You’ve heard this before, but it bears repeating: School is a lot different than it used to be.

I’m not talking about walking to school uphill, both ways, through six feet of snow without shoes; I’m talking about which subjects are taught, and more importantly, how they’re taught.

I used to hear jokes about the “new math” and thought those people were crazy. Then my own children hit the higher elementary school years, and I felt their pain. And my son’s algebra? It’s been a couple of decades since I had to use letters as numbers, so I wasn’t much help to him.

Luckily, there’s YouTube. YouTube has a lot of educational channels that cover a wide variety of topics. When my kids and I are scratching our heads about homework, I can search these educational YouTube channels for the answers we need.

It’s Okay to Be Smart

The name of this educational YouTube channel perfectly fits the casually curious nature of its videos. It’s Okay to Be Smart has live-action videos that are combined with slick animations to create a TV-worthy channel.

Host Joe Hanson, who has a Ph.D. in biology, explores a wide variety of topics. Some of this topics are common, like why beavers are so smart, but his infectious enthusiasm gives them a unique spin. Other topics are out of left field, like Why Salt & Pepper? which looks at the history of these common table spices and why they’re paired together.

Most of the videos are around five minutes long, and they are terribly entertaining.

CGP Grey

CGP Grey hosts an educational YouTube channels that’s slightly different from the others. He covers a lot of different subjects, like geography, history and politics, but he doesn’t just stick to the facts. Frequently, Grey offers up one of the world’s problems, along with his opinion on how to fix that problem.

For instance, in his video The Trouble with the Electoral College, he makes it pretty clear that he thinks the popular vote should be the only vote that counts in the United States.

Several of his videos, which last between five and 10 minutes, are presented in a tongue-in-cheek way that gives them a fresh angle. One example is How to Become the British Monarch.

TED-Ed

No doubt, you’ve heard of TED Talks, those videos where someone shares their mind-blowing ideas while wearing a high-tech headset. Well, the TED organization also has an educational YouTube channel called TED-Ed.

Just like TED Talks, TED-Ed uses a combination of technology, entertainment and design to tackle important subjects in an impactful way. TED-Ed videos talk about culturally significant subjects, like how drugs affect the brain. But some videos are more trivial, like how the bendy straw was invented.

TED-Ed videos, which use TV cartoon-like animation, run anywhere from two to five minutes. Most of their videos are targeted at young people.

OpenLearn

OpenLearn is the video branch of Open University, which offers free courses in all kinds of subjects. You can study the arts or forensic science or project management or… well, just about anything!

OpenLearn taps academic experts and guest contributors for their videos. They use a combination of interviews and animation to explore each topic.

Most videos are only a few minutes long. Some of them look at global issues, like death around the world; others look at more specific parts of the world, like the history of the European Union (EU).

If you decide to take free courses from Open University, you’ll earn digital badges for each course or skill you complete.

Mental Floss

Mental Floss videos are addictive! Talk about an internet rabbit hole.

The Mental Floss YouTube channel is an extension of their website. Their educational videos list fact after fact about any given subject, as demonstrated by the numbers in the video thumbnails.

For instance, if you watch 39 Facts About the Middle Ages, you’ll walk away knowing 39 fascinating tidbits about a time in history when beaver tails were a delicacy.

Mental Floss videos run the gamut and include more academic topics, like why there are silent letters in the English language, to more trivial matters, like 31 weird discontinued products.

These videos are addictive due to Mental Floss’s formula of fast-paced speaking and obscure facts, plus a backdrop full of pop culture collectibles. It’s all topped off with host John Green’s high energy, making you want to watch one episode right after another.

Numberphile

Have you ever wanted to know what a mile of Pi looks like? If you answered yes, then Numberphile is the channel for you.

In some videos, Numberphile’s creator Brady Haran teaches simple math. Most of his videos, however, look at numbers on a large scale in a way that makes math more, well, interesting. He combines filmed footage with animation and expert guest hosts.

All of Numberphile’s videos have something to do with math, but they cover big ideas as well as more relatable ones. For instance, you can learn about a math concept called the Kolakoski Sequence, but you can also see the scientific way to cut a cake.

If you really want to get your nerd on, watch their playlist of calculator unboxings.

Khan Academy

Khan Academy is one of the most well-known educational YouTube channels. Years ago, Sal Khan made videos to help tutor his cousin. Now, Khan Academy has hundreds of videos that were created by a team of more than 150 people.

The Khan Academy YouTube channel has well-organized playlists so you can easily watch a series of videos on one subject. The playlist for trigonometry has 39 videos alone. However, each video is about five minutes long, so you can take breaks and digest what you’re learning.

While Khan Academy teaches science, math, language arts, social studies and other subjects that most school students need, there are videos for other skills, like how to write an argumentative essay for the SAT.

This channel is serious about learning. Unlike Mental Floss, you won’t find any trivial videos here. But you will find videos that dig deep into whatever academic subject you need help with.

School of Life

The School of Life is a unique educational YouTube channel because it doesn’t focus on academics at all. Instead, School of Life wants to teach people how to navigate their lives the best way they can. And their videos teach skills that you can use in every aspect of your life.

This global organization applies psychology, philosophy and culture to everyday life. Some of their videos focus on personal skills, like how to be a good listener. Other videos, however, tackle tough life lessons, like whether to stay in or leave a relationship.

Because the School of Life’s contributors love studying all aspects of what it means to be human, you’ll also find the occasional video on history or social studies, like why Socrates hated democracy.

School of Life won’t replace good parenting or therapists, but it comes close!

YouTube has an educational channel to fit everyone’s needs. Whether you need help with your math homework, or you’re becoming your best self, you’ll find lots of videos that have what you need.

Nancy Basile has almost 20 years experience as a freelance writer for the web. She focuses on finding ways to squeeze more entertainment into your day for less. Catch her on Twitter @realmediamedusa.

Taking a vacation, especially one that’s easy on your wallet, is the perfect way to boost your energy and reboot your system. YouTube travel channels have plenty of ideas for your next trip, plus insider tips and tricks to make sure you get the most out of your vacation.

Personally, my jam is watching lady teardroppers, like Mandy Lea and the Happy Camper Wives, as they tow their cute little teardrop-shaped campers all over the country. If you’re not into camping, there are still plenty of travel channels that take you all over the world.

Check out these amazing YouTube travel channels for a taste of adventure!

Samuel and Audrey

Samuel and Audrey are a young couple who decided to roam the world before putting down roots. Their adventure began in Seoul, Korea, where they taught English. From there, they traveled to Poland, India and Oxford, among other places.

These two are super cute together. Their videos mainly focus on local foods and tips for saving money, but occasionally they visit a trendy spot, like a unicorn cafe in Thailand.

Brooke Saward

Brooke Saward is an Australian woman on a solo adventure around the world. Her videos are fun and full of energy, just like her.

Her playlists are nicely organized by region, such as Europe and Africa. Another playlist is full of travel tips, like how to take solo travel photos.

Saward shows you around whatever city she’s visiting, but she also takes you through more specific tours, like the Harry Potter tour in London.

Tourist to Townie

Tourist to Townie is a little different than other YouTube travel channels. It’s hosted by Gareth Leonard, who left everything behind to follow his dream to travel the world. He doesn’t just want to visit places; he wants to live the life of the locals, which means he digs deep into the culture of any given location. For instance, in Tokyo, he visited the weirdest cafes and searched for an apartment.

Leonard also has practical advice. Because he’s a young, single man, he’s got great tips for other single dudes.

FunforLouis

If you’re looking for wild adventures, FunforLouis is the perfect YouTube travel channel for you. Louis Cole, who has almost 2 million subscribers, records himself doing some of the most insane things you’ve ever seen, like paragliding and living in a hot tub bus.

What sets Louis Cole apart from other adventurous vloggers is that he’s willing to show you not only the epic highs of his trips, but also the terrible lows. For instance, while he was touring London, all his belongings were stolen!

Cole also travels to places that many people would avoid, like North Korea and Kenya, because he wants to explore the entire world, not just the safe places.

Andrea Dabene

Andrea Dabene travels to absolutely beautiful places. She’s a professional photographer, so it’s no surprise that her videos are practically works of art.

Dabene’s videos aren’t so much about finding out what the locals eat or shining a light on remote places; Rather, they are meant to inspire you to travel by showing you the most gorgeous footage she can.

Dabene uses traditional video methods, but she also has drone footage that gives you a whole new perspective on popular destinations. Her trip to Iceland looks amazing! And don’t miss her shots from a hotel room in Switzerland that’s 7,000 feet in the air.

Peter Bragiel

Peter Bragiel isn’t just vlogging his way across the world — he genuinely wants to connect with people in real-life and through YouTube. In fact, if you send him a postcard from where you live, he’ll send you a sticker!

Bragiel sets out on difficult journeys to challenge himself. He canoes down the Mississippi River, gets from Los Angeles to the Panama Canal using only public transportation and takes a wild ride on the Trans-Siberian Railway.

Wanderlusts

Most travel YouTubers are young and single, and their vacations can seem impossible to a family with small children. That’s where the Wanderlusts channel comes in.

John and Cara Macdonald decided to take a two-year honeymoon and travel the world. Along the way, they had two daughters, so they just hoisted them into backpacks and kept going.

Their travels take them abroad, like to Morocco and Kenya, but also to places in the United States, like Yellowstone National Park and Hocking Hills State Park in Ohio.

Alex Chacon

Alex Chacon combines two of his loves for his YouTube travel channel: his motorcycle and his drone.

Chacon produces fascinating videos with his high-flying drone. His sizzle reel alone shows him taking drone selfies (“dronies”, as he calls them) in more than 50 countries.

Chacon’s quirky sense of humor is on full display, whether he’s biking through Nashville or declaring Iceland the most beautiful country in the world.

Although he mostly visits common tourist countries, he also treks to more dangerous places as an education, like the border of Syria and Israel.

Sonia’s Travels

Like other YouTube travel channels, Sonia’s Travels has dozens of lovely videos of fun and exciting destinations. She’s visited lots of sexy cities, like Paris, Milan and London.

However, creator Sonia Gil offers so much more than pretty videos. She has a veritable library of useful travel tips, like how much to tip in Europe and how to keep your clothes from getting wrinkled when you travel.

Be sure to check out her nicely sorted playlists to find more travel hacks, along with product reviews and videos from all of her destinations.

After watching these YouTube travel channels, you’ll be hard-pressed to stay home when you could be out discovering the world.

Nancy Basile has almost 20 years experience as a freelance writer for the web. She focuses on finding ways to squeeze more entertainment into your day for less. Catch her on Twitter @realmediamedusa.

Science has been the downfall of many a good student. All those formulas and facts can make your head spin. Just keeping track of whether or not Pluto is a planet can be exhausting!

On the flip side, I found several YouTube channels that explain science in a way that makes it easy to understand. Plus, these videos piqued my interest because they’re about subjects that relate to my daily life.

But what I really want to know is, where was YouTube when I was in high school? I certainly could have used it.

Gross Science

Right off the bat, I was hooked on Gross Science.

Don’t let the name of the channel fool you. While some of the topics are gross to some people (like snot and menstruation), others are a lot tamer (like what really causes sunburns).

The show is hosted by Anna Rothschild. They’re a combination of her doing the ‘splaining, along with whimsical animations.

Listening to Rothschild is like listening to my best friend; she’s really personable and breaks down information into bite-sized pieces.

Unlike a lot of YouTube hosts, she doesn’t speak in a rapid-fire way. It’s like she’s really talking to you, not reading cue cards.

Veritasium

Veritasium is the kind of channel that made YouTube a big deal. Derek Muller, the host, takes his camera everywhere, so his videos have a homemade quality. Sometimes he interviews people on the street. Sometimes he takes you right into his own bathroom.

Muller does experiments to try to debunk theories or explain phenomenons. In one video he tests whether you’re really lightest in the morning, while in another he demonstrates an anti-gravity wheel.

Veritasium’s videos don’t rely on animation at all. Muller is constantly filming, so he has a lot of fun footage of himself and strangers.

Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell

Beautiful animation and original music sets Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell apart from other YouTube science channels. The artists use bright purples, reds, greens and yellows in five-to-10-minute cartoons that explore scientific questions, such as whether GMOs are good or bad?

Although the focus of Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell is science, the channel also has videos about other subjects, like Iraq and who invented the internet.

Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell only puts out one video a month because the creative team is “convinced that good things take time, care and precision.”

Vsauce

If you’re looking for a YouTube science channel that isn’t all uppity with itself, Vsauce is for you.

Why? Host Michael Stevens is goofy, and he’s not interested in the Big Bang or entropy. He wants to answer the kinds of questions toddlers ask, like why your bottom is actually in your middle.

Although Vsauce episodes tend to be long -- 10 to 20 minutes -- they’re perfect for kids. He doesn’t talk too quickly, and he doesn’t use enormous words.

minutephysics

minutephysics is exactly what you think it is: short videos that explain physics.

Henry Reich, the channel’s creator, explains big ideas about physics in videos that last one to three minutes. One of his most popular videos talks about whether it’s better to walk or run in the rain. (I won’t spoil the answer!)

minutephysics videos get right to the nitty gritty of a topic, without fancy introductions. Each concept is explained using time-lapse drawings, which are very entertaining.

SmarterEveryDay

SmarterEveryDay is a hodge podge of videos about all sorts of things. Destin, the host, talks about science that happens to him personally, like how his sister got malaria or his balloon’s baffling behavior.

Destin Sandlin is an engineer, so the majority of his videos explain how things work. He also researches questions that you might think of but have no idea how to answer, like what astronauts do with their pee or how to escape from a car through the windshield.

Destin is so personable that his Facebook page is full of family photos and friendly posts.

SciShow

If you’re looking for more gross science, SciShow has what you need. Hosts Hank Green, Michael Aranda and Olivia Gordon say they “hate not knowing things,” so they make videos about answers to their questions.

SciShow looks great, with really big production values. They use fun visuals to explain science, although a lot of it tends to be pretty gross, like why your pee is sometimes green.

Most of the time, SciShow answers very basic questions in under five minutes, like why humidity makes it feel hotter.

The hosts are clearly having a good time! Don’t miss their hilarious outtakes and bloopers playlist.

AsapScience

AsapScience is the perfect channel for when you need to answer a question about science right now. That means hosts Mitchell Moffit and Gregory Brown make videos that are usually around three minutes long and that get right to the heart of a topic.

AsapScience looks at science that affects your mind and your body. They ask common questions, like how much sleep do you really need, but they also ask questions most people are afraid to ask, like is masturbation good for you?

The two of them answer all their questions with colorful animations and fun music. In fact, they recorded their own Science Love Song.

Seeker

Seeker is another YouTube science channel that stars pleasant, young hosts. Trace Dominguez, Julian Huguet, Amy Shira Teitel and Crystal Dilworth seem really excited to talk about science, and their enthusiasm keeps my attention.

Seeker’s videos don’t have a particular style. Sometimes there’s footage of the hosts, sometimes they have cartoons and other times they just have photos or illustrations to make their point.

Like some of the other channels, Seeker’s videos are short. Unlike the other channels, Seeker covers cutting-edge science, like human head transplants. Ouch!

Reactions

Reactions, a channel that’s brought to you by the American Chemical Society, talks about everyday chemistry.

You would think an organization like the ACS would be all stuffy, but Reactions videos talk about everything from why avocados are awesome to the science of the Avengers to why your cat loves catnip.

The videos are made up of quick-witted narration that plays over images and video clips. Most of the channel’s videos are just a few minutes long, so they’re easy to watch.

Now you know where to turn the next time you’re contemplating the wonders of the universe or just thinking about why farts stink so much.

Nancy Basile has almost 20 years experience as a freelance writer for the web. She focuses on finding ways to squeeze more entertainment into your day for less. Catch her on Twitter @realmediamedusa.

Cable TV is one of the biggest discretionary expenses a household can have. Now, lots of people are jumping on the trend to cut the cord and rely on streaming services for their TV fix.

But streaming services like Netflix don’t offer daily news shows that cover current events. How can you keep up with what’s happening in the world without cable? Easily.

YouTube has several award-winning news channels that you can watch for free, and each of them covers the news from a different angle. Once you find a news channel that jives with your viewing style, you’ll be able to get all the news you want at no cost.

YouTube’s World News Channel

Who better to curate videos on YouTube than YouTube? YouTube’s World News Channel pulls together videos from major news networks that cover a wide range of topics. You can find top stories from networks like BBC, ABC, Fox and Al Jazeera all in one channel.

The videos on the YouTube World News Channel have no political leanings, and they don’t have flashy intros or host commentaries. That means they don’t waste any time getting straight to the news.

Subscribing to YouTube’s World News Channel will make you feel like an insider. Surprisingly, their channel doesn’t have millions of subscribers, and some of their videos only have a few thousand views.

The Young Turks

The Young Turks is one of the most popular channels on YouTube with over three million subscribers. Hosts Cenk Uygur and Ana Kasparian cover the hottest topic of the day in a news segment that is part traditional news and part roundtable discussion.

Uygur and Kasparian give you context and background information on the latest headlines. They provide the nuts and bolts on a topic so you have a deeper understanding of whatever they’re discussing. They also show quotes and videos from all sides of a topic.

The hosts aren’t as formal as TV anchors; their casual and personable style makes them feel familiar.

Vice News

The Vice News YouTube channel is an extension of the HBO Vice series. Episodes air daily, and they have special editions on the weekends.

Vice News doesn’t cover the latest headlines from Washington, D.C. or the biggest viral video of the day; instead, its correspondents dig deep into controversial issues around the world. Their videos focus on war in the Middle East, fighting poverty in the U.S., medical breakthroughs and the environment.

Vice News gives their topics an interesting angle. A lot of times they tell a story from a real person’s point of view, like when they followed a millennial mom who has a lot of tattoos and drives a truck to pay the bills.

No Comment TV

A picture is worth a thousand words, right? Then No Comment TV is worth millions.

No Comment TV is part of euronews, Europe’s leading news network. The channel features engrossing videos from around the world without commentary, judgement or argument.

You can watch astounding videos of raging forest fires in France or flooding in Myanmar. They also have video footage of controversial news stories, like what happens to villagers when ISIS camps are bombed.

Although they provide hard-hitting videos of newsworthy stuff, they also have videos that are just plain entertaining. You can watch a man sharing hugs with a pack of lions or an artist creating an amazing sand castle on a Long Island beach.

Now This

Now This provides answers to questions you never knew you wanted to ask. It takes a deep dive into government, culture, policies and other global issues on a minute scale, looking between the lines to give you insight into interesting news topics around the world.

Now This gained popularity with videos on Facebook that tend to get shared a lot because they’re kind of mind-blowing. One of their most popular videos on YouTube, Why Doesn’t Japan Hate the U.S.?, has almost two million views.

The hosts are clearly passionate about their topics. They explain difficult subjects, like the stock market or trade relations, in a way that’s easy to understand.

Reveal

Reveal produces videos that are the result of hardcore journalism. No wonder, because the YouTube channel is the product of the Center for Investigative Reporting.

Reveal’s videos are a combination of in-person interviews, animation and storytelling. The way they produce videos really makes their subjects hit home.

Two of the videos I watched sucked me in right away. One was a first-person account from the Navy Seal who killed Osama Bin Laden. The other was an animated video about beef production. Both videos gave me “aha!” moments. The Navy Seal video made me uncomfortable because the story was so personal, while the beef production video made me question my own diet.

Philip DeFranco

If you’re looking for relatable, insightful commentary that’s served up with the day’s facts, Philip DeFranco is your man.

DeFranco is a long-time YouTuber who has won several awards. Every day he picks a hot topic to tear into and looks at it from all sides. He uses Tweets and video footage to back up his opinions.

Above all, DeFranco looks for the truth in crazy controversies, especially ones that affect the U.S. In recent videos, he tore apart whether or not Jake Tapper is a member of the alt-right and whether or not cops are planting evidence in a “leaked” video.

You can stay on top of what’s happening around the world for free. Once you find a YouTube news channel that fits your needs, hit the subscribe button. That way its newest videos will show up in your home newsfeed.

Nancy Basile has almost 20 years experience as a freelance writer for the web. She focuses on finding ways to squeeze more entertainment into your day for less. She lives in Amish country with her family.

History was always my worst subject in school. All those names and dates made my head swim.

In my adulthood, however, I’m really digging history because I find ways to make it meaningful, even entertaining.

That’s where YouTube comes in. There are some fantastic history channels on YouTube that keep my interest and teach me stuff. Like, now I know why the Syrian civil war is so important.

If you watch any of these nine history channels on YouTube, you will walk away knowing way more about what came before.

Crash Course

Hands down, my favorite YouTube history channel is Crash Course.

The host, John Green, is super entertaining and hilarious. He’s the reason the videos are so good.

Well, that and the slick graphics.

He’s really funny and uses a lot of gimmicks to keep me interested. He also explains things so I understand the context. For example, his video The Clinton Years, or the 1990s, helped me understand how President Bill Clinton was able to help the U.S. economy. And Archdukes, Cynicism and World War I cleared up how an assassination led to a worldwide war.

The videos run 10 to 15 minutes, and they’re organized into helpful playlists.

Extra Credits

If you’re a gamer, you might already know about Extra Credits. Extra Credits is mainly a YouTube channel about video games. But hidden in their playlists is a wealth of knowledge about U.S. and world history.

For example, I learned a ton about D-Day that I didn’t know before. They use cartoons to explain everything and the narrator has a very pleasant voice.

Kids will dig Extra Credits, too, because of the simplistic cartoons and “cool” slang they use.

The Great War

The Great War focuses on just one part of history. You guessed it: The Great War, which is actually World War I.

Host Indiana Neidell takes a deep, deep dive into the War to End All Wars in weekly episodes.

How can there be so many videos about World War I, you ask? Well, they package their videos every which way to make it easier for you to find the facts you need.

There are recaps and preludes and Q&As. Neidell discusses every move that every country made. Sometimes he focuses on the tiniest details to give you a really clear picture of what was happening.

One thing is very clear. Dude loves to talk about The Great War.

It’s History

It’s History is for people who are serious about history. That’s because, unlike a lot of the other channels on this list, they’re not funny at all. It’s History is passionate about history.

The videos are five to ten minutes long and cover a wide range of topics. Some playlists cover whole eras, but other videos cover a single turning point in an era.

The host is engaging, which helps when the videos tend to be dry. And the production value is super high, so they’re nice to watch.

Look out for their provocative thumbnails!

HipHughes History

[caption id="attachment_64801" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Keith Hughes is the creator of Youtube channel Hip Hughes. Courtesy of Hip Hughes[/caption]

HipHughes History stars Keith Hughes, a high school teacher who decided to make some crazy videos about history.

He’s that teacher who thinks he’s one of the “hip” kids when he says “on point” or “sick,” but he’s really not.

Although Hughes obviously loves being on camera -- I mean very obviously -- his videos are helpful. He breaks down gnarly historical events so they’re easy to understand.

His 10-minute videos cover specific events in history, as well as more current topics, like impeachment.

Feature History

[caption id="attachment_64804" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Courtesy of Feature History[/caption]

Feature History has a lot of slick videos for “historically-challenged adolescents.” But they came in handy for me, too.

The narrator is a funny guy who explains all kinds of historical events. Some of the topics are more obscure, like the Thirty Years War. But other videos cover the biggies, like the War of the Roses.

The graphics are minimalistic, which makes everything easy on the eyes. And he [the Australian channel] overlays text on the videos, so you can watch without sound.

“Hamilton” fans should check out his video on the history of the duel.

Epic History TV

When they say Epic History TV, they mean epic. As in, the background music is more dramatic than a Meryl Streep movie.

Their focus is to explain history so you can see how it fits in the big picture.

Epic History TV has information-packed videos that feature maps and images to help tell the story. A rather serious narrator explains a variety of historical events.

Some videos are only five minutes long, but others run around 15 minutes.

Simple History

Simple History lives up to its YouTube channel name, as it’s the epitome of “just the facts.” Simple History is helpful for someone who is cramming for a test or just needs a refresher on a topic.

Simple History has well-organized playlists that make it really easy to find your topic.

The videos are usually only a few minutes long, so they don’t really give you any insight or background. They stick to the who, what, when, where and how of a topic.

The narrator speaks over basic Flash animations, which help keep it “simple.”

History Channel

The History Channel has its own YouTube channel, of course.

It is the only channel on this list to use real-life actors and locations. The videos are mainly echoes of whatever they’re playing on TV. They do, however have some videos that address broad topics in a short amount of time.

Because they have a lot of promotional videos, or videos from their non-history TV shows, check out their playlists to find what you’re looking for.

Biography Channel

The Biography Channel focuses on people, naturally. Although you won’t find a video explaining Hitler’s rise to power, you will find out more about him if you watch his mini bio.

The Biography Channel specializes in two different kinds of videos. They have mini bios, which are two- or three-minute videos about a specific person. They also have “On This Day” videos, that tell you what happened on a specific date in the past.

Like the History Channel, the Biography Channel’s production values are high. They often have interviews mixed into mini bios.

Who would have thought I’d ever think that learning about the Chechen Wars would be fun? After watching these YouTube channels, I’m ready to soak in all the history I can.

Nancy Basile has almost 20 years experience as a freelance writer for the web. She focuses on finding ways to squeeze more entertainment into your day for less. Catch her on Twitter @realmediamedusa.