Icons of the 20th Century Playlist
Meet some of the people who helped define the 20th Century — and examine the ideas, achievements, and influence that made them icons.
Drawn from the BBC series Icons: The Greatest Person of the 20th Century, this video playlist introduces influential figures from science, politics, civil rights, sports, art, music, exploration, and more. Meet Muhammad Ali, Helen Keller, Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King Jr., Jane Goodall, Pelé, and others whose work challenged conventions, broke barriers, or changed how people understood the world.
Explore the discoveries and ideas that transformed science, the movements that pushed societies toward change, and the creative achievements that reshaped art and culture. Along the way, consider the historical circumstances these figures lived through, the obstacles they faced, and the choices that shaped their public legacies.
What makes someone an icon? Is it achievement, influence, courage, originality — or something more complicated? These BBC videos invite viewers to look beyond famous names and consider how individuals can shape history, as well as how history shapes the way we remember them.
Lesson Express
Q: Why was Martin Luther King Jr.'s commitment to non-violent protest so important for the Civil Rights Movement?
A: Non-violent protest helped draw attention to social injustice in a peaceful way, gaining support from a wider audience and showing strength through peace.
Q: How did Martin Luther King Jr. inspire future generations of activists?
A: His actions demonstrated the power of peaceful resistance, showing that social change could be achieved without violence.
Q: What was the significance of Martin Luther King Jr.'s speeches, such as the "I Have a Dream" speech?
A: His speeches were powerful tools for spreading messages of equality, justice, and the importance of unity among people of different backgrounds.
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This BBC video playlist explores figures including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, and others, examining the decisions, ideas, and events that defined their presidencies.
Look beyond familiar stories to consider both their achievements and shortcomings. How did the challenges of their eras influence their choices, and how should we understand the complicated legacies of leaders who helped shape American history?
In honor of Women’s History Month, this BBC video playlist examines the careers and legacies of leaders including Hillary Clinton, Margaret Thatcher, Michelle Bachelet, and others. Across different countries, eras, and political systems, these women navigated elections, economic upheaval, international conflict, social change, and intense public scrutiny.
Explore the ideas and policies that defined their time in public life, the historical circumstances that shaped their leadership, and the debates surrounding their decisions. Their approaches differed significantly: some pursued major social reforms, while others championed free-market policies or challenged established political structures.
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These BBC videos offer an opportunity to examine leadership with nuance — and explore the complex roles women have played in shaping modern politics and public life.
By 1860, the United States had been arguing over slavery for decades. This playlist follows that argument as it hardened into war. It covers the people who resisted slavery, the court case that denied Black Americans citizenship, a raid that pushed the country closer to the edge, and the election that led seven states to secede before Lincoln took office. Each video runs a few minutes and focuses on a single turning point, so the series can be watched start to finish or one video at a time.
Each video comes with discussion questions, vocabulary, a writing prompt ,and classroom activities — all printable from the video page. Questions include why Southern states seceded after Lincoln’s election and how the Civil War split families in border states.
Teachers and Parents: The videos are in chronological order and work as a full unit introduction for students 11–18. They can also be assigned individually to set up a specific lesson. The opening video, from BBC’s American History’s Biggest Fibs With Lucy Worsley, puts slavery at the center of the conflict and gives students a framework for the rest of the list. The Kentucky video closes the list and leads into the companion playlist, The Civil War and Its Aftermath, which runs from the Emancipation Proclamation through the end of Reconstruction. Use the "Share With Students" feature to assign videos directly or "Add to Playlist" to build your own sequence.
Examine the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy and its system of governance, explore the remarkable cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde, and see how Native communities are restoring buffalo herds with deep cultural and ecological significance. Experience traditional arts such as hoop dance and hear Indigenous voices discussing issues affecting their communities today.
Together, these stories reveal the diversity of Native nations and communities, each with its own history, traditions, and relationship to the land. They also connect past and present, showing how Indigenous peoples are preserving languages and cultural practices, strengthening communities, and shaping conversations about land, sovereignty, conservation, and identity.
From ancient places and longstanding traditions to contemporary challenges and achievements, these BBC videos offer multiple perspectives on the Indigenous peoples and cultures that have shaped — and continue to shape — North America.
From the founding of the United States to the Civil War and beyond, American presidents have led the country through moments of conflict, expansion, crisis, and change.
This BBC video playlist explores figures including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, and others, examining the decisions, ideas, and events that defined their presidencies.
Look beyond familiar stories to consider both their achievements and shortcomings. How did the challenges of their eras influence their choices, and how should we understand the complicated legacies of leaders who helped shape American history?
In honor of Women’s History Month, this BBC video playlist examines the careers and legacies of leaders including Hillary Clinton, Margaret Thatcher, Michelle Bachelet, and others. Across different countries, eras, and political systems, these women navigated elections, economic upheaval, international conflict, social change, and intense public scrutiny.
Explore the ideas and policies that defined their time in public life, the historical circumstances that shaped their leadership, and the debates surrounding their decisions. Their approaches differed significantly: some pursued major social reforms, while others championed free-market policies or challenged established political structures.
Their stories also raise larger questions about power and representation. How have expectations of women in leadership changed over time? How can gender shape the way political leaders are perceived and judged? And how should the achievements of influential figures be considered alongside the controversies and consequences of their decisions?
These BBC videos offer an opportunity to examine leadership with nuance — and explore the complex roles women have played in shaping modern politics and public life.
By 1860, the United States had been arguing over slavery for decades. This playlist follows that argument as it hardened into war. It covers the people who resisted slavery, the court case that denied Black Americans citizenship, a raid that pushed the country closer to the edge, and the election that led seven states to secede before Lincoln took office. Each video runs a few minutes and focuses on a single turning point, so the series can be watched start to finish or one video at a time.
Each video comes with discussion questions, vocabulary, a writing prompt ,and classroom activities — all printable from the video page. Questions include why Southern states seceded after Lincoln’s election and how the Civil War split families in border states.
Teachers and Parents: The videos are in chronological order and work as a full unit introduction for students 11–18. They can also be assigned individually to set up a specific lesson. The opening video, from BBC’s American History’s Biggest Fibs With Lucy Worsley, puts slavery at the center of the conflict and gives students a framework for the rest of the list. The Kentucky video closes the list and leads into the companion playlist, The Civil War and Its Aftermath, which runs from the Emancipation Proclamation through the end of Reconstruction. Use the "Share With Students" feature to assign videos directly or "Add to Playlist" to build your own sequence.
Examine the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy and its system of governance, explore the remarkable cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde, and see how Native communities are restoring buffalo herds with deep cultural and ecological significance. Experience traditional arts such as hoop dance and hear Indigenous voices discussing issues affecting their communities today.
Together, these stories reveal the diversity of Native nations and communities, each with its own history, traditions, and relationship to the land. They also connect past and present, showing how Indigenous peoples are preserving languages and cultural practices, strengthening communities, and shaping conversations about land, sovereignty, conservation, and identity.
From ancient places and longstanding traditions to contemporary challenges and achievements, these BBC videos offer multiple perspectives on the Indigenous peoples and cultures that have shaped — and continue to shape — North America.