History By Heroes & Legends

Heroes and Legends is a channel dedicated to exploring the lives and stories of great individuals that have made an impact on history, culture or our way of life, but whose deeper personal stories have often been overlooked, ignored or misrepresented.

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History Like Nothing You've Seen

Get behind the myth and into the minds of heroes to better understand their story. See the Description section of each video for more links and further info.

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Resources

A collection of downloadable historical documents you may find of interest, which we believe to be in the public domain, and freely available. If any of these items are subject to copyright, please let us know and we will remove them.

Thomas Paine- African Slavery in America (1775)

Thomas Paine- Common Sense (1776)

Thomas Paine- The American Crisis (1776)

Thomas Paine- The Rights of Man pt1. (1791)

Thomas Paine- The Rights of Man pt2. (1792)

Thomas Paine- Age of Reason (1793)

Thomas Paine- Agrarian Justice (1795)

Ibn Battouta’s Rihla (1355)

Antonio Pigafetta’s account of Magellan’s Circumnavigation voyage of 1519-1522

Roald Amundsen: The North West Passage (1907)

Roald Amundsen: The South Pole (Vols 1 & 2) (1912)

Roald Amundsen: My Life as an Explorer (1927)

The Catalpa Expedition by ZW Pease 1897

Masserano Declaration 1771

Amurath to Amurath by Gertrude Bell

The Letters of Gertrude Bell Vol.1

The Letters of Gertrude Bell Vol.2

The King of Pyrates by Daniel Defoe 1719

The Hawkins Voyages to Mughal India

Tesla, Prodigal Genius by J. O’Neill

My Inventions (aka Strange Life of Nikola Tesla)

By Nikola Tesla

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🗓️ On this day, November 10, 1444, the Battle of Varna took place, marking a decisive defeat for the Christian Crusader forces led by King Władysław III of Poland and Hungary against the Ottoman Sultan Murad II. The battle was a crucial engagement in the Crusade of Varna, which sought to halt Ottoman expansion into Europe.HomeHomeThe Crusaders, though outnumbered, launched a bold campaign with the support of Pope Eugenius IV, Venice, and other European powers. However, the battle turned disastrous when Władysław recklessly charged at the center of the Ottoman forces and was killed, leaving the Crusaders leaderless and causing their army to collapse. The death of Władysław, who was later dubbed Władysław the Warneńczyk, marked the end of the crusade and cemented Ottoman control over the Balkans.HomeHomeThe defeat at Varna had long-lasting repercussions for Europe. It solidified Ottoman dominance in southeastern Europe and delayed further European attempts to resist their expansion for decades. Sultan Murad II’s victory reinforced the empire’s influence, setting the stage for Ottoman consolidation under his successors. ⚔️🌍HomeHome#OnThisDay #BattleOfVarna #Crusades #MuradII #WładysławIII #OttomanEmpire #MedievalHistory #EuropeanHistory #BalkanHistory ... See MoreSee Less
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🗓️ On this day, November 9, 1520, the infamous Stockholm Bloodbath began under the orders of King Christian II of Denmark. After successfully defeating the Swedish forces in the ongoing conflict over control of Sweden, Christian II was crowned King of Sweden. However, what followed this coronation shocked Europe and deepened Swedish resistance. Over the next few days, Christian II ordered the execution of nearly 100 Swedish nobles, clergy, and citizens, accusing them of heresy against the Church. These mass killings were seen as an attempt to eliminate opposition to Danish rule and solidify Christian's power over the region.HomeHomeThe bloodbath occurred in the main square of Stockholm, and the victims were beheaded or hanged, their bodies displayed publicly to instill fear in the population. Despite his attempt to tighten his grip on Sweden, the brutal crackdown backfired. Rather than quelling resistance, it intensified Swedish resentment toward the Danish crown. The Stockholm Bloodbath became a rallying cry for Swedish independence, leading to the rise of Gustav Vasa and the eventual collapse of the Kalmar Union, which had united Denmark, Norway, and Sweden under a single monarch.HomeHomeThe event is remembered as a dark chapter in Scandinavian history, symbolizing tyranny and bloodshed but also sparking the eventual liberation of Sweden. The Stockholm Bloodbath remains a stark reminder of the violent and turbulent period that led to Sweden's emergence as a sovereign state. 🩸⚔️HomeHome#OnThisDay #stockholmbloodbath #swedishhistory #christianii #KalmarUnion #gustavvasa #scandinavianhistory #medievalhistory ... See MoreSee Less
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Excerpts: Prince Philip's Wartime Service and Marriage to Princess Elizabeth ... See MoreSee Less
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🗓️ On this day, November 8, 392 AD, Emperor Theodosius I made a historic proclamation, declaring Christianity as the official state religion of the Roman Empire. Theodosius, a devout follower of Nicene Christianity, had already taken steps to suppress pagan practices, but this edict was the final blow to traditional Roman polytheism. It banned all pagan rituals, closed temples, and prohibited public sacrifices, solidifying Christianity’s dominance.HomeHomeThis decision was the culmination of Christianity's rise, which began with Constantine’s Edict of Milan in 313 AD and gained momentum as Roman emperors increasingly favored the religion. Theodosius’ proclamation marked a turning point, effectively ending centuries of religious pluralism in the empire. Paganism, which had been central to Roman identity for over a millennium, was now considered a threat to the unity and stability of the Christian empire.HomeHomeTheodosius’ decree not only transformed the religious landscape of the empire but also set the stage for the Christianization of Europe. The emperor’s move further empowered the Church, intertwining it with state authority, and reshaping Western civilization’s spiritual, cultural, and political framework for centuries to come. This pivotal moment would shape the future of Europe, influencing the relationship between church and state and the broader trajectory of Christianity across the continent. 🌍✝️HomeHome#OnThisDay #TheodosiusI #RomanEmpire #Christianity #ReligiousHistory #ChurchAndState #AncientHistory #WesternCivilization ... See MoreSee Less
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🗓️ On this day, November 7, 1742, Empress Elizabeth of Russia officially proclaimed her nephew, Peter III, as her heir, securing the succession to the Russian throne. Elizabeth, daughter of Peter the Great, had no children of her own and turned to her German-born nephew, originally known as Karl Peter Ulrich, to continue the Romanov dynasty.HomeHome🏰👑Peter was the son of Elizabeth's sister, Anna, and a German duke, and his ascension marked a significant shift in Russian politics, with foreign influences becoming more prominent. Though Peter III would later have a short and controversial reign, marked by his pro-Prussian policies and reforms that alienated the nobility, this proclamation ensured the Romanov dynasty's continuation and set the stage for the rise of his wife, Catherine the Great, who would eventually overthrow him.HomeHomePeter’s brief reign would later give way to Catherine’s illustrious and transformative rule, marking a new chapter in Russia's imperial history. The proclamation not only solidified Peter’s place in Russian history but also began a period of tension and intrigue within the Russian court. 🌍🛡️HomeHomeKeep an eye on our YouTube channel, as in mid-November we plan to release an epic documentary on the rise of the Russian empire and the women who made it into a global superpower! HomeHome#OnThisDay #PeterIII #EmpressElizabeth #RomanovDynasty #RussianHistory #ImperialRussia #CatherineTheGreat #Succession ... See MoreSee Less
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