Curiosity Stream
Sign In
Curiosity Original

History: The Interesting Bits

8 episodes 92%4KCC

Where history turns funny, disturbing, and gloriously strange.

Across eight fast-paced episodes, uncover the funny, disturbing, weird details that textbooks usually leave behind. From power and espionage to love, wealth, and invention, each story reveals how unpredictable the past can be. Sign up to watch a series that makes history sharper, stranger, and far more rewarding.

Episode guide

8 episodes
1
1How To Be President
We look at the men and women who’ve run and, in some cases, won the Oval Office. We meet lawyers, war heroes, and crooks, and discover which POTUS shut down a nuclear plant in meltdown and which was almost eaten. What is the real cost of the top job and why so far have they all been men?
52 min
2
2How To Get Away With It
History is littered with criminals, con artists, frauds, and fakes. We look at the most interesting from Adam Worth, the 19th-century inspiration for Professor Moriarty, to a jewel thief named ‘Diamond’ Doris and a ‘Count’ who sold the Eiffel Tower to gullible buyers… twice.
52 min
3
3How To Keep a Secret
Empires and lives have been won and lost over secrets kept and secrets revealed. We look at espionage; meeting spies from Delilah to Roald Dahl and along the way revealing the real model for James Bond. And we ask how many people can know a secret before it isn’t secret anymore?
52 min
4
4How To Start a War
We discover you can start a war over almost anything, from an unprovoked invasion to a lost ear, a pastry, or a stolen bucket. We look at wars that lasted for centuries and others that were over in minutes and we learn that though it’s easy to start a war it’s far more difficult to end one…
52 min
5
5How To Make a Fortune
Throughout history, men and women have dedicated themselves to raking in as much wealth as possible; old money, new money, even blood money. But from Robber Barons to Mansa Musa of Mali; how did they get it, how did they spend it, and were they happier than the rest of us…
52 min
6
6How To Fall in Love
Love has always been one of the great drivers of history, a drunk driver, without a license. Yet it hurtles on, costing royalty their heads, generals their victories, and many of us our sanity. We explore why, from Liz Taylor to Attila the Hun; the pain is never enough to stop us looking for love.
52 min
7
7How To Build a Revolution
History is full of revolutions, industrial, sexual, and the big one, political. Every once in a while, holding hands and singing can be more effective than tanks and barricades. But even if your cause and motives are pure, to begin with, how can you still end up on the wrong side of history?
52 min
8
8How To Be Inventive
Our modern world was created through invention. But great inventors build on earlier ideas or sometimes even steal them and it’s not always clear who first had the spark…
52 min
Good to know

Frequently asked questions

Thousands of the world's best documentaries and factual programming — nature, history, science, technology, and biography — including exclusive Curiosity Originals like History: The Interesting Bits. Stream it all ad-free, anytime.

Plans are billed annually — every plan streams in 4K. The Smart Bundle adds four partner services. There are no contracts — cancel anytime.

Watch on the web, iOS and Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Android TV, and most smart TVs. Start on one device and pick up right where you left off on another.

Yes. The library is full of family-friendly nature and science programming, and the Smart Bundle includes Kidstream — carefully chosen, ad-free shows kids will love and parents can trust.

Absolutely. There are no contracts and no cancellation fees — manage or cancel your plan anytime from your account settings.

Curiosity Stream is our streaming service — thousands of documentaries and originals. The Smart Bundle is Curiosity Stream plus four other independent streaming services (Tastemade, Kidstream, Curiosity University, and SOMM TV) on a single subscription.

Yes. Start on any plan and move up to the Smart Bundle whenever you like — the change takes effect right away, and your billing is simply prorated from your account settings.

Got your answer? Pick a plan and start streaming.Start streaming
Available now

Start watching History: The Interesting Bits today

Stream thousands of award-winning documentaries. Cancel anytime.

Start streaming