You know that expression “You can’t make this stuff up?” Although countless great fictional, fantastical stories have graced the big screen, there’s something special about watching a movie based on a true story. Films about important moments in history have the weight of the past behind them, and as a result, many of them are classic—perhaps even historic—films.

This list of movies based on historical events spans pretty much all of cinema history itself. The oldest film in this selection came out in 1925 — more than 80 years before the 2008 financial crisis, the most recent event that served as the basis for one of these movies. They span genres, too. History is full of drama, romance, thrills, and war, so it’s only natural that movies about history would be varied, too.

For the most part, the movies that made this list are films that are based on specific people or events in history. A movie needs to do more than simply “be set during World War II” to qualify, and a historical drama about made-up characters isn’t quite what we’re looking for. The following movies, though, all deliver. Watch any of them and you’ll be entertained. (You might even learn a little something, too.)