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History by the Numbers

20 episodes 92%4KCC

Big ideas, sharp stats, and the surprising math behind modern history.

See history through the numbers that reveal how culture, power, technology, and everyday life change over time. Across topics from fast food and skyscrapers to the Roaring Twenties, the Great Migration, and the gender gap, expert interviews and playful infographics turn complex stories into clear, memorable insight. Sign up to watch a series that makes every statistic matter.

Episode guide

20 episodes
1
14 Trillion French Fries
FOUR TRILLION FRIES - we are what we eat: a drive-thru history of a hundred years of fast food, from the burger's humble beginnings to its conquest of America and the world beyond.
46 min
2
2Everest
EVEREST - where earth meets sky: discover how the most thrilling and dangerous point at the top of the world continues to fascinate us, and what it takes to conquer the Big One.
46 min
3
3Queens For Life
QUEENS FOR LIFE - Victoria & Elizabeth II: in the last 200 years, 2 women have sat on the British throne for two-thirds of the time - find out what it takes to be a royal success in an ever-changing world.
46 min
4
4Crime Bosses
CRIME BOSSES - the most exclusive job in the world: discover the secrets of five of the world's most notorious crime bosses as we reveal how they did it, who got away with it, and which of them didn't...
46 min
5
5Crazy Rich People
CRAZY RICH PEOPLE - wealth beyond your wildest dreams: if you've ever wondered what it takes to become fabulously wealthy, get the inside scoop on six of the wealthiest people in history as we reveal the secret of how they became crazy rich.
46 min
6
6The Roaring 20s
Ever wonder what happens after a global pandemic? Sometimes the secrets of the future can be found in the past. In the wake of the Spanish Flu, the 1920s become the decade of flappers, jazz, and the speakeasy, and for many a time of unprecedented opportunity.
46 min
7
7Psychedelics
Psychedelics have impacted history for as long as there have been people wanting to get their minds blown. Discover who's been under the influence from Salem witches and Santa Claus to 1960s hippies and Steve Jobs, and find out how mind-altering substances have changed our world.
46 min
8
8Heists
Get the inside track on five of the greatest heists in history. These are not petty robberies, but high-stakes operations meticulously planned and audaciously executed, with a cast of colorful characters from the mastermind to the snitch. Find out who gets away with the loot, and who doesn't.
46 min
9
9King Tut
When the lost tomb of King Tut is opened in 1922, it's not only the famous Curse that is unleashed. Fashion, movies and architecture all come under the pharaoh's spell as the world goes mad for Tut-mania. Discover how a 3,000-year-old teenager becomes a celebrity pharaoh and changes the modern world
46 min
10
10Race To Berlin
It's June 1944. the Soviet Red Army and the Western Allies are in a race to the finish line. The prize is Hitler's Berlin, and whoever is first to cover 700 miles will not only win the war but will get to decide the future of Europe and the world.
46 min
11
11The Gender Gap
Everyone’s heard of the gender pay gap, but the gender gap is much much bigger. Find out how the insidious ‘standard man’ makes it hard to find a place where the gap doesn’t impact us.
46 min
12
12The Amazon
The Amazon rainforest is one of the enduring mysteries of the natural world - and no wonder, it is as big as the whole continental US! It’s home to over 2 million Indigenous peoples, and a massive 10% of the world’s known plant and animal species - and thousands more we haven’t even discovered.
46 min
13
13Infidelity
From royal mistresses to White House scandals, ancient texts to the internet, the history of infidelity is loaded with pants-dropping numbers. And the science behind the salacious history and shockingly common behavior will surprise you.
46 min
14
14Party Animals
Humans are born to party animals - and whether it’s a chance to cut loose, break the rules, or just plain show off, you just never know which party will go down in history. These 13 stand out - for excess, success, or epic failure.
46 min
15
15Skyscrapers
The history of skyscrapers is the history of American cities, technological ingenuity, and a global boom in urbanization. From West to East, and 5 stories up to 1km high, there’s nowhere to go but up.
46 min
16
16Air Travel
Since the earliest pioneers of flight, we've dreamed of conquering the skies. From the first brave passenger flying across Tampa Bay in 1915 in a rickety rust bucket to 40 million commercial flights each year, discover how innovation, coach class, and sex have made our flying fantasies come true.
46 min
17
17Astronauts
Discover what it takes to become an astronaut and be part of the greatest human adventure of all time, blasting into outer space at 17,000 mph, propelled by 5 million pounds of exploding fuel and with only a quarter-inch of thin metal standing between success and total obliteration.
46 min
18
18Cats & Dogs
Humans have evolved alongside millions of species, but we've invited only 2 of them out of the wild into our homes. Discover the furball history of Cats & Dogs, from caveman to Instagram, hunting companion to pampered pooch - with 7.4 million likes and 6.8 billion snapshots of our cuddly companions.
46 min
19
19Genghis Khan
It takes just 25 years for Genghis Khan to conquer the greatest land empire the world has ever seen. It's said he's responsible for over 40 million deaths, and even now 16 million people carry his personal DNA.
46 min
20
20The Great Migration
It's one of the most overlooked stories of 20th century American history - when 6 million African Americans leave the southern states in the Great Migration to seek freedom and opportunity in the north and west, they transform everything from civil rights and politics to sport, music, and culture.
46 min
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