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History's Heroes

Nicola Coughlan shines a light on extraordinary young people from across history. Join her for 12 stories of rebellion, risk and the radical power of youth.

Radio 4,13 episodes

Episodes

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History's Youngest Heroes
Trailer
Nicola Coughlan shines a light on extraordinary young people from across history.
02 Dec 2024,3 mins
History's Youngest Heroes
Nelson Mandela and the Defiance Campaign
A young activist attempts to overthrow apartheid in South Africa.
09 Dec 2024,29 mins
History's Youngest Heroes
The Brief Reign of Lady Jane
Trapped in the Tower of London, Lady Jane Grey must choose between life or death.
16 Dec 2024,28 mins
History's Youngest Heroes
Grace Darling: Maiden of the Sea
A reclusive young woman embarks on a perilous rescue mission
23 Dec 2024,28 mins
History's Youngest Heroes
Audrey Hepburn’s Teenage Resistance
How did the young Audrey Hepburn take on the Nazis?
30 Dec 2024,28 mins
History's Youngest Heroes
St Francis of Assisi: Teen Rebel
A wealthy young man severs ties with his family and embarks on a drastic new life.
06 Jan 2025,28 mins
History's Youngest Heroes
Louis Braille: Code Maker
A young Frenchman invents a tool that will change the lives of blind people.
13 Jan 2025,28 mins
History's Youngest Heroes
The Visionary Julian of Norwich
A young woman locks herself in a cell for years and becomes a literary trailblazer.
20 Jan 2025,28 mins
History's Youngest Heroes
Rani Lakshmi Bai: The Warrior Queen
A 22-year-old Indian woman takes on the British Empire.
27 Jan 2025,28 mins
History's Youngest Heroes
The Grisly World of Andreas Vesalius
A young man becomes a sensation when he starts dissecting corpses in front of crowds.
03 Feb 2025,28 mins
History's Youngest Heroes
Vasily Arkhipov and the End of Days
A young naval officer must choose whether to save the world or trigger its destruction.
10 Feb 2025,28 mins
History's Youngest Heroes
Hans and Sophie Scholl and the White Rose
A brother and sister mount a daring campaign against the Nazis.
17 Feb 2025,28 mins
History's Youngest Heroes
Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope
Terry Fox sets out to run the length of Canada on a prosthetic leg.
24 Feb 2025,30 mins