50 popular YouTube channels that focus primarily on history
Page Info
Writer AndyKim
Hit 1,670 Hit
Date 25-01-17 12:42
Content
50 popular YouTube channels that focus primarily on history. Each entry includes a brief description to help you discover the channel’s general style, themes, and most notable strengths.
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1. **CrashCourse**
*CrashCourse*, created by the Vlogbrothers (John and Hank Green), offers concise, animated lessons on various subjects, including world history, U.S. history, and more. Their episodes are fast-paced, well-researched, and presented in an engaging, student-friendly way.
2. **Overly Sarcastic Productions**
This channel combines tongue-in-cheek humor with cartoon-style visuals to explore mythology, literature, and historical events. Their “History Summarized” series covers everything from ancient civilizations to modern global conflicts.
3. **Extra Credits**
Known initially for video game commentary, *Extra Credits* also produces an extensive library of bite-sized history videos. Each mini-series highlights a particular figure or period—such as Charlemagne, Catherine the Great, or the Punic Wars—and presents it in fun, illustrated segments.
4. **Epic History TV**
*Epic History TV* dives deep into major conflicts and empires, focusing on clear timelines and vivid battle maps. They often run multi-part series (e.g., the Napoleonic Wars) with high production quality and in-depth analysis.
5. **Kings and Generals**
Specializing in animated battle depictions, *Kings and Generals* presents meticulously researched military history. You’ll find a broad range of topics here, from ancient Roman campaigns to the Eastern Front of WWII.
6. **Simple History**
This channel employs simple, cartoon-style animations and straightforward narration to make historical events—particularly wars and major conflicts—accessible for all ages.
7. **The Great War**
Hosted initially by Indy Neidell, *The Great War* covered World War I week by week in “real-time,” 100 years later. The channel has since expanded into broader topics and special episodes about WWI’s aftermath.
8. **TimeGhost History**
Created by the team behind *The Great War*, *TimeGhost History* hosts series such as *World War Two* and thematic explorations into 20th-century events. The videos maintain a documentary feel, complete with archival footage and expert commentary.
9. **Mark Felton Productions**
Mark Felton, a historian and author, narrates short documentaries on lesser-known incidents, weapons, and figures from World War I, World War II, and beyond, often including rare photographs and research-based details.
10. **The Armchair Historian**
Founded by Griffin Johnsen, *The Armchair Historian* offers animated history videos that dive deep into wars, revolutions, and political transformations. The channel is praised for its approachable, narrative style.
11. **AlternateHistoryHub**
*AlternateHistoryHub* explores hypothetical scenarios—like “What if the Roman Empire never fell?”—by examining real historical events and imagining plausible alternative outcomes. It’s a fun way to think about history “what-ifs.”
12. **Feature History**
*Feature History* presents compact but thorough summaries of historical events, often focusing on specific wars or political developments. Their videos combine a friendly narrative tone with clear, minimalistic animations.
13. **Historia Civilis**
This channel’s specialty is the ancient world, particularly the Roman Republic and Empire. *Historia Civilis* stands out for its clean visual style, strategic maps, and well-explained political intrigues of antiquity.
14. **BazBattles**
With an emphasis on warfare, *BazBattles* animates pivotal battles and provides detailed commentary on troop movements and strategies. Topics range from medieval Europe to the American Civil War.
15. **Invicta**
*Invicta* covers a range of historical topics, especially ancient Rome and Greece. Its high-quality animations and careful explanations of social, cultural, and military aspects help make the ancient world more understandable.
16. **Timeline – World History Documentaries**
A hub for longer-form, documentary-style content, *Timeline* hosts professionally produced films on ancient civilizations, the World Wars, the medieval period, and much more. It’s an excellent channel for those wanting an in-depth, TV-like format.
17. **The History Guy: History Deserves to Be Remembered**
The History Guy (Lance Geiger) produces short, educational videos that spotlight forgotten stories or overlooked details from around the globe, spanning centuries and continents.
18. **History Buffs**
*History Buffs* reviews films and TV shows with historical themes, analyzing their accuracy (or lack thereof). If you enjoy period dramas and war epics, this channel offers insightful perspectives on Hollywood’s portrayal of real events.
19. **EmperorTigerstar**
Specializing in animated maps, *EmperorTigerstar* illustrates the territorial changes of empires, countries, and battle lines over time. Their most popular videos depict entire wars in a dynamic, minute-by-minute or year-by-year format.
20. **Weird History**
As the name suggests, *Weird History* focuses on offbeat or lesser-known events—random facts, bizarre traditions, and strange twists in history that often go unnoticed in standard textbooks.
21. **Tasting History with Max Miller**
This unique channel merges culinary exploration with historical research. Max Miller recreates recipes from the past—ancient Rome, medieval Europe, and beyond—while explaining the historical context of each dish.
22. **Metatron**
*Metatron* delves into medieval life, arms and armor, and historical linguistics, often focusing on authenticity and myth-busting. The host frequently draws from museum artifacts and scholarly sources to discuss history and warfare.
23. **Ten Minute History**
True to its name, this channel condenses complex eras—like the Tudor period or the Cold War—into roughly ten-minute overviews, complete with simple but effective visuals.
24. **Manny Man Does History**
Known for quick, stick-figure summaries of entire wars, revolutions, or dynasties, Manny Man injects humor into his short animated sketches, making them suitable for a broad audience.
25. **RealLifeLore**
Although not exclusively a history channel, *RealLifeLore* often creates videos on historical “what-if” scenarios, global geography, and surprising events from the past. Their content provides a big-picture perspective on world affairs.
26. **The Infographics Show**
Another channel with diverse topics, *The Infographics Show* frequently tackles historical subjects—battles, famous figures, and entire civilizations—through animated, infographic-style visuals.
27. **HistoryMarche**
*HistoryMarche* produces detailed battle narratives and campaign overviews, using clearly labeled maps and diagrams to explain strategies in conflicts ranging from the classical era to modern warfare.
28. **Military History Visualized**
This channel dedicates itself to analyzing battles, military technology, and strategies across different eras. Expect a more technical, data-driven approach to conflict history, often including charts and statistical breakdowns.
29. **Step Back**
*Step Back* investigates political and social history, often emphasizing how historical patterns continue to shape current affairs. The channel combines well-researched commentary with clean animations.
30. **House of History**
Focusing on European and American history, *House of History* presents short documentaries on interesting figures, battles, and turning points, balancing clarity with an engaging narrative style.
31. **Potential History**
This channel often re-examines accepted historical narratives, highlighting misconceptions or oversimplifications. *Potential History* takes a critical lens to major conflicts, particularly WWII.
32. **British Pathé**
A treasure trove of archival film footage, *British Pathé* holds thousands of historical newsreels and documentaries dating from the early 20th century. It’s an invaluable resource for those interested in authentic primary sources.
33. **The Study of Antiquity and the Middle Ages**
True to its name, this channel zeroes in on the ancient world and medieval times. You’ll find interviews with historians, documentary-style videos on empires, and explorations of archaeology.
34. **It’s History**
This channel features documentary-style episodes focusing on specific locations or topics, such as abandoned places, iconic landmarks, and how certain regions evolved over time.
35. **Warographics**
An offshoot of the *Geographics/Today I Found Out* family, *Warographics* concentrates on battles, tactics, and the broader context of global conflicts, often blending short narratives with archival photos.
36. **Scholagladiatoria**
A must-watch for medieval enthusiasts, *Scholagladiatoria* examines historical European martial arts, arms, and armor. The host demonstrates authentic techniques and dispels common misconceptions about medieval combat.
37. **The People Profiles**
This channel focuses on notable historical figures—leaders, inventors, artists—and offers succinct mini-biographies that cover key events, achievements, and lasting impacts.
38. **History Matters**
Known for its entertaining “short animated documentary” format, *History Matters* covers everything from the fall of empires to quirky historical questions. Videos are typically under 10 minutes, making them quick and informative.
39. **Ancient History Guy**
With a personal, casual style, the “Ancient History Guy” digs into Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and other early civilizations’ stories, artifacts, and cultural practices.
40. **History with Hilbert**
This channel covers a broad range of topics, but often focuses on British, European, and linguistic history. Hilbert explores everything from the Norman Conquest to the evolution of languages and dialects.
41. **Drachinifel**
*Drachinifel* caters to naval history buffs, detailing ships, battles, and seafaring innovations from multiple eras—especially focusing on the World Wars.
42. **Told in Stone**
Specializing in the Classical world, *Told in Stone* dives into ancient Rome and Greece, with episodes examining architecture, daily life, famous sites, and legendary figures.
43. **Fire of Learning**
Covering vast time periods, *Fire of Learning* delivers narrative-driven episodes, often merging mythology, theology, and cultural history with dynamic visuals and smooth storytelling.
44. **Mr. Terry History**
A high school history teacher by profession, Mr. Terry reacts to historical documentaries, memes, and movies, providing insightful commentary on the accuracy and context behind the content.
45. **OverSimplified**
Known for its trademark cartoon style and comedic tone, *OverSimplified* breaks down major historical wars, figures, and events into easily digestible, humor-driven episodes.
46. **PBS Eons**
Stretching far beyond recorded history, *PBS Eons* explores Earth’s deep past—dinosaurs, evolution, prehistoric climates—shedding light on the planet’s ancient chapters through scientific research.
47. **M. Laser History**
This channel offers crisp, storyboard-style videos on a variety of topics, from the Opium Wars to the American Civil War. The host aims to make complex events easy to follow and memorable.
48. **World War Two (TimeGhost)**
A sister channel to *TimeGhost History*, *World War Two* covers the Second World War week by week, following the chronology of battles, political shifts, and key personalities in near “real-time.”
49. **Jack Rackam**
*Jack Rackam* animates stories from history—often focusing on piracy, privateering, and maritime adventures. If you’re a fan of the Golden Age of Piracy or tall tales from the high seas, this is your channel.
50. **History Hit**
Created by Dan Snow, *History Hit* offers professionally produced videos covering British and world history. They feature interviews with historians, explorations of historical sites, and captivating storytelling.
---
**Tip for Further Exploration:**
Many of these channels interlink with each other—guests appear on each other’s shows, and references to related videos are common. If you enjoy one creator’s style, you’re likely to find more recommended channels just by checking the suggested videos and channel collaborations. Enjoy your journey through the past!
---
1. **CrashCourse**
*CrashCourse*, created by the Vlogbrothers (John and Hank Green), offers concise, animated lessons on various subjects, including world history, U.S. history, and more. Their episodes are fast-paced, well-researched, and presented in an engaging, student-friendly way.
2. **Overly Sarcastic Productions**
This channel combines tongue-in-cheek humor with cartoon-style visuals to explore mythology, literature, and historical events. Their “History Summarized” series covers everything from ancient civilizations to modern global conflicts.
3. **Extra Credits**
Known initially for video game commentary, *Extra Credits* also produces an extensive library of bite-sized history videos. Each mini-series highlights a particular figure or period—such as Charlemagne, Catherine the Great, or the Punic Wars—and presents it in fun, illustrated segments.
4. **Epic History TV**
*Epic History TV* dives deep into major conflicts and empires, focusing on clear timelines and vivid battle maps. They often run multi-part series (e.g., the Napoleonic Wars) with high production quality and in-depth analysis.
5. **Kings and Generals**
Specializing in animated battle depictions, *Kings and Generals* presents meticulously researched military history. You’ll find a broad range of topics here, from ancient Roman campaigns to the Eastern Front of WWII.
6. **Simple History**
This channel employs simple, cartoon-style animations and straightforward narration to make historical events—particularly wars and major conflicts—accessible for all ages.
7. **The Great War**
Hosted initially by Indy Neidell, *The Great War* covered World War I week by week in “real-time,” 100 years later. The channel has since expanded into broader topics and special episodes about WWI’s aftermath.
8. **TimeGhost History**
Created by the team behind *The Great War*, *TimeGhost History* hosts series such as *World War Two* and thematic explorations into 20th-century events. The videos maintain a documentary feel, complete with archival footage and expert commentary.
9. **Mark Felton Productions**
Mark Felton, a historian and author, narrates short documentaries on lesser-known incidents, weapons, and figures from World War I, World War II, and beyond, often including rare photographs and research-based details.
10. **The Armchair Historian**
Founded by Griffin Johnsen, *The Armchair Historian* offers animated history videos that dive deep into wars, revolutions, and political transformations. The channel is praised for its approachable, narrative style.
11. **AlternateHistoryHub**
*AlternateHistoryHub* explores hypothetical scenarios—like “What if the Roman Empire never fell?”—by examining real historical events and imagining plausible alternative outcomes. It’s a fun way to think about history “what-ifs.”
12. **Feature History**
*Feature History* presents compact but thorough summaries of historical events, often focusing on specific wars or political developments. Their videos combine a friendly narrative tone with clear, minimalistic animations.
13. **Historia Civilis**
This channel’s specialty is the ancient world, particularly the Roman Republic and Empire. *Historia Civilis* stands out for its clean visual style, strategic maps, and well-explained political intrigues of antiquity.
14. **BazBattles**
With an emphasis on warfare, *BazBattles* animates pivotal battles and provides detailed commentary on troop movements and strategies. Topics range from medieval Europe to the American Civil War.
15. **Invicta**
*Invicta* covers a range of historical topics, especially ancient Rome and Greece. Its high-quality animations and careful explanations of social, cultural, and military aspects help make the ancient world more understandable.
16. **Timeline – World History Documentaries**
A hub for longer-form, documentary-style content, *Timeline* hosts professionally produced films on ancient civilizations, the World Wars, the medieval period, and much more. It’s an excellent channel for those wanting an in-depth, TV-like format.
17. **The History Guy: History Deserves to Be Remembered**
The History Guy (Lance Geiger) produces short, educational videos that spotlight forgotten stories or overlooked details from around the globe, spanning centuries and continents.
18. **History Buffs**
*History Buffs* reviews films and TV shows with historical themes, analyzing their accuracy (or lack thereof). If you enjoy period dramas and war epics, this channel offers insightful perspectives on Hollywood’s portrayal of real events.
19. **EmperorTigerstar**
Specializing in animated maps, *EmperorTigerstar* illustrates the territorial changes of empires, countries, and battle lines over time. Their most popular videos depict entire wars in a dynamic, minute-by-minute or year-by-year format.
20. **Weird History**
As the name suggests, *Weird History* focuses on offbeat or lesser-known events—random facts, bizarre traditions, and strange twists in history that often go unnoticed in standard textbooks.
21. **Tasting History with Max Miller**
This unique channel merges culinary exploration with historical research. Max Miller recreates recipes from the past—ancient Rome, medieval Europe, and beyond—while explaining the historical context of each dish.
22. **Metatron**
*Metatron* delves into medieval life, arms and armor, and historical linguistics, often focusing on authenticity and myth-busting. The host frequently draws from museum artifacts and scholarly sources to discuss history and warfare.
23. **Ten Minute History**
True to its name, this channel condenses complex eras—like the Tudor period or the Cold War—into roughly ten-minute overviews, complete with simple but effective visuals.
24. **Manny Man Does History**
Known for quick, stick-figure summaries of entire wars, revolutions, or dynasties, Manny Man injects humor into his short animated sketches, making them suitable for a broad audience.
25. **RealLifeLore**
Although not exclusively a history channel, *RealLifeLore* often creates videos on historical “what-if” scenarios, global geography, and surprising events from the past. Their content provides a big-picture perspective on world affairs.
26. **The Infographics Show**
Another channel with diverse topics, *The Infographics Show* frequently tackles historical subjects—battles, famous figures, and entire civilizations—through animated, infographic-style visuals.
27. **HistoryMarche**
*HistoryMarche* produces detailed battle narratives and campaign overviews, using clearly labeled maps and diagrams to explain strategies in conflicts ranging from the classical era to modern warfare.
28. **Military History Visualized**
This channel dedicates itself to analyzing battles, military technology, and strategies across different eras. Expect a more technical, data-driven approach to conflict history, often including charts and statistical breakdowns.
29. **Step Back**
*Step Back* investigates political and social history, often emphasizing how historical patterns continue to shape current affairs. The channel combines well-researched commentary with clean animations.
30. **House of History**
Focusing on European and American history, *House of History* presents short documentaries on interesting figures, battles, and turning points, balancing clarity with an engaging narrative style.
31. **Potential History**
This channel often re-examines accepted historical narratives, highlighting misconceptions or oversimplifications. *Potential History* takes a critical lens to major conflicts, particularly WWII.
32. **British Pathé**
A treasure trove of archival film footage, *British Pathé* holds thousands of historical newsreels and documentaries dating from the early 20th century. It’s an invaluable resource for those interested in authentic primary sources.
33. **The Study of Antiquity and the Middle Ages**
True to its name, this channel zeroes in on the ancient world and medieval times. You’ll find interviews with historians, documentary-style videos on empires, and explorations of archaeology.
34. **It’s History**
This channel features documentary-style episodes focusing on specific locations or topics, such as abandoned places, iconic landmarks, and how certain regions evolved over time.
35. **Warographics**
An offshoot of the *Geographics/Today I Found Out* family, *Warographics* concentrates on battles, tactics, and the broader context of global conflicts, often blending short narratives with archival photos.
36. **Scholagladiatoria**
A must-watch for medieval enthusiasts, *Scholagladiatoria* examines historical European martial arts, arms, and armor. The host demonstrates authentic techniques and dispels common misconceptions about medieval combat.
37. **The People Profiles**
This channel focuses on notable historical figures—leaders, inventors, artists—and offers succinct mini-biographies that cover key events, achievements, and lasting impacts.
38. **History Matters**
Known for its entertaining “short animated documentary” format, *History Matters* covers everything from the fall of empires to quirky historical questions. Videos are typically under 10 minutes, making them quick and informative.
39. **Ancient History Guy**
With a personal, casual style, the “Ancient History Guy” digs into Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and other early civilizations’ stories, artifacts, and cultural practices.
40. **History with Hilbert**
This channel covers a broad range of topics, but often focuses on British, European, and linguistic history. Hilbert explores everything from the Norman Conquest to the evolution of languages and dialects.
41. **Drachinifel**
*Drachinifel* caters to naval history buffs, detailing ships, battles, and seafaring innovations from multiple eras—especially focusing on the World Wars.
42. **Told in Stone**
Specializing in the Classical world, *Told in Stone* dives into ancient Rome and Greece, with episodes examining architecture, daily life, famous sites, and legendary figures.
43. **Fire of Learning**
Covering vast time periods, *Fire of Learning* delivers narrative-driven episodes, often merging mythology, theology, and cultural history with dynamic visuals and smooth storytelling.
44. **Mr. Terry History**
A high school history teacher by profession, Mr. Terry reacts to historical documentaries, memes, and movies, providing insightful commentary on the accuracy and context behind the content.
45. **OverSimplified**
Known for its trademark cartoon style and comedic tone, *OverSimplified* breaks down major historical wars, figures, and events into easily digestible, humor-driven episodes.
46. **PBS Eons**
Stretching far beyond recorded history, *PBS Eons* explores Earth’s deep past—dinosaurs, evolution, prehistoric climates—shedding light on the planet’s ancient chapters through scientific research.
47. **M. Laser History**
This channel offers crisp, storyboard-style videos on a variety of topics, from the Opium Wars to the American Civil War. The host aims to make complex events easy to follow and memorable.
48. **World War Two (TimeGhost)**
A sister channel to *TimeGhost History*, *World War Two* covers the Second World War week by week, following the chronology of battles, political shifts, and key personalities in near “real-time.”
49. **Jack Rackam**
*Jack Rackam* animates stories from history—often focusing on piracy, privateering, and maritime adventures. If you’re a fan of the Golden Age of Piracy or tall tales from the high seas, this is your channel.
50. **History Hit**
Created by Dan Snow, *History Hit* offers professionally produced videos covering British and world history. They feature interviews with historians, explorations of historical sites, and captivating storytelling.
---
**Tip for Further Exploration:**
Many of these channels interlink with each other—guests appear on each other’s shows, and references to related videos are common. If you enjoy one creator’s style, you’re likely to find more recommended channels just by checking the suggested videos and channel collaborations. Enjoy your journey through the past!