Explore the weird, beautiful, and sometimes unsettling side of history. 🌚 Because the story of the past is also the story of us, of humanity.
The videos are made by a small, very excited group within kurzgesagt, powered not by AI but by curiosity, craft, and a nightshift… or two. 😅 A true passion project, built with the same care you know from us.
This episode explores how Shaka Zulu transformed a small chiefdom into a powerful kingdom and the factors leading to his eventual downfall.
15 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT
The Real Story of the Mongolian Singing Dunes
Host Steve Mould explores the scientific explanations behind the mysterious sounds of Kazakhstan's Mongolian Singing Dunes, debunking ancient legends.
31 Aug 2026TRANSCRIPT
The Most Terrifying Nuns of the Middle Ages
Host Philipp Dettmer explores how Princess Aethelflaed, Lady of Mercia, became the Vikings' greatest nightmare, reshaping English history.
28 Aug 2026TRANSCRIPT
When Burning People Became a Business
Host Kurzgesagt explores how the 17th-century Bamberg witch trials became a profitable business, revealing the devastating chain reaction of accusations and the eventual end of this deadly persecution.
21 Jul 2026
The Most Ridiculous War Humans Ever Fought
History doesn’t repeat itself, the uninformed do. Get every side of every story at https://ground.news/night. Subscribe for 40% off unlimited access to world-wide media and see beyond your blindspots.
Sources & further reading:
https://sites.google.com/view/sources-emuwars/
Back in 1932, Australia went to war against the most unusual enemy. It wasn't another country or an invading army. It was a flock of 20,000 emus! They invaded and devastated farmers' wheat fields and the government had no other option but to take out the big guns, literally. What followed has since become one of the strangest military operations in the history: the Great Emu War.
So what actually happened during the Emu War, and how did one of the world's largest birds outsmart machine guns? And most importantly, who won?
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30 Jun 2026TRANSCRIPT
Why Being a Renaissance Queen SUCKS
Host Kurzgesagt explores the perilous realities of being a Renaissance queen, revealing the political and personal dangers faced by Henry VIII's wives.
3 Jun 2026
Her Visions Defeated an Army
History doesn’t repeat itself, the uninformed do. Get every side of every story at https://ground.news/night. Subscribe for 40% off unlimited access to world-wide media and see beyond your blindspots.
Sources & further reading:
https://sites.google.com/view/sources-desert-sorceress/
In the late 7th century, the Arab Empire expanded across North Africa, defeating the Persians and humbling the Byzantines, and now they seemed unstoppable. But one ruler stood in its way: Dihya, a warrior queen remembered as a sorceress, rebel and liberator. She united tribes into one of the strongest forces of resistance, and fought a battle that transformed the history of North Africa.
This is the story of Dihya, the mysterious queen who challenged one of the largest empires in history. Feared by her enemies and celebrated by her descendants, she became one of the greatest legends and symbols of resistance.
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13 May 2026
Everything You Know About Ninjas Is Wrong
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Sources & further reading:
https://sites.google.com/view/sources-ninjas/
Ninjas are one of the most famous warriors in history. But almost everything we think we know about them is wrong. The real shinobi of feudal Japan were not magical assassins in black outfits. They were spies, scouts, detectives, infiltrators, and samurai caught in the brutal wars that unified Japan.
How did a small group of samurai become one of the most iconic legends in history?
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23 Apr 2026
Cleopatra’s Brutal Rise to Power
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Cleopatra is often remembered as a seductive queen, but in reality, she was a highly skilled and ruthless political player, willing to eliminate anyone who stood in her way to secure the throne and shape the future of her kingdom... even her own family.
This is the story of Cleopatra VII, the last queen of Ancient Egypt, and how she became the target of a final conflict, the one that would decide the fate of Egypt.
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31 Mar 2026
How This Queen Became the Biggest Drug Lord
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Sources & further reading:https://sites.google.com/view/sources-opium-wars/
In the 18th century, the British Empire faced a growing demand for Chinese tea, but nothing they offered could convince their trading partner to offer them better terms. Finally, the British discovered a successful counter measure, a product China actually seemed ready to buy: opium. British traders built a massive opium trade that refilled the Empire's coffers and destabilized China’s economy and society. When Chinese officials tried to stop the flow, it set off a chain of events that escalated into war, opening the country by force and reshaping global power dynamics for generations.
This is the story about the Opium War, and how a simple craving for tea led to a full scale war.
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13 Mar 2026
Why History Forgot About This Extraordinary Emperor
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Sources & further reading:https://sites.google.com/view/sources-indiaexport/
More than two thousand years ago, one of the deadliest battles in Indian history changed the course of the entire empire. Instead of creating a legacy of conquest, it sparked an exchange of ideas, trade and knowledge. Over centuries, these ripples would help shape half of the world, thanks to merchants, monks and scholars who carried Indian culture across Asia and beyond.
This is the story of Emperor Ashoka, and how one emperor’s change of heart helped spreading new philosophies and inspired mathematical ideas that still shape how we understand the world today.
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27 Feb 2026
The Rise and Fall of the Richest Man In California
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When gold was discovered in California in 1848, hundreds of thousands rushed west in one of the largest migrations in history. But while others chased fortune in the dirt, Samuel Brannan made himself the richest man in California.
He understood something others didn’t: the real gold wasn’t in the ground.
It was in the people chasing it.
This is the story of the Gold Rush, the rise and fall of its most opportunistic architect, and how greed helped build (and scar) America forever.
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13 Feb 2026
The Tragic Life of the Most Powerful King in History
Do you have a balanced news diet? Go to https://ground.news/night to see reporting from a variety of sources and perspectives around the world. Subscribe for 40% off their unlimited access Vantage plan through our link. For 72 years, Louis XIV ruled as the most powerful king in Europe. He centralized power, reshaped the map of Europe, and turned Versailles into a glittering machine of spectacle and control. But no king can rule his own body. Behind closed doors, he lived at the mercy of his doctors, enduring the brutal limits of 17th century medicine. This is the tragic life of the Sun King. Nightshift is a new channel by @kurzgesagt (https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCsXVk37bltHxD1rDPwtNM8Q). It’s a passion project focused on longer, darker, and more emotional stories from history, crafted by a small team of humans. Let us know what you think – we’d love to hear from you. Welcome to the nightshift. 🌚 Sources & further reading: https://sites.google.com/view/sources-louisxiv/
30 Jan 2026
How Humans Fought The Biggest Creature On Earth
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For centuries, humanity hunted the largest animals that ever lived. Not for food, but for light, machines, and profit. Whale oil powered cities, fueled industrialization, and pushed entire species to the brink of extinction. This is the story of commercial whaling, and what it reveals about progress and destruction.
Nightshift is a new channel by kurzgesagt. It’s a passion project focused on longer, darker, and more emotional stories from history, crafted by a small team of humans. Let us know what you think, we’d love to hear from you. Welcome to the nightshift. 🌚
16 Jan 2026
How One Pirate Captain Fought The Whole Chinese Empire
She commanded 1,800 ships, led tens of thousands of pirates, and forced an empire to negotiate. This is the story of Zheng Yi Sao, the most powerful pirate in history. From her rise to power to the floating pirate confederation that ruled the South China Sea, we're exploring how one woman reshaped trade, war, and authority in the early 19th century. Nightshift is a new channel by @kurzgesagt (https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCsXVk37bltHxD1rDPwtNM8Q).
It's a passion project focused on longer, darker, and more emotional stories from history, crafted by a small team of humans. Let us know what you think, we'd love to hear from you. Welcome to the nightshift. 🌚
Sources & further reading: https://sites.google.com/view/sources-pirateprincess/ HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT US?
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Inside a recent episode
The Fall of the Last Zulu King
Published 23 Oct 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] Through his campaigns, Shaka manages to expand his influence over countless chiefdoms. Amid the chaos spreading across the region, places vanish overnight as people flee west towards the Orange River, while others seek refuge in the northern mountains. Some accounts say that, eventually, the dispersal will cause people to resettle as far as Tanzania, more than 3,000 kilometers from Zululand. But there's another side to this story. Not all the upheaval of this period can be tied to Shaka's campaigns. Catastrophic drought, wars in other chiefdoms, the influx of European firearms and the slave trade all play a role in driving people from their land. […]
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