Real History & Science From Doctor Who 1963-1989, 1996, 2005-2024 & Counting!

Do you love Doctor Who? So do I! Come and join me for a discussion about your favourite episodes of Doctor Who, and we can explore the real history and science that are embedded in the countless fantastic storylines. 

Doctor Who started off with the premise that this television show would educate young viewers about real history and science in a fun and exciting way. Now, almost 60 years after its premiere, Doctor Who is still doing just that!

The only prior experience required for this class would be to have watched at least one episode of Doctor Who, but please ask your parents or guardians first to make sure that they approve of your viewing choices. 



More examples such as these will be added to the schedule as the class/year progresses.

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Episodes that we have already discussed that may be revisited in the future:

Week beginning ___ (Australian) / Week ending J___ (USA)
- The Battle of Culloden, the Jacobites, and the Redcoats
https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Culloden
in relation to The Second Doctor's Season 4, Episode 4, Parts 1-4, "The Highlanders"

Week beginning August 1st 2022:
- The Magna Carta (1215) 
https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/magna-carta/british-library-magna-carta-1215-runnymede/ 
in relation to The Fifth Doctor's Season 20, Episode 13, Parts 1 and 2, "The King's Demons"

Week beginning August 8th 2022:
- William Shakespeare
https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/explore-shakespeare/shakespedia/william-shakespeare/william-shakespeare-biography/
in relation to The Tenth Doctor's Series 3, Episode 2, "The Shakespeare Code"

Week beginning August 15th 2022:
- The Great Fire of London, which was a massive fire that started when a Terileptil weapon overloaded in a bakery on Pudding Lane, London on 2 September 1666
https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/The-Great-Fire-of-London/
in relation to The Fifth Doctor's Season 19, Episode 4, Parts 1 to 4, "The Visitation"

Week beginning August 22nd 2022:
- Vincent Van Gogh
https://www.vincentvangogh.org/
in relation to The Eleventh Doctor's Series 5, Episode 10, "Vincent and the Doctor"

Week beginning August 29th 2022:
- Pompeii 
https://www.britannica.com/place/Pompeii
in relation to The Tenth Doctor's Series 4, Episode 2, "The Fires of Pompeii"

Week beginning September 5th 2022:
- Queen Victoria
https://www.royal.uk/queen-victoria
in relation to The Tenth Doctor's Series 2, Episode 2, "Tooth and Claw"

Week beginning September 12th 2022:
- Rosa Parks
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rosa-Parks
in relation to The Thirteenth Doctor's Series 11, Episode 3, "Rosa"

Week beginning September 19th 2022:
- The End of the World in c. 5 Billion Years
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-sun-will-eventually-engulf-earth-maybe/
https://astronomy.com/magazine/ask-astro/2020/09/what-will-happen-to-the-planets-when-the-sun-becomes-a-red-giant
in relation to The Ninth Doctor's Series 1, Episode 2, "The End of the World"

Week beginning September 26th 2022:
- The Blitz
https://www.britannica.com/event/the-Blitz?utm_source=pj-affiliate&utm_medium=pj&utm_campaign=kids-pj&clickId=4106847912
in relation to The Ninth Doctor's Series 1, Double Episode 9 & 10, "The Empty Child" & "The Doctor Dances"

Week beginning October 3rd 2022:
- Agatha Christie
https://www.agathachristie.com/
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Agatha-Christie?utm_source=pj-affiliate&utm_medium=pj&utm_campaign=kids-pj&clickId=4106871313
in relation to The Tenth Doctor's Series 4, Episode 7, "The Unicorn and The Wasp"

Week beginning October 10th 2022:
- The Extinction of the Dinosaurs
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/dinosaur-extinction
in relation to The Fifth Doctor's Season 19, Episode 6, Parts 1 to 4, "Earthshock"

Week beginning October 17th 2022:
- The Aztec Civilisation
https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/aztec-civilization
in relation to The First Doctor's Season 1, Episode 6, Parts 1 to 4, "The Aztec's"

Week beginning October 31st 2022:
- The English Civil War (1642–1651)
https://www.britannica.com/event/English-Civil-Wars
in relation to The Fifth Doctor's Season 21, Episode 6, Parts 1 & 2, "The Awakening"

Week beginning November 7th 2022:
- The partition of India in 1947, which was the division of British India into two independent dominion states: The Union of India and The Dominion of Pakistan
https://exhibits.stanford.edu/1947-partition/about/1947-partition-of-india-pakistan
in relation to The Thirteenth Doctor's Series 11, Episode 6, "Demons of the Punjab"

Week beginning November 14th 2022:
- The Salem Witch Trials and King James I (17th Century)
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/history-magazine/article/scotland-witch-hunts
in relation to The Thirteenth Doctor's Series 11, Episode 8, "The Witchfinders"

Week beginning November 21st 2022:
- Nikola Tesla
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nikola-Tesla
in relation to The Thirteenth Doctor's Series 12, Episode 4, "Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror"

Week beginning November 28th 2022:
- WWI 1914 Christmas Day Truce
https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/the-real-story-of-the-christmas-truce
in relation to The Twelfth Doctor's Series 10, 2nd Christmas Special, "Twice Upon A Time"

Week beginning December 5th 2022:
- Adolf Hitler
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Adolf-Hitler
in relation to The Eleventh Doctor's Series 6, Episode 8, "Let's Kill Hitler"

Week beginning December 12th 2022:
- Madame de Pompadour
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jeanne-Antoinette-Poisson-marquise-de-Pompadour
in relation to The Tenth Doctor's Series 2, Episode 4, "The Girl in the Fireplace"

Week beginning December 19th 2022:
- The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II
https://www.royal.uk/coronation
in relation to The Tenth Doctor's Series 2, Episode 7, "Idiot's Lantern"
Week beginning October 24th 2022:
- 兀
https://www.piday.org/
in relation to The Fifth Doctor's Season 20, Episode 23, Special, "The Five Doctors"

Week beginning January 23rd 2023 (Australian) / Week ending January 22nd 2023 (USA)
- Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus Germanicus, who became the Emperor Nero in 54 CE
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nero-Roman-emperor
in relation to The First Doctor's Season 2, Episode 4, Parts 1-4, "The Romans"

Week beginning January 30th 2023 (Australian) / Week ending January 29th 2023 (USA)
- Jack the Ripper
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jack-the-Ripper
in relation to The Fourth Doctor's Season 14, Serial 6, Parts 1-6, "The Talons of Weng-Chiang"

Week beginning February 6th 2023 (Australian) / Week ending February 5th 2023 (USA)
- The Cuban Missile Crisis
https://www.britannica.com/event/Cuban-missile-crisis
in relation to The First Doctor's Season 1, Serial 2, Parts 1-7, "The Dead Planet"

Week beginning February 13th 2023 (Australian) / Week ending February 12th 2023 (USA)
- The Collapse of the Sea Gem Oil Rig in 1965
http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/27/newsid_4630000/4630741.stm
in relation to The Fourth Doctor's Season 13, Serial 1, Parts 1-4, "Terror of the Zygons"

Week beginning February 20th 2023 (Australian) / Week ending February 19th 2023 (USA)
- The Industrial Revolution c. 1815
https://www.britannica.com/event/Industrial-Revolution
in relation to The Sixth Doctor's Season 22, Serial 3, Parts 1-2, "The Mark of the Rani"