Look Through History

Since venturing out beyond Africa and expanding across the globe, humanity has been in a constant state of adventure to explore new lands and push civilisation beyond the horizon. What do adventures mean to us? And on this journey of discovery, which adventures could be considered the greatest in our history? 

A bonus episode focussing on World War Two’s Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945. It has been remembered as one of the most brutal and infamous of all. This is not without reason. On the tiny Pacific Island 21,000 Japanese soldiers fought tooth and nail to the bitter end against the might of the United States and their US Marines.   Iwo offered a crucial staging post for future invasion of mainland Japan. These points were not lost on the japanese. General Kuribayashi Tadamichi combined the island's natural geography with everything required to make the US Marines pay for every inch of the black sand with blood.   In thirty-six days of fighting on the island, nearly 7,000 U.S. Marines were killed. Another 20,000 were wounded. Marines captured 216 Japanese soldiers; the rest were killed in action.   "Among the men who fought on Iwo Jima, uncommon valor was a common virtue" —Admiral Chester W. Nimitz

History's Greatest Tales: The Greatest Underdogs of History. From the ancient biblical story of David vs Goliath all the way to Leicester City winning football's Premier League in 2016, underdog stories are some of the most emotive, exciting and powerful stories we tell each other. But what immortalises these stories in our history books? What qualities must a person or movement possess to truly be considered an underdog? And what does Spartacus have in common with 'The Office's' David Brent?  

In Episode 1 of History’s Greatest Tales from Look Through History, these questions are asked in the form of two stories, each looking to be considered as one of the greatest underdog stories in history.