In 845, legendary Viking Ragnar Lodbrok led a raiding party deep into the heartland of the Western Franks.

This is the story of the Sacking of Paris

A thread 🧵 It is probably best to start with some details about Ragnar, his life and adventures have become so intertwined with fable it is rather difficult to disern the truth.

What we know is a viking named Reginherus, likely Ragnar, was at the head of a fleet of 120 ships and 5000 men.

In 866, The Great Heathen Army struck at the very heart of the Kingdom of Northumbria.

This is the story of the Fall of York

A thread 🧵 The Great Heathen Army is itself shrouded in myth and fable, according to Norse Sagas it was launched by Ragnar Lodbrok's sons in response to his death at the hands of King Aella.

What we know is an army of anywhere between 1000-5000 men landed on England's shores in 865.

In 870 AD, the Vikings Ivar the Boneless and Olaf the White turned their furious gaze on Lowland Scotland.

Their target was the Kingdom of the Alt Clut and their fortress capital.

This is the story of the Siege of Dumbarton Rock 🧵 Dumbarton Rock was an attractive target, it guarded both the Clyde and Leven rivers, and thus the access to the river systems of Lowland Scotland.

It's strong defensible position and access to a water well made it a formidable target.

Robert the Bruce was the King of Scotland from 1306 until 1329.

His lifelong fight for Independence and legendary victory at Bannockburn have made him a Scottish national hero.

This is the story of Scotland's Warrior King

A thread 🧵 Robert the Bruce was born on the 11th of July 1274, likely at Turnberry Castle.

He was descended from a long line of Robert the Bruces, going all the way back to his ancestor Robert de Brus, who first arrived in England with William the Conqueror.

Captain John Smith is one of history's truly great adventurers.

From the battlefields of Eastern Europe to the colony of Jamestown, the legendary explorer certainly left his mark.

This is his story

A thread 🧵 John Smith was born in Lincolnshire sometime around 1579.

He began his working life as an apprentice merchant, but this mundane day to day life could hardly contain an adventurous spirit like Smith.

Henry Hudson was an English explorer in the 17th century.

He is best known for his explorations of North America and his ill fated searches for the Northwest passage.

This is his story... 🧵 Little is known of Hudson's early years, he was likely born in about 1565 in England.

He first pops up in the historical record in 1607 whilst working for the Muscovy Company looking for the ever illusive Northwest Passage.

In 1492, the world was changed forever when a Genoese explorer landed on an island in the Caribbean.

This is the story of Christopher Columbus and the (re)Discovery of the Americas!

A thread 🧵 Columbus was not the first European to step foot on the Americas, that honour belongs to Viking explorer Lief Erikson in about 1000 AD.

The Vikings failed to build on their discovery and the knowledge was lost to time, barring old sailor tales of a land west of the cod fisheries

Sir Henry Morgan was a buccaneer operating out of Port Royal in the 17th century.

His legendary raids on the Spanish Main earned him the nickname "King of Buccaneers"

This is his story...

A thread 🧵 Morgan's background is a bit obscure, his exact birthplace is unknown, but best guess is he was born in 1635 near Llanrumney (Cardiff).

We are also not sure when he arrived in the New World but it was likely with Cromwell's forces in 1654.

On the 7th of June 1692, the jaws of the earth opened up and swallowed whole "The most wickedest city in the world"

This was the Port Royal Earthquake!

A thread 🧵 Port Royal was a major trading port on the island of Jamaica, however it had become a hotbed for debauchery and a popular hideout for pirates and buccaneers alike.

The town's sand banks were lined with bars and brothels willing to trade ill gotten loot for pleasure.

Hernán Cortés was a Spanish Conquistador in the 16th century.

He managed to topple an empire of millions, despite landing with only 500 men.

This was the Conquest of the Aztecs

A thread 🧵 Cortés was born in Medellin in 1485, his family was of the lesser nobility (Hidalgo).

He appears to have attended university for a period, but Cortés was no pencil pusher, he dreamed of power, influence and riches.

The new world offered to fulfill even his wildest dreams.

In 1607, a group of English colonists landed in Virginia with the aim of establishing a permanent settlement in the Americas.

This is the story of the founding of Jamestown.

A thread 🧵 England was desperate to catch up with their European counterparts, who had by now settled vast swathes of the Americas.

After failed attempts, most notably at Roanoke, they were keen to get this one right.

In the late 16th Century England was desperate to get in on the action in the Americas.

They selected a site in what is now North Carolina, which they deemed fit for colonisation.

This is the story of Roanoke and it's legendary Lost Colony.

A thread 🧵 Spain was the main player in the Americas at the time with an empire running from Florida to Cusco.

England wanted in, but Spain had a long headstart.

Queen Elizabeth therefore tasked Sir Walter Raleigh with the founding of a permanent settlement in North America.

In 1568, Captain John Hawkins was docked at Veracruz when a Spanish fleet attacked.

This act served as the prelude to the Anglo-Spanish war, and more importantly, it was the making of a young captain named Francis Drake.

This was the Battle of San Juan de Ulúa

A thread 🧵 John Hawkins was a prominent sailor of the Elizabethan Age and he had recently been making forays into the New World.

He had found an in with the Spanish colonial administrators by selling them slaves at a marked down price.

We often glamorise the great voyages of discovery, but life aboard these vessels was tough going for the everyday sailors.

Let's explore the life of a sailor during the Age of Discovery

A thread 🧵 One of the main problems that plagued ships was food, and how to store it.

This was a particular problem in the earlier days when ships were small and compact.

They carried a few livestock but for the most part sailors would have to be happy with hard biscuits and salted meats

The Elizabethan age is chock-full of daring adventurers and larger than life characters, but few can compare to Sir Walter Raleigh.

From Elizabeth's court to the search for the fabled El Dorado, Raleigh truly led an extraordinary life.

Let's explore his story

🧵(Thread) Walter Raleigh was born in Devon around 1553.

He was of lower gentry stock and brought up as a stout Protestant with a firm hatred of Catholicism following his families persecution during the reign of Queen Mary.

In the early 18th century pirates were the scourge of the high seas, one pirate however stands above the rest, Captain Bartholomew Roberts.

Roberts was the most successful pirate of the Golden Age capturing over 400 vessels!

This is his story

🧵 (Thread) Bart Roberts was born on the 17th of May 1682, in Pembrokeshire, Wales.

He was originally named John but later changed his name, as pirates were prone to do.

Young John went to sea at an early age, and by 1719 he was second mate on the slaving ship Princess.

In July 1520 Spanish Conquistador Hernán Cortés, against all odds, won an almighty victory.

This victory altered not only the course of the conquest but the very course of history itself.

This was the Battle of Otumba!

Let's explore 🧵 (Thread) Cortés and his party had entered Tenochtitlán the past November, relations were rather amicable at first but they quickly soured, eventually leading the Aztec populace to revolt.

Emperor Moctezuma was killed in the chaos and then the Spanish attempted to flee the city.

In 1589 Queen Elizabeth, in response to the Spanish Armada of 1588, launched an invasion force of her own.

The fleet was even LARGER than the infamous Spanish Armada and their goals more ambitious.

This was the English Counter Armada!

Let's explore 🧵 (Thread) In 1588 the Spanish Armada had been roundly defeated and with about a 1/3 of the ships falling to make it home.

England had delivered a body blow, but Elizabeth wanted more, therefore she began to organise an enormous fleet to be headed by Francis Drake.

In July 1588 King Phillip II of Spain unleashed a mighty fleet, and it was headed straight for little old England.

The fleet was said to be so large that the very waves "groaned under its weight".

This was the "Invincible" Spanish Armada!

Let's explore 🧵 (Thread) In the 16th century the Spanish Empire was the dominant power, particularly as they also now had control of the Portuguese crown.

However, Elizabeth and England were becoming a bit of a thorn in the side of King Phillip.

In July 1715 a Spanish Treasure Fleet was wrecked on the coastline of Florida.

Their cargo including some 15 million Pieces of Eight was scattered sparking a race between Spanish salvagers and would be pirates.

Let's explore 🧵 [Thread] Spain had built a system of extracting resources in the New World before shipping them back home via Treasure Fleets.

Spanish King Phillip V was keen to get his hands on some gold and silver, particularly as his treasury was drained with The War of the Spanish Succession.

In June of 1767 HMS Dolphin under the command of Samuel Wallis landed on Tahiti.

This visit gives us our first recorded insight into the island's inhabitants at the time of European contact.

Let's explore this meeting of civilisations

🧵 (Thread) Tahiti was inhabited by a people who migrated there from Polynesia sometime around 900-1100 AD.

The first European encounter may have been with Spaniard Juan Fernández's 1577 expedition, but it is not clear if he actually landed on the Island itself.