Uploaded March 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
It’s the BIGGEST ISLAND in the world and mostly covered in ice with a comparatively tiny population, so you might wonder both why Greenland is called Greenland and why Donald Trump wants to buy Greenland from Denmark so badly that it’s causing major international tension. In this episode of History Calling, we look at the history of Greenland (including how Greenland became part of Denmark, despite the vast distance between them), at why Greenland is so important to President Trump and why Greenland matters on the international stage like never before.
We’ll start by going all the way back to the year 982 AD to learn about how Greenland was discovered by Erik the Red, a Norwegian explorer and why he gave it its strange name. Then we’ll look at its medieval history, at the mysterious disappearance of Greenland’s Norse settlers and at the expedition of the Danish-Norwegian missionary, Hans Egede in 1721, which explains why Greenland belongs to Denmark. You’ll hear about the Nazi and American occupations of Greenland during World War 2, the emergence of Thule Air Base on the island, when and why Greenland became part of the Kingdom of Denmark, its journey to Home Rule, the treatment of its native population, the Inuit and how it is being affected by climate change. Then of course, we’ll look at recent history; at why the US President wants to buy this huge island and at what the Greenlanders and the Danish think of his proposals.
BUY MY BOOK (Find Your Irish Ancestors Online): amzn.to/3Z2ChnG
Website (with 2 FREE DOWNLOADS): historycallingofficial.com
Patreon: patreon.com/historycalling
Amazon storefront: amazon.com/shop/historycalling
Instagram: instagram.com/historycalling
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Want to watch/hear/read more about history (and a whole host of other topics)? Then you might benefit from a free Audible or Prime video trial. They are available from the following links:
LEARN MORE
Adrian Howkins and Peder Roberts (eds), The Cambridge History of the Polar Regions (Cambridge, 2013). Available at amzn.to/4b3kssP
[FREE] Why Trump Wants Greenland And Canada: Strategic And Economic Goals
forbes.com/sites/garthfriesen/2025/01/26/why-trump-wants-greenland-and-canada-strategic-and-economic-goals
[FREE] What's with Trump’s obsession with Greenland? | About That
youtube.com/watch?v=uYPxb0veHUE
[FREE] Searching for the Northwest Passage
rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/search-northwest-passage
[FREE] Why North America is preparing for an Arctic battle | About That
youtube.com/watch?v=8JWoER_Vle0
[FREE] The Logistics Behind a Trump Purchase of Greenland | WSJ
youtube.com/watch?v=Lw-fXvv9-lA
YOU MIGHT ALSO FIND THESE LINKS USEFUL
AUDIBLE
amzn.to/44MvlMi
AUDIBLE PLUS & AUDIBLE PREMIUM PLUS
amzn.to/42rh3PF
PRIME VIDEO
amzn.to/3LW7ykg
GEAR USED
Apple MacBook Pro Laptop (for video editing): amzn.to/3S6IoRK
DJI Drone: amzn.to/39hROZm
Go-Pro Hero 13 camera: amzn.to/3DMg5Gj
GoPro 3-Way 2.0 (Tripod/Grip/Arm): amzn.to/3vaVxjU
Memory Card: amzn.to/3KeLZZs
Microphone: amzn.to/3rYtjH8
NB: Links above may be affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through one of these links, I earn a small commission. It in no way affects the price you pay.
Creative Commons licenses used see creativecommons.org/licenses
#Greenland #DonaldTrump #WhyGreenlandMatters #historycalling
It’s the BIGGEST ISLAND in the world and mostly covered in ice with a comparatively tiny population, so you might wonder both why Greenland is called Greenland and why Donald Trump wants to buy Greenland from Denmark so badly that it’s causing major international tension. In this episode of History Calling, we look at the history of Greenland (including how Greenland became part of Denmark, despite the vast distance between them), at why Greenland is so important to President Trump and why Greenland matters on the international stage like never before.
We’ll start by going all the way back to the year 982 AD to learn about how Greenland was discovered by Erik the Red, a Norwegian explorer and why he gave it its strange name. Then we’ll look at its medieval history, at the mysterious disappearance of Greenland’s Norse settlers and at the expedition of the Danish-Norwegian missionary, Hans Egede in 1721, which explains why Greenland belongs to Denmark. You’ll hear about the Nazi and American occupations of Greenland during World War 2, the emergence of Thule Air Base on the island, when and why Greenland became part of the Kingdom of Denmark, its journey to Home Rule, the treatment of its native population, the Inuit and how it is being affected by climate change. Then of course, we’ll look at recent history; at why the US President wants to buy this huge island and at what the Greenlanders and the Danish think of his proposals.
BUY MY BOOK (Find Your Irish Ancestors Online): amzn.to/3Z2ChnG
Website (with 2 FREE DOWNLOADS): historycallingofficial.com
Patreon: patreon.com/historycalling
Amazon storefront: amazon.com/shop/historycalling
Instagram: instagram.com/historycalling
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
History of US Presidential assassinations
youtu.be/5is0tlAFPeE
Christina of Denmark, Duchess of Milan and Lorraine
youtu.be/JLgNiktAcmE
The flat earth myth
youtu.be/aVuQ5EsRDpg
Mysterious island of Hy Brasil
youtu.be/_74GYWj9NuE
Want to watch/hear/read more about history (and a whole host of other topics)? Then you might benefit from a free Audible or Prime video trial. They are available from the following links:
LEARN MORE
Adrian Howkins and Peder Roberts (eds), The Cambridge History of the Polar Regions (Cambridge, 2013). Available at amzn.to/4b3kssP
[FREE] Why Trump Wants Greenland And Canada: Strategic And Economic Goals
forbes.com/sites/garthfriesen/2025/01/26/why-trump-wants-greenland-and-canada-strategic-and-economic-goals
[FREE] What's with Trump’s obsession with Greenland? | About That
youtube.com/watch?v=uYPxb0veHUE
[FREE] Searching for the Northwest Passage
rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/search-northwest-passage
[FREE] Why North America is preparing for an Arctic battle | About That
youtube.com/watch?v=8JWoER_Vle0
[FREE] The Logistics Behind a Trump Purchase of Greenland | WSJ
youtube.com/watch?v=Lw-fXvv9-lA
YOU MIGHT ALSO FIND THESE LINKS USEFUL
AUDIBLE
amzn.to/44MvlMi
AUDIBLE PLUS & AUDIBLE PREMIUM PLUS
amzn.to/42rh3PF
PRIME VIDEO
amzn.to/3LW7ykg
GEAR USED
Apple MacBook Pro Laptop (for video editing): amzn.to/3S6IoRK
DJI Drone: amzn.to/39hROZm
Go-Pro Hero 13 camera: amzn.to/3DMg5Gj
GoPro 3-Way 2.0 (Tripod/Grip/Arm): amzn.to/3vaVxjU
Memory Card: amzn.to/3KeLZZs
Microphone: amzn.to/3rYtjH8
NB: Links above may be affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through one of these links, I earn a small commission. It in no way affects the price you pay.
Creative Commons licenses used see creativecommons.org/licenses
#Greenland #DonaldTrump #WhyGreenlandMatters #historycalling
