodies shooting across the firmament in every direction."
In Tennessee it convinced some slave owners that it was the end- they apologised to their slaves
In Tennessee it convinced some slave owners that it was the end- they apologised to their slaves
This is the draft of Elizabeth’s order to execute Mary Queen of Scots. It was written by Cecil. And I LOVE the fact that he forgot to include the English monarch’s bonkers claim to rule France. He had to add it in afterwards.
November 4, 2025 at 1:56 PM
This is the draft of Elizabeth’s order to execute Mary Queen of Scots. It was written by Cecil. And I LOVE the fact that he forgot to include the English monarch’s bonkers claim to rule France. He had to add it in afterwards.
Today in 1911 the greatest gathering of chemists & physicists to that point in history took place in Brussels. Lorentz. Einstein. Curie. Poincaré. Rutherford. Lindemann (Churchill's WW2 scientific adviser) gathered for a brainstorm.
Historic dinner party game?
Well here you go.
Historic dinner party game?
Well here you go.
November 2, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Today in 1911 the greatest gathering of chemists & physicists to that point in history took place in Brussels. Lorentz. Einstein. Curie. Poincaré. Rutherford. Lindemann (Churchill's WW2 scientific adviser) gathered for a brainstorm.
Historic dinner party game?
Well here you go.
Historic dinner party game?
Well here you go.
The cards done lie
October 30, 2025 at 9:10 PM
The cards done lie
By coincidence, this morning in 1961 the Soviets tested Tsar Bomba. The largest nuclear weapon ever detonated: roughly 3000 times the power of Hiroshima.
Maniacs.
Maniacs.
October 30, 2025 at 9:28 AM
By coincidence, this morning in 1961 the Soviets tested Tsar Bomba. The largest nuclear weapon ever detonated: roughly 3000 times the power of Hiroshima.
Maniacs.
Maniacs.
Goebbels was in the audience and heard the message loud and clear:
October 29, 2025 at 10:04 PM
Goebbels was in the audience and heard the message loud and clear:
Why Holocaust deniers are so ludicrous: Here’s Himmler speaking to senior Nazis in October 1943:
October 29, 2025 at 10:03 PM
Why Holocaust deniers are so ludicrous: Here’s Himmler speaking to senior Nazis in October 1943:
Tough but essential history in @fxmc1957.bsky.social’s new history of the Holocaust.
It began with speech. It ended with bullets, bayonets and gas.
It began with speech. It ended with bullets, bayonets and gas.
October 29, 2025 at 9:57 PM
Tough but essential history in @fxmc1957.bsky.social’s new history of the Holocaust.
It began with speech. It ended with bullets, bayonets and gas.
It began with speech. It ended with bullets, bayonets and gas.
The same is true of the Black Death, Mount Tambora’s eruption and the Mongol Invasions.
October 29, 2025 at 7:38 AM
The same is true of the Black Death, Mount Tambora’s eruption and the Mongol Invasions.
100 years ago today Howard Carter opened Tutankamoun’s inner most coffin and saw the pharaoh’s mask for the first time. Here’s the photo taken that day.
It’s in with all the astonishing excavation papers and photos at the @griffithinstitute.bsky.social
It’s in with all the astonishing excavation papers and photos at the @griffithinstitute.bsky.social
October 28, 2025 at 10:00 PM
100 years ago today Howard Carter opened Tutankamoun’s inner most coffin and saw the pharaoh’s mask for the first time. Here’s the photo taken that day.
It’s in with all the astonishing excavation papers and photos at the @griffithinstitute.bsky.social
It’s in with all the astonishing excavation papers and photos at the @griffithinstitute.bsky.social
Soviet submarine commodore Vasily Arkhipov may well have saved the world today in 1962.
Off Cuba, Soviet sub B-59 was being depth charged by US ships & was out of contact with the USSR. The captain, assuming they were at war, wished to launch a nuclear torpedo. Arkhipov vetoed it.
Off Cuba, Soviet sub B-59 was being depth charged by US ships & was out of contact with the USSR. The captain, assuming they were at war, wished to launch a nuclear torpedo. Arkhipov vetoed it.
October 27, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Soviet submarine commodore Vasily Arkhipov may well have saved the world today in 1962.
Off Cuba, Soviet sub B-59 was being depth charged by US ships & was out of contact with the USSR. The captain, assuming they were at war, wished to launch a nuclear torpedo. Arkhipov vetoed it.
Off Cuba, Soviet sub B-59 was being depth charged by US ships & was out of contact with the USSR. The captain, assuming they were at war, wished to launch a nuclear torpedo. Arkhipov vetoed it.
Are you telling me that middle aged Henry VIII was not in fact a hyper masculine sexual tyrannosaur in perfect health?
October 26, 2025 at 10:08 AM
Are you telling me that middle aged Henry VIII was not in fact a hyper masculine sexual tyrannosaur in perfect health?
OH NO! Christians have built an absolutely enormous building to fill me, a medieval peasant, with a sense of dread, majesty, awe and insignificance.
October 26, 2025 at 10:08 AM
OH NO! Christians have built an absolutely enormous building to fill me, a medieval peasant, with a sense of dread, majesty, awe and insignificance.
Next time your mate is deep in a reverie about the immutable, exceptional nature of English identity, you might want to show them this picture and remind them that 300 years ago this would have been enough to send the entire kingdom into a revolutionary, effigy burning, chapel torching frenzy
October 23, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Next time your mate is deep in a reverie about the immutable, exceptional nature of English identity, you might want to show them this picture and remind them that 300 years ago this would have been enough to send the entire kingdom into a revolutionary, effigy burning, chapel torching frenzy
Only one man was at both Trafalgar & Waterloo. Spaniard Miguel Ricardo de Ãlava y Esquivel. Fought against British at former & with them at the latter.
October 21, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Only one man was at both Trafalgar & Waterloo. Spaniard Miguel Ricardo de Ãlava y Esquivel. Fought against British at former & with them at the latter.
This wonderful map from @UkNatArchives was drawn by a British officer watching from a frigate, just out of the line of battle.
Nelson's approach was deeply unorthodox and designed to precipitate a decisive clash.
Nelson's approach was deeply unorthodox and designed to precipitate a decisive clash.
October 21, 2025 at 8:57 PM
This wonderful map from @UkNatArchives was drawn by a British officer watching from a frigate, just out of the line of battle.
Nelson's approach was deeply unorthodox and designed to precipitate a decisive clash.
Nelson's approach was deeply unorthodox and designed to precipitate a decisive clash.
Today in 1805 Nelson won a shattering victory at Trafalgar.
Ships lost:
French and Spanish fleet: 22
British: 0
Ships lost:
French and Spanish fleet: 22
British: 0
October 21, 2025 at 8:56 PM
Today in 1805 Nelson won a shattering victory at Trafalgar.
Ships lost:
French and Spanish fleet: 22
British: 0
Ships lost:
French and Spanish fleet: 22
British: 0
Among the spoils was a pekingese dog. It was presented to Queen Victoria who named it 'Looty'.
October 18, 2025 at 5:48 PM
Among the spoils was a pekingese dog. It was presented to Queen Victoria who named it 'Looty'.
Today in 1860 a Franco British force destroyed the Summer Palace of the Chinese Emperor. The future general, Charles Gordon, wrote: You can scarcely imagine the beauty and magnificence of the places we burnt. It made one's heart sore to burn them....It was wretchedly demoralising work for an army.
October 18, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Today in 1860 a Franco British force destroyed the Summer Palace of the Chinese Emperor. The future general, Charles Gordon, wrote: You can scarcely imagine the beauty and magnificence of the places we burnt. It made one's heart sore to burn them....It was wretchedly demoralising work for an army.
The medieval Palace of Westminster burned today in 1834. Turner was on hand to paint it.
The replacement building was supposed to cost £710,000 and take 6 years
It cost £2.4 million and took 24 years.
With a decade of snagging.
The replacement building was supposed to cost £710,000 and take 6 years
It cost £2.4 million and took 24 years.
With a decade of snagging.
October 16, 2025 at 8:51 PM
The medieval Palace of Westminster burned today in 1834. Turner was on hand to paint it.
The replacement building was supposed to cost £710,000 and take 6 years
It cost £2.4 million and took 24 years.
With a decade of snagging.
The replacement building was supposed to cost £710,000 and take 6 years
It cost £2.4 million and took 24 years.
With a decade of snagging.
AN IMPROVED MAP of the United States BY Shelton & Kensett , Cheshire, Conn., July 6, 1813
October 14, 2025 at 10:17 AM
AN IMPROVED MAP of the United States BY Shelton & Kensett , Cheshire, Conn., July 6, 1813
Thank you! Embarrassingly I haven’t actually seen the Fire app recently but the iOS for example does have various categories. I’ll talk to the product team tomorrow:
October 12, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Thank you! Embarrassingly I haven’t actually seen the Fire app recently but the iOS for example does have various categories. I’ll talk to the product team tomorrow:
On the YouTube right now…. @goingmedieval.bsky.social reveals some truths about medieval sex.
It is not at all what you think.
📺: youtu.be/wkZy3geThS8?...
It is not at all what you think.
📺: youtu.be/wkZy3geThS8?...
October 10, 2025 at 6:20 PM
On the YouTube right now…. @goingmedieval.bsky.social reveals some truths about medieval sex.
It is not at all what you think.
📺: youtu.be/wkZy3geThS8?...
It is not at all what you think.
📺: youtu.be/wkZy3geThS8?...