Series synopsis
Days That Shook the World is a British documentary television series that premiered on BBC Four on November 1, 2003. It ended on April 22, 2006.
Days That Shook the World is a British documentary television series that premiered on BBC Two on 17 September 2003. The programme features various milestones throughout history. It has been broadcast on the BBC, Discovery Channel UK, The History Channel and Viasat History.
The series was also released on DVD by the Polish edition of Newsweek in 2007.
Premise
Days That Shook the World is a British documentary television series that premiered on BBC Two on 17 September 2003. The programme features various milestones throughout history. It has been broadcast on the BBC, Discovery Channel UK, The History Channel and Viasat History.
The series was also released on DVD by the Polish edition of Newsweek in 2007.
Cast and characters
Guest cast
Episodes
This series spans 4 seasons with 35 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 0 | 3 | March 20, 2003 | June 18, 2009 |
| Season 1 | 12 | November 1, 2003 | December 3, 2003 |
| Season 2 | 10 | September 27, 2004 | December 20, 2004 |
| Season 3 | 10 | October 20, 2005 | April 22, 2006 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Conquering the Skies: The Wright Brothers/Apollo 11's Moon Landing Documentary on days that hold world significance focuses on two remarkable days in aviation history - the date of the first powered flight and the day Apollo 11 landed on the moon. |
March 20, 2003 |
| 2 |
Into the 21st century It takes a look at key moments in the 21st Century so far, such as the emergence of the iPod, the horrific events of 9/11, the London bombings, the 2004 Tsunami and more. |
|
| 3 |
Moon Landing Documentary recalling 20 July 1969, when Neil Armstrong became the first man to set foot on the surface of the moon. Taken from the pilot episode "First in Flight: The Wright Brothers/Apollo 11 Moon Landing". |
June 18, 2009 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II & The Death of Diana | November 1, 2003 |
| 2 |
The Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand / The Death of Hitler 28 June 1914 and April 1945. The Story Behind two pistol shots: the single bullet, fired by a young Serb nationalist that triggered World War 1 and the self-administered shot that brought about the end of Adolf Hitler and World War 2. |
September 17, 2003 |
| 3 |
The Assassination of Martin Luther King / The Release of Nelson Mandela 4 April 1968 and February 1990. How two men - both intellectuals and determined opposers of racial oppression - came to symbolise the fight for equality as their lives for their cause. |
September 24, 2003 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Disaster in the Sky: The Hindenburg / Challenger Disaster 6 May 1937 And 27 January 1986. Two traumatic air disasters highlighting the human cost of aviation: the transatlantic crossing of the luxurious airship Hindenburg ends in disaster while tragic events accompany the launch of the Challenger space shuttle. |
September 27, 2004 |
| 2 |
The Christmas Truce 25 December 1914 The first Christmas of World War 1 bore witness to an incredible phenomenon. A spontaneous truce broke out in the murderous trenches, led by the gun-fodder troops of each side and reluctantly followed by, for once, important officers and generals. |
October 11, 2004 |
| 3 |
Attack on Pearl Harbor 7 December 1941 The devastating pre-emptive strike on the American fleet in Hawaii that caught the USA sleeping was a strategic triumph for the Japanese. With eye-witness accounts and reconstructions, we relive the events that propelled America into the second World War. |
October 18, 2004 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Cost of Betrayal: The Defection of Burgess & MacLean/The Execution of the Rosenbergs 19 June 1953 and 25 May 1951 The differing fates of the most famous Soviet spies are explored as, in the USA, the Rosenbergs face the electric chair for passing atomic secrets to the Soviets and, after a dramatic flight, the British spies Burgess and Maclean find safety in the hands of the KGB. |
October 20, 2005 |
| 2 |
Rule of the Gun: The O.K. Corral/Saint Valentine's Day Massacre 26 October 1881 and 14 February 1929 From the wild west and the mob-run city come two stories that have entered American mythology: the gunfight in the obscure mining town of Tomestone and Al Copone's frenzied attack on George 'Busgsy' Malone in Chicago. |
April 22, 2006 |
| 3 |
Fact or Fiction: The War of the Worlds/Hitler Diaries 30 October 1938 and 24 April 1983 Over a million radio listeners panic thinking the nation was being attacked by Martians in Orsen Welles 'War of the Worlds' and one of the world's most venerable newspapers falls for fake diaries of Adolf Hitler. Clever fakers or just a gullible public? |
November 3, 2005 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | BBC Four |
|---|---|
| First aired | November 1, 2003 |
| Last aired | April 22, 2006 |
| Runtime | 60 minutes |
| Status | Ended |
| Schedule | Thursday at 21:30:00 |