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Join Dan Snow for a special expeditionary documentary, Ancient Adventures: Libya, as History Hit ventures far off the beaten track of history.  After years of civil war and instability, History Hit has gained unique access as the first documentary team in 15 years to film in the rarely seen extraordinary ancient sites within Cyrenaica, centred around one of the greatest cities of the ancient world, Cyrene – a vibrant and important part of the Greek and Roman world.  This is a fascinating journey into a spectacular region where documentaries rarely go. From the majestic monumental Greek cities to active archaeology being revealed right before our eyes on the coast, this film celebrates the beauty, significance, and untold history of one of the ancient Mediterranean’s most powerful regions. Prepare for a film like no other, promising unprecedented access and a view of ancient history you’ve never seen. Sign up to watch The coastal city emerging from the waves Most modern understanding of Libya is framed by the era of Colonel Gaddafi and the subsequent civil war. However, Dan’s journey travels back 2,000 years and beyond to Cyrenaica, a fertile strip of land in northeastern Libya that was once the breadbasket and powerhouse of the ancient Mediterranean. As Dan explains, “Very few news crews, let alone history documentary-makers get to come here.”  Dan’s journey begins at the bay of Al Haniyah on the Mediterranean coast, where a fascinating archaeology project is rediscovering a long-lost coastal city, revealing its secrets thanks to natural coastal erosion. Working with teams from the University of Ulster and the University of Benghazi, Dan witnesses fascinating, active archaeology in progress that is disclosing the people who lived here two millennia ago.  Dan Snow sees how objects embedded in the cliffs are being exposed due to coastal erosion.Image Credit: History Hit “Ancient objects are literally falling out of the cliffs,” Dan notes, as the intense winter storms of North Africa claw away at the cliff face, exposing layers of history spanning over 1,000 years. The erosion is a race against time, but offers a unique, exposed cross-section of an ancient port. Dan and the lead archaeologist, Dr. Julia Nikolaus, even discover human bones that have fallen out of a burial, a visceral reminder that the waves of the Mediterranean are exposing all aspects of daily life and death at Al Haniyah. Along with hundreds of pottery shards, monumental buildings – including the remains of a temple and a Roman villa – are emerging, along with remaining patches of mosaic floors. This seemingly obscure town, which left little impression in the history books, is transforming our understanding of trade, proving it was a crucial hub for exporting goods like wine and Cyrenaican oil – once described as the oil of the ancient world. Dan Snow with lead archaeologist Dr Julia Nikolaus – they are pointing at a blocked-up doorway or window emerging from the cliffsImage Credit: History Hit Dan even joins a team conducting an underwater survey that is uncovering columns and signs of an ancient harbour beneath the waves, proving that a “new chapter in the story of Cyrenaica is being recorded right here.” We can imagine merchant ships anchored offshore; crews calling out as heavy amphorae were loaded; traders bargaining in the shade of warehouses; families strolling along the harbour-front. For centuries, this place supported busy routines of work, travel, and exchange. The wonder of Cyrene: A claim to power Heading inland, Dan travels up into the fertile mountains, site of the magnificent city of Cyrene, which was a wonder of the ancient Graeco-Roman world and a profound statement of Greek identity. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Dan’s excitement of exploring here is palpable. “I’ve dreamed of coming here all my life” says Dan. “We’ve been told that we’re (History Hit) are the first television crew to come and film here since the fall of Gaddafi. And as a result we have the whole place to ourselves – it feels almost like  we’re discovering it for the first time”.  The Gymnasium at Cyrene, Libya, with the amphitheatre visible in the background.Image Credit: History Hit Cyrene’s grand architecture – including the colossal Greek gymnasium, a centre of learning and physical fitness lined with Doric columns – was designed to proclaim that visitors were entering the Greek world. Its origins, revealed in ancient writings by Herodotus, were humble: struggling Greek colonists were shown the fertile land by indigenous Libyans. Dan also explores a splendid house complete with an outdoor Hall of the Muses, where rich guests would enjoy music and poetry beneath a warm North African sky.   The city’s immense wealth stemmed from one unique cash crop: Silphium. This legendary plant, which no longer exists, was literally worth its weight in gold due to its supposed healing properties. Dan visits the marketplace where this invaluable commodity was traded, a trade so vital it was thought to be protected by the goddess of agriculture, Demeter. Silphium was transported from Cyrene down to the coast, and then exported to the wealthy centres of the ancient Mediterranean, from Alexandria to Athens and Rome.  Cyrene also exported knowledge. It was the home of the philosopher Aristippus, who founded the hedonistic school of thought focused on pleasure, and his daughter Arete, believed to be the first female philosopher in history. The Temple of Zeus in Cyrene, LibyaImage Credit: History Hit In a unique fusion of storytelling and innovation, History Hit’s film collaborates with Ubisoft to recreate lost parts of the ancient city of Cyrene using stunning imagery from Assassin’s Creed Origins. This allows us to picture what it would have been like to walk these very streets and visit Cyrene’s magnificent theatre, temples and sacred places (including the Temple of Apollo and the spring of Apollo) over 2,000 years ago. From Greek gymnasium to Roman arena Dan charts Cyrene’s evolving identity after the Romans took over in 96 BC due to dynastic squabbles in Ptolemaic Egypt, when they transformed the city to better express their Roman-ness. The massive Greek theatre was converted into a Roman amphitheatre, trading the stage for the arena and gladiatorial shows. People from here continued to feature in accounts of the Roman world, men like Simon of Cyrene who the New Testament says helped to carry Jesus’ cross to his crucifixion.  Dan concludes his journey at the harbour city of Apollonia, which ultimately would overshadow Cyrene. Here, the final transition of the ancient world is visible: the ruins of a Christian basilica, built largely from the recycled plinths and inscriptions of dismantled Roman temples. This basilica reflects the shift to the Byzantine era, proving that the legacy of those ancient civilizations can be explored just as profoundly in Northern Africa as in Athens or Rome. Components of the ancient temple in Apollonia were rearranged by the Byzantines to create a space for Christian worship.Image Credit: History Hit A mainstay of the ancient world As Dan concludes, the sites in Libya are on the same monumental scale as the Parthenon in Athens. They make a powerful claim: the Cyrenians were not some peripheral colonial outpost; they were one of the mainstays of the ancient world. As Dan reflects, It’s easy to forget that the Mediterranean Sea was the centre of the Ancient world. You don’t need to go to Athens or Rome… you can explore them all in Northern Africa. It has been an eye-opening experience.” History Hit’s Head of Programming, Bill Locke, reflects on the team’s experience in Libya: “Filming in Libya was an extraordinary experience – seeing ancient Greek pottery emerging from the cliffs in a previously untouched site by the Mediterranean, and walking through the wonders of Cyrene, the first documentary crew to film there since the fall of Gaddafi.” We’ll be speaking to Bill in more depth soon where we’ll delve deeper to learn more about the team’s fascinating and exclusive experiences filming in a spectacular region where documentaries rarely go. Join Dan Snow for an unprecedented look at the treasures of North Africa in Ancient Adventures: Libya. Sign up to watch

As high school students across the U.S. embraced political activism, adults turned to the authorities to shield their sons and daughters from radical influences

  A shy boy from Ohio found himself straying from his original career goals, propelled to a life in the military. Little did he know this appointment would rocket him to leadership of the entire US Army, securing his name in history books forever. Ulysses S. Grant led a life of adventure and challenges. He faced his share of controversy along the way but brought the United States through one of its most difficult eras, emerging as one of the most significant individuals in US history.   Early Days in Ohio A sketch of Grant’s childhood home featured in a biography by Charles A Phelps, published in 1868. Source: Internet Archive Book Images / Wikimedia Commons   Hiram Ulysses Grant was born to Jesse and Hannah Simpson Grant on April 27, 1822, in Point Pleasant, Ohio. The family moved to Georgetown, Ohio, when Grant was just a baby. His childhood was spent attending school, working on his family farm, and in his father’s tannery. The smell and filth of the tannery disgusted the child, and he much preferred to be assigned other chores to do instead. He loved horses and, as he grew, became an exceptional horseman. People, on the other hand, he could do without, earning a reputation as a shy, sometimes withdrawn child. Some of his favorite hobbies as a child included ice skating and fishing, and Grant himself later recalled that his childhood was a normal and “uneventful” one for the time.   Cadet Grant The earliest known portrait of Grant, taken at age 21. Source: McClure’s Magazine / Wikimedia Commons   As Grant aged, it was time for him to decide on a career path. The skinny 17-year-old didn’t seem to have clear ambitions, so his father determined the military was the way to go. Grant earned a spot at West Point, where the recognizable version of his name came into use. He transposed his first and middle names, embarrassed at his given initials that spelled H-U-G. Then, a clerical error resulted in his mother’s maiden name—Simpson—being listed as his middle name instead of Hiram. Ulysses S. Grant had emerged. His new initials led to a new nickname among the other cadets—”Uncle Sam,” later shortened to just “Sam.”   While Grant was a capable student, he wasn’t outstanding when it came to academics, graduating 21st in a class of 39. He did excel in math and hoped to be a math teacher upon completion of his four years of required military service. His horsemanship skills were allowed to shine at West Point.   As a senior, Grant roomed with another student named Frederick Dent. Dent invited Grant to his family’s plantation in Missouri, where he met Dent’s sister, Julia. The two were immensely attracted to one another, but their families opposed the match. The Grants despised the fact that the Dents owned slaves, as Jesse Grant was an abolitionist who had spent part of his early years living with John Brown. Mr. Dent did not see a future for his daughter if she married Grant, a new soldier with limited financial prospects.   Julia Grant with two of her children and her father, Mr. Dent, taken sometime between 1865 and 1880. Source: Library of Congress / Wikimedia Commons   Despite these objections, Grant proposed marriage to Julia in 1844, and they kept their plans under wraps, hoping to win over their parents, especially Julia’s father. In the meantime, the Mexican-American War broke out, and Grant was sent to fight under General Zachary Taylor as a member of the 4th Infantry Regiment. He remained in the Southwest until 1848, where he won two citations for gallantry and another for meritorious conduct. He was eager to be reunited with Julia after a long separation, and the two finally received approval from Mr. Dent to marry that year. They had their first son, Frederick, in 1850, and three more children—two sons and a daughter—would follow in the next eight years.   Working Through Struggles An engraved portrait of Grant, undated. Source: The Bureau of Engraving and Printing / Wikimedia Commons   After the war, Grant struggled to settle into his role as a military man. His postings took him far from home for great lengths of time, and he missed his family dearly. He and his wife had a close relationship, and being away from her took its toll. Grant invested in a few business ventures, hoping to be able to move his family out west to be with him, but these endeavors failed. During this period, he began drinking, and his thin build meant he succumbed to the effects of alcohol quicker than some of his compatriots. A few raucous episodes resulted in a reputation for drunkenness that would haunt him throughout his career. His loneliness and distaste for army life led to Grant shirking some of his duties, and combined with his drinking, he faced disciplinary action by the time 1854 rolled around. With his required service at its end, Grant decided to resign from the US military instead.   Grant depicted with his wife and son, Jesse, named after Grant’s father. Source: Harper’s New Monthly Magazine / Wikimedia Commons   Grant and his family settled in Missouri, near Julia’s parents, and he attempted to start a farm on land that Mr. Dent had gifted him. These efforts failed within a few years, and Grant tried a number of other professions, including real estate, engineering, clerking, and selling firewood, but nothing stuck. In 1860, he reluctantly returned to work in his father’s tannery, working under two of his younger brothers.   Return to Glory Grant at headquarters in Cold Harbor. Source: Library of Congress / Wikimedia Commons   While the Civil War would fracture the United States, it breathed new life into Grant’s opportunities for success. Answering the call of the Union, Grant returned to the military, rejoining in 1861. He proved a success, leading the Union to its first major victory at Fort Donelson in Tennessee. He was awarded a new nickname that played on his initials: “Unconditional Surrender Grant.” Other victories would follow, notably success at Shiloh and Vicksburg. President Abraham Lincoln named him the Commander of the Union Army in 1864. He was willing to take risks on the battlefield, a trait that made him an excellent leader but which occasionally had negative consequences. Some called Grant a “butcher,” particularly after thirteen days of fighting at Cold Harbor, Virginia, in May and June 1864 resulted in almost 13,000 casualties. Grant himself regretted some of his actions at Cold Harbor, later writing, “No advantage whatever was gained to compensate for the heavy loss we sustained.”   Regardless of the anger some felt for the losses, Grant remained a hero in the eyes of most American people. He was the first person to achieve the rank of lieutenant general since George Washington, and doggedly pursued the Confederate Army until its surrender in April 1865. Grant was the face of Union success, endearing him to the people of the Northern US.   President Grant Ulysses S. Grant, engraved by William Sartain, 1866. Source: Library of Congress / Wikimedia Commons   When it came time to nominate a Republican candidate for president in 1868, choosing Grant was an easy decision. He received nearly all of the votes from Black men in the first presidential election in which they were able to participate. Grant defeated Horatio Seymour and became the eighteenth president.   Grant was said to have run the presidency much like the army, and he brought many of his army staff members with him to the White House. The new president didn’t have an easy road ahead of him as he navigated his roles in office. Reconstruction, which Grant had been involved in from a military aspect since the conclusion of the war, was still in full swing. In addition to dealing with Reconstruction, Grant pushed the ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment, created the Civil Service Commission, oversaw the creation of the Justice Department, battled corruption, and dealt with the Ku Klux Klan. He established Civil War veteran Ely Parker as the first Native American director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs but struggled with Indigenous relations in the West. During his two terms as president, the attempted subjugation of the Plains peoples was in full force, with the president favoring a policy of assimilation.   Colonel Ely S. Parker served as the first Native American secretary of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Source: National Archives at College Park / Wikimedia Commons   Upon completion of his second term, Grant became the first US president to take a world tour. Accompanied by his wife, Grant greeted excited crowds and world leaders on the journey. He worked for a time as president of the Mexican-American Railroad company. In 1884, Grant lost his savings in a corrupt bank situation and decided to do some writing to earn money. He penned several short stories and articles about his life experiences and later tapped his friend Mark Twain to help him start his autobiography. As a result of a lifelong cigar-smoking habit, Grant was diagnosed with throat cancer. He finished his book just before passing away on July 23, 1885, at the age of 63. His funeral attracted a million and a half mourners, and he was interred in the largest mausoleum in the United States.   Grant in 1885. Source: Library of Congress / Wikimedia Commons   Ulysses S. Grant is not remembered as a perfect man, but a flawed individual who dedicated his life to his family and served his country in multiple ways. His reputation has seen its ups and downs in both his lifetime and remembered histories, but despite it all, has cemented his role as a leading man in the growth and development of the United States of America.

  Coincidences happen every day, but when they become part of the historical record, they take on a whole new meaning. From the intersection of John Adams’ and Thomas Jefferson’s deaths to a novelist writing the story of the Titanic two decades before it sank, American history is full of coincidences so unlikely some have even given rise to conspiracy theories.   1. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams Died on the Same Day Leaders of the Continental Congress—John Adams, Morris, Hamilton, Jefferson, by A. Tholey, 1894. Source: Library of Congress   July 4 is known to Americans as Independence Day, but it also marked the day that Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died within hours of each other in 1826.   Jefferson and Adams had a tumultuous relationship with ups and downs over their lifetimes. The two men first met and became friends in 1775 when the Continental Congress convened for the first time. Their teamwork in drafting the Declaration of Independence brought them closer, but that relationship would sour when Jefferson beat Adams to become president in 1801. Jefferson identified as a Republican, and Adams as a Federalist. They stayed estranged for nearly a decade.   In 1812, however, nearly 40 years after the United States became a nation, Jefferson and Adams rekindled their friendship and remained friends for nearly 15 years. This reversal took Jefferson’s retirement from the presidency in 1809, the intervention of a mutual friend by the name of Dr. Benjamin Rush, and an admission by Adams. A neighbor of Jefferson’s visited Adams and heard him say, “I always loved Jefferson, and still love him.” The neighbor then reported back to Jefferson, who asked Dr. Rush to urge Adams to renew their exchange of letters. Finally, Jefferson and Adams began to write to each other again about both political and personal issues of the past, present, and future.   By 1826, both men had entered their twilight years; Jefferson was 83, and Adams was 90, so each had lived a long life. On the 50th anniversary of the birth of the nation, Jefferson died at his home in Monticello just after lunchtime. Adams followed soon after, passing away in Massachusetts just hours later. Though it is common knowledge today that Jefferson and Adams both died on July 4, 1826, at the time, breaking news traveled much slower than it does today. Neither man knew of the other’s death, nor did the nation until some time later.   2. The Civil War Started and Ended on Wilmer McLean’s Property Undated photograph of Appomattox Courthouse, Appomattox County, VA. Source: Library of Congress   How many Americans can say that their property bookended the deadliest war fought on American soil? The answer is exactly one: Wilmer McLean.   The Civil War began on July 18, 1861, when a cannonball exploded through a house owned by McLean. McLean, however, was not the target of the attack, which had been commandeered by Confederate General Pierre Gustave Toutant-Beauregard. This sudden attack began what is today called the Battle of Bull Run. Despite the battle taking place so close to home, McLean was still happy to host Beauregard because McLean himself was a retired militia officer and felt a sense of duty to the General. By August 1862, the Second Battle of Bull Run began on the same property, and McLean, unhappy with the violence and danger, finally moved his family to southern Virginia.   From 1862 to 1865, the McLean family knew peace—until Robert E. Lee’s aide, Charles Marshall, approached McLean in early April of 1865. Marshall was looking for a location for two generals to meet, and yet again, McLean reluctantly offered his home to the cause. Thus, on April 9, 1865, Robert E. Lee met another general by the name of Ulysses S. Grant for the purpose of surrendering the Confederate Army, thus ending the Civil War. After a short conversation on the warm afternoon of April 9, the Civil War ended in McLean’s Appomattox Court House home, just under four years after it had begun in his previous Manassas home.   3. Halley’s Comet Marked Mark Twain’s Birth and Death Mark Twain, three-quarter length portrait, seated, facing slightly right, with cigar in hand, by A.F. Bradley, 1907. Source: Library of Congress   Mark Twain, born Samuel Langhorne Clemens, was born on November 30, 1835. Twain is best known for his novels The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, but his travel literature was quite popular with American audiences as well. The author’s birthday was marked by a once-in-a-lifetime astronomical event. Twain’s birth came just two weeks after Halley’s Comet passed by Earth in 1835.   Halley’s Comet passes Earth every 75 years, give or take, which means most people will only have one opportunity to view Halley’s Comet in their lifetime. Halley’s Comet is also an important astronomical discovery because it was the first comet that scientists realized could pass by Earth more than once. By the time Halley’s Comet passed in 1835, scientists had known for over 100 years that the comet had visited in 1531, 1607, and 1682. The comet and following meteor showers were the same comet, not different ones each time. Indeed, scientists can trace observations of the comet back over 2,000 years.   This, taken on its own, is an interesting fact but nothing groundbreaking—until you learn what passed again before Twain died. In 1909, Twain commented on Halley’s Comet, saying, “[We] came in together, [we] must go out together.” One year later, Twain died on April 21, 1910, just one day after Halley’s Comet again passed Earth on April 20. Twain indeed both came in and went out with Halley’s Comet.   4. The Tale of Two Jims Twins separated at birth, Jim Springer and Jim Lewis. Source: Ripley’s   Many people, at least once, have wondered what it might be like to be reunited with a long-lost twin. Some anticipate seeing the matching physical characteristics, such as hair and eye color. Others go further and wonder if their estranged twin would have the same medical conditions, if they also wore glasses, if they were also right- or left-handed. What happens when that daydream actually comes true—and not only that, but you realize you and your long-lost twin have lived nearly identical lives?   A pair of twins born in 1940 spent just four weeks together before being adopted by two different Ohio families. However, when twins James Arthur Springer and James Edward Lewis—their matching names just a hint at their similarities—were reunited in 1979, the overlap between their lives, despite growing up in different families and environments, was shocking.   The Jims shared surprising similarities, including marrying and divorcing a woman named Linda, taking a second wife named Betty, naming their childhood dog Toy, growing up with an adopted brother named Larry, vacationing at the same beach in Florida, and working as part-time deputy sheriffs in Ohio.   Coincidences did not stop with the twins themselves either; they spilled over to their families, too. Springer named his son James Allan, while Lewis named his son James Alan. It seems that the Jim twins could not have led more identical lifestyles, even if they had grown up together.   5. Morgan Robertson Predicted the Titanic Sinking TITANIC, to be launched, unknown photographer, 1911. Source: Library of Congress   In 1898, American author Morgan Robertson published a novel called Futility, or The Wreck of the Titan. Robertson spun the tale of a ship called the Titan that had three fantastic qualities: it is the world’s longest, fastest, and only unsinkable ship. Unfortunately, the ship collides with an iceberg on its maiden voyage, splits in two, and sinks in the middle of the ocean. Over 2,000 passengers lost their lives because there were not enough lifeboats.   Sound eerily familiar? Indeed, nearly two decades before the unsinkable Titanic sank in 1912, Robertson published the grim tale of the world’s most impressive ship sinking after a collision with an iceberg. Here are a few more qualities that the fictional Titan and real-life Titanic shared:   Both ships were about 800 feet long Each ship weighed roughly 70,000 tons and used triple-screw propellers to move Capacity on both ships was 3,000 passengers Rich individuals from both U.S. and European high society were aboard Both ships sank in April   Cover of Robert Morganson’s novel Futility. Source: Royal Museums Greenwich   Save for the conspiracy that Robertson was a time traveler who witnessed the sinking of the Titanic, there is no explanation for the similarities between the fictional and real tragedies. One of the most likely explanations behind Robertson’s harrowing tale would have been an interest in sailing and maritime technological developments—alongside the author’s impressive creativity and storytelling.