Series synopsis
Dates That Made History, also known as Quand l'histoire fait dates is a French documentary war & politics television series that premiered on ARTE on March 17, 2018. It was created by Patrick Boucheron, Denis van Waerebeke. It stars Patrick Boucheron, Étienne Nodet, Julien Loiseau and Anne-Emmanuelle Veïsse.
Historian Patrick Boucheron revisits the most important dates in history through the prisms of memory and collective imagination.
Premise
Historian Patrick Boucheron revisits the most important dates in history through the prisms of memory and collective imagination.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Patrick Boucheron as Self
- Étienne Nodet as Self
- Julien Loiseau as Self
- Anne-Emmanuelle Veïsse as Self
- Timothy Tackett as Self
- François-Xavier Fauvelle as Self
- William Van Andriga as Self
- Michael Lucken as Self
Supporting cast
- Fred Vargas as Self
- Éric Bourdonneau as Self
- Audrey Bertrand as Self
- Emmanuelle Rosso as Self
- Edhem Eldem as Self
- Étienne Anheim as Self
- François Bon as Self
- Sylvain Venayre as Self
- Yann Lignereux as Self
- Paulin Ismard as Self
- Yann Potin as Self
- Quentin Deluermoz as Self
Guest cast
- Étienne Nodet as Self
- Julien Loiseau as Self
- Anne-Emmanuelle Veïsse as Self
- Timothy Tackett as Self
- François-Xavier Fauvelle as Self
- William Van Andriga as Self
- Michael Lucken as Self
- Fred Vargas as Self
- Éric Bourdonneau as Self
- Audrey Bertrand as Self
- Emmanuelle Rosso as Self
- Edhem Eldem as Self
Episodes
This series spans 3 seasons with 45 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 10 | March 17, 2018 | April 14, 2018 |
| Season 2 | 20 | August 30, 2020 | December 6, 2020 |
| Season 3 | 15 | September 7, 2025 | December 14, 2025 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
33 AD: The Crucifixion of Jesus Christians believe Jesus is a man who preached and performed miracles and died on the cross but was resurrected. But for historians, the crucifixion is the least unreliable indicator of the Jesus' existence. |
March 17, 2018 |
| 2 |
24 September 622: The Hegira Muhammed’s first year in Medina, in year 622 of the Christian era, marks the beginning of the Muslim era and the birth of a new religion, civilisation, empire and calendar. The Hegira, Muhammed’s visit to the Mecca in Medina, also marks a major change : from then on, believers will pray in the direction of this new sacred place and no longer in the direction of Jerusalem. |
March 17, 2018 |
| 3 |
323 BC: Death of Alexander the Great Alexander’s death marks the loss of the greatest conquerors in History, the only man who managed to extend the Empire to Eurasia, the Mediterranean and India. Different versions of The Romance of Alexander were found in the Persian, Arabian and Latin regions of the world, but also in Mali. |
March 24, 2018 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
April 21 -753 - The Foundation of Rome April 21, 753 BC: The Roman world was certain of its foundation date for more than 1000 years. The mythical tale, Ab Urbe Condita, formalized by Titus Livius, was based on the struggle of its founding twins: sons to a god, Mars, and a virgin, Rhea Silvia. Archaeological research and historical critics are now convinced of two things: the city is older and the myth is more recent. |
August 30, 2020 |
| 2 |
-52 - The Siege of Alesia The defeat of Alesia, in 52 BC, marked the end of the well-known “Gallic War”, immortalized by its winner, Julius Caesar. Year zero of our French national history, Alesia became the founding act of an improbable Gallic unit, personalized in the guise of an impossible hero, Vercingetorix. |
August 30, 2020 |
| 3 |
315 - The Donation of Constantine In the middle of the 8th century, the chancellery of the bishops of Rome was on the verge of becoming a spiritual heir to the Western emperors. That was when it committed the most important forgery in the history of the West. |
September 6, 2020 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
International Workers' Day May 1st, far more than just "Labor Day," has its roots in workers' struggles that began in Paris in 1889. Its symbols, such as the red triangle, representing the equal distribution of time in a day, or the hawthorn, with its more tragic connotations, are emblems of a dream of emancipation but also of disillusionment. Even today, its message resonates in the streets around the world. |
September 7, 2025 |
| 2 |
212 - Constitutio Antoniniana In 212 AD, the imperial law known as the Edict of Caracalla extended Roman citizenship to all free inhabitants of the Empire. It is a fundamental law of the late Roman Empire, establishing the core principles of identity and citizenship. What does this event reveal about 3rd-century Rome? With Audrey Bertrand. |
October 12, 2025 |
| 3 |
1816 - Frankenstein Frankenstein's creature, born from Mary Shelley's imagination during the summer of 1816 on the shores of Lake Geneva, embodies our fear of uncontrolled scientific progress leading to the dehumanization of the world and of life. How can a founding myth of modernity remain relevant? |
December 14, 2025 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | ARTE |
|---|---|
| First aired | March 17, 2018 |
| Last aired | December 14, 2025 |
| Runtime | 27 minutes |
| Status | continue |