The Doctor in Earth history
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By the 21st century and beyond, the Doctor had become a significant figure in the recorded history of Earth and the human race. They were well-known as a both a documented historical presence and also as a contemparoneous celebrity. The Doctor appeared as a figure in other aspects of popular culture and mythology on Earth and on other worlds such as in works of fiction.
Overview
Most accounts regarding the Doctor seem to portray them as a real person. By the end of the 2000s, the Doctor had made appearances on television in multiple incarnations with the Second Doctor even able to call himself famous during the first part of his exile on Earth in the 20th century. (COMIC: Action in Exile et al.) Even just prior to his exile, the Doctor noted that he was known on Earth in this time. (TV: The War Games)
Intentionally or otherwise, sightings of the Doctor were recorded throughout human history, (TV: Rose, Love & Monsters) with the Ninth Doctor acknowledging that he had been "noticed" after visiting the planet "lots of times". (TV: Aliens of London) The Fifth Doctor acknowledged that groups of "fan[s]" such as LINDA were established to follow him. (TV: Time Crash) Generally going only by "the Doctor", they were found in history books, on the internet, (TV: Aliens of London) in political diaries, conspiracy theories and ghost stories. (TV: Rose) They also had a habit of forming relationships with various historical figures, both amicable and hostile—and sometimes even amorous. (TV: Tooth and Claw, Victory of the Daleks, The Day of the Doctor) As Jac observed, the Doctor tended to make "a lot of noise" and "love[d] to make an entrance." (TV: The Magician's Apprentice)
Several publications aimed to collect accounts of the Doctor's involvement in human history. The Time Lord Letters collected personal letters and jottings from across time and space many of which originated from Earth, (PROSE: The Time Lord Letters) the Twelfth Doctor annotated a textbook named A History of Humankind in the Coal Hill library with some of his involvement in 2014 (PROSE: A History of Humankind) and another book included a history of the universe from its beginning to its end that focused particularly on the Doctor's movements. (PROSE: The Whoniverse)
As observed by Bridget Sinclair, a member of LINDA, the "single constant factor" associated with "all these different Doctors" who came and went was a "faux police box" which kept "cropping up throughout history". (TV: Love & Monsters)
As a real person
Distant past
The Twelfth Doctor claimed in his modified edition of A History of Humankind that life on Earth was started by the explosion of a Jagaroth ship which sparked the first life in the amniotic fluid below and that a Jagaroth called Scaroth that was splintered through time attempted to go back and stop the explosion. The Doctor noted that without his involvement there would have been no human race. (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: City of Death)
The Doctor dismissed several theories regarding the circumstances behind the extinction of the dinosaurs in his ammended version of A History of Humankind by instead claiming the Cybermen had fitted a freighter with Cyber-tech to destroy a peace conference in Earth's future only for him to get involved which led to things going "a bit wrong for them" and the freighter drifting sixty-five million years into Earth's past and crshing which caused a huge explosion and the disonaurs' extinction, as well as the Doctor's friend Adric. (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: Earthshock)
In A History of Humankind, the Doctor briefly noted that in the Stone Age he once met a tribe that had lost the secret of fire. He claimed he "set fire to some stuff, which got their attention, then scarpered". (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: An Unearthly Child)
In a modified edition of A History of Humankind, the Doctor claimed he was briefly present at the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza, during which time he was attempting to prevent the Daleks from getting hold of the core of the Time Destructor which he had stolen. (PROSE: A History of Humankind, The Daleks' Master Plan)
The Doctor stated in A History of Humankind that the disappearance of Egyptian queen Nefertiti was his doing. He stated that after helping her with some trouble she had been having with giant locusts he took her to see some dinosaurs on a spaceship before leaving her in 1902 Africa with explorer and hunter John Riddell. (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: Dinosaurs on a Spaceship)
The Doctor claimed that he had visited Atlantis during the reign of King Dalios in A History of Humankind during which the Master tried to steal the throne so he could get control of Kronos the Chronovore. He said it "didn't go well". (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: The Time Monster)
The Doctor claimed that he had given Ariadne the string that she gave to Theseus that he used to navigate the labrinyth of the Minotaur to save his scarf from being unravelled in A History of Humankind. This story without the Doctor's involvement was recorded in Greek mythology. (PROSE: A History of Humankind, The Creature from the Pit) The Doctor also mentioned he had encountered Minoutaur-like species elsewhere including the Nimon and another that fed on faith. (PROSE: A History of Humankind)
The Doctor claimed in his version of A History of Humankind that he was in Troy at the end of the Trojan War and that he had come up with the idea to use the Trojan Horse. He also claimed that he had pretended to be Zeus and had considered several other ideas that Odysseus had liked but had settled on the horse in the interests of his own safety. (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: The Myth Makers)
1st century
The Doctor wrote about his visit to Rome under the rule of Emperor Nero in 64 AD in A History of Humankind. He claimed that during his visit he managed to convince Nero he was a terrific lyre player and that "someone" accidentally set fire to Nero's plans for a new Rome which gave Nero the inspiration to start the Great Fire of Rome. (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: The Romans)
Also in A History of Humankind, the Doctor accepted the blame for the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD by giving the reason he was putting history back on track. Allegedly, the need for this arose because the Pyroviles were going to use the energy from Vesuvius to set up a fusion matrix and turn the entire population of Earth into one of them. However, he did save Caecilius and his family (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: The Fires of Pompeii) with this reminder to save people causing him to adopt Caecilius' appearance in his twelfth incarnation. (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: The Girl Who Died)
2nd century
In his improved version of A History of Humankind, the Doctor elaborated upon the existence of the Underhenge at Stonehenge as the place where an alliance of all sorts of alien life forms kept the Pandorica and where he very nearly met a "sticky end". The Doctor claimed this was because it was his fault that the universe was about to end but ultimately sorted it out and rebooted it. (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: The Pandorica Opens / The Big Bang)
9th century
The Doctor wrote about his experiences helping to defend the Vikings from "Odin" and the Mire in his version of A History of Humankind. The Doctor said that the Vikings had put him and Clara on a longboat for two days and that he had pretended to be Odin by using a yo-yo before the other imposter out-performed him with better technology. The Doctor claimed it took "a lot of clever thinking" to see the Mire off and a young girl named Ashildr her life. However, he was able to resurrect her making her functionally immortal although much later he still debated with himself whether that was the right thing to do. (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: The Girl Who Died)
11th century
In October 1066, after the First Doctor defeated Template:Butterworth's plan to change the result of the Battle of Hastings so that King Harold would win after disabling the Monk's TARDIS he left him a letter informing him of such. (TV: The Time Meddler, PROSE: "A Warning to the Meddlesome") He also expressed a wish for the Monk to stop his meddling and violations of the Laws of Time. The letter was later reproduced in The Time Lord Letters. (PROSE: "A Warning to the Meddlesome") The Twelfth Doctor later wrote about this encounter in his ammended edition of A History of Humankind in which he outlined the Monk's plan. The Doctor condemned the Monk's belief of believing Harold was a better king than William the Conqueror as suitable justification to warrant messing about with history. (PROSE: A History of Humankind)
12th century
The Doctor wrote about his encounter with Richard I of England during the Crusades in Jaffa in A History of Humankind. According to the Doctor, he didn't like him as he believed that he had told his sister Joanna of the plan to marry her off to Saphadin to broker a peace but got friendlier after learning the truth. Richard also knighted the Doctor's friend Ian Chesterton but didn't offer him a knighthood. (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: The Crusade)
In Coal Hill's copy of A History of Humankind, the Doctor altered the section on the legend of Robin Hood extensively, firstly by confirming his existence in reality. In annotations, the Doctor criticised the claim that he was an expert swordsman. He also claimed that all the Merry Men did was banter and also that he hadn't seen any evidence of robbing the rich and giving to the poor. He also noted that the Sheriff of Nottingham and his kinghts had been robots and suggested that Robin could have also been one, although he admitted it was unlikely. However, one thing the Doctor did find some truth in was the thought that a man born into privelage could leave his suuroundings and go out into the universe to help the weak and oppressed. (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: Robot of Sherwood)
13th century
In 1207, the Eleventh Doctor spent some time in a monastery in Cumbria, where he was known as "the mad monk". (TV: The Bells of Saint John)
In his ammended A History of Humankind, the Doctor wrote about how the TARDIS once landed at Sir Ranulf Fitzwilliam's castle where he initally believed King John was staying. However, John turned out to be the shape-changing robot Kamelion being used by the Tremas Master to ensure the Magna Carta never got signed. The Doctor reflected that he wasn't sure why before concluding "just to cause trouble, probably". (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: The King's Demons)
In a modified version of A History of Humankind, the Doctor wrote about the first time he met Sarah Jane Smith they travelled to a Medieval castle where a robber baron named Irongron was helping a stranded Sontaran kidnap scientists from the 20th century to help him repair his damaged spaceship. In return, Irongron recieved weaponary further advanced than his time period. (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: The Time Warrior)
The Doctor also wrote about his encounter with Marco Polo in his version of A History of Humankind despite the fact that Polo's book about his experiences in China, The Travels of Marco Polo, did not mention him. The Doctor noted that when he encountered him Polo just wanted to go home and intended to give Kublai Khan (whose permission he needed) the gift of the TARDIS. The Doctor also claimed that he eventually met Khan over the course of this adventure and battled him at backgammon during which he won thirty-five elephants, four thousand white stallions, twenty-five tigers, the sacred tooth of Buddha and all the commerce from Burma for one year but lost the TARDIS. (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: Marco Polo)
15th century
The Doctor expanded upon the Aztecs in his copy of A History of Humankind. In a purported encounter, the Doctor proposed to an Aztec woman named Cameca by offering her cocoa. Others also attempted to marry his granddaughter Susan to a sacrificial victim but she refused. (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: The Aztecs)
The Doctor noted in the version of A History of Humankind that he modified that the human race was incredibly vulnerable during the Renaissance as the potential of the species was starting to become apparent. One such race was the Mandragora Helix which was dealt with by the Doctor. The Helix had been able to come to Earth in the first place by the Doctor's hand as some of its energy had sneaked into the TARDIS. (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: The Masque of Mandragora)
16th century
The Doctor wrote in A History of Humankind that he had met Leonardo da Vinci but had missed him painting the Mona Lisa. At the same he also documented the efforts of Captain Tancredi (a splinter of Scaroth) to make da Vinci paint more copies of the painting so he could sell them at a profit later. (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: City of Death)
A handwritten note signed by the Doctor was delivered to King Henry VIII in October 1543 after being found in a cell in the Tower of London in place of a prisoner. In it, the Doctor apoligised for quarreling with the King over dinner and told him that his incarceration in the Tower had played right into his hands, noting he had locked him and Susan in with his TARDIS. According to Tower records, although the door was locked and there was no other means of escape, the two prisoners - an elderly man and his young granddaughter - had gone from the cell along with a large blue cabinet which Henry had ordered stored in the same cell. The letter was reproduced in The Time Lord Letters. (PROSE: "Taken to the Tower")
In 1562, Queen Elizabeth I of England had a picnic with the Tenth Doctor who, believing her to be a Zygon in disguise, proposed to her to expose the imposter only to find that she was the real Elizabeth. After an encounter with the Eleventh Doctor and the War Doctor, the Doctor and the Queen were married. Following the Doctor's departure, the Queen left instructions that the Doctor be appointed Curator of the Under Gallery of the National Gallery. Among the contents of the National Gallery was a painting depicting the Queen and her husband, the Tenth Doctor. As a result of their relationship, the Doctor indicated that her epihtet, "the Virgin Queen" was no longer applicable. (TV: The Day of the Doctor) The Doctor wrote about the relationship between himself and the Queen in his modified edition of A History of Humankind. (PROSE: A History of Humankind)
The Doctor wrote in his version of A History of Humankind that he was almost present at the massacre of the Huguenots in 1572. According to him, he got a bit distracted which meant he did not meet up with his friend Steven Taylor as they'd arranged so Steven went looking for him, causing him a bit of a shock when the Abbot of Amboise, who looked eactly like the Doctor, got killed. (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: The Massacre)
The Doctor also claimed in A History of Humankind that he was present in Venice when it was at its height in 1580 when it was almost destroyed. The Doctor wrote about Saturnyne Rosanna Calvierri's plan to convert a bunch of girls into fish as brides for her children, sinking the city in the process. (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: The Vampires of Venice)
In 1599, the Tenth Doctor sent William Shakespeare a letter to apoligise for leaving so abruptly when he was threatened by Elizabeth I and expressing the fact that it was both he and Martha Jones thought it was great to meet him. The Doctor also gave his permission for Shakespeare to use words such as "Sycorax" and notified him that one of his previous incarnations will help him write a play set in Denmark soon. The letter was found in amongst the few surviving papers and correspondence of Shakespeare and is said to have "puzzled and intrigued academics". It was reproduced in The Time Lord Letters with an accompanying note that those "familiar" with the Doctor's adventures would appreciate the letter was in fact written soon after the Doctor and Martha had helped Shakespeare banish the Carrionites into the Deep Darkness. (PROSE: "Got to Dash...") The Doctor wrote about this encounter with the Carrionites himself in his modified version of A History of Humankind. (PROSE: A History of Humankind) Shakespeare would later write partially fictionalised accounts of his experiences with the Doctor in the Shakespeare Notebooks. (PROSE: The Shakespeare Notebooks)
17th century
According to the Twelfth Doctor who wrote the fact in his version of A History of Humankind, the highwayman known as the Knightmare "apparently" had an accomplice called "the Doctor". (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: The Woman Who Lived)
Contemporary accounts recorded that, during the reign of King Charles II, an "unnamed Doctor", actually the Eleventh Doctor, was imprisoned without trial in the Tower of London by the King, only to be retrieved by a "magical sphere" two nights later. (TV: The Impossible Astronaut)
The Doctor confessed his involvement in the Great Fire of London in his improved version of A History of Humankind as well as his reasons for it. In a handwritten flow chart he described that he had traced a group of criminal Terileptils to Pudding Lane, the Terileptils attacked him and he dropped his torch in the straw which begun the fire. The Terileptil solution of modified bubonic plague also exploded which only made things worse. (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: The Visitation)
The Doctor wrote in his version of A History of Humankind that when he met Henry Avery he was having a bit a trouble with what he thought to be a siren. The siren turned out to be a holographic medical interface from a Skerth spaceship. Ultimately Avery stayed on the ship with his son and crew, sailing through the stars. (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: The Curse of the Black Spot)
As the Doctor additionally wrote, Avery didn't take all his treasure into space. He claimed the clue to the location of the treasure - "This is Deadman's secret key, Ringwood, Smallbeer, Gurney" - was told to him by the churchwarden in a village in Cornwall shortly before he was murdered by pirates. According to the Doctor, he didn't stick around to find out how much treasure was there, leaving the pirates to fight it out with the revenue men. (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: The Smugglers)
18th century
In his version of A History of Humankind, the Doctor stated that he was present in Scotland just after the Battle of Culloden where he met some rebels and got captured by British Redcoats who wanted to send him off to the West Indies to sell as a slave. In the end, he escaped and helped the defeated rebels get safely to France, all except James Robert McCrimmon whom joined him in the TARDIS for a long time up until the Time Lords caught up with them and sent Jamie home. (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: The Highlanders)
In a letter dated to April 1764 that would later be reproduced in The Time Lord Letters after being filtered from French to English using the TARDIS translation circuits, (PROSE: "The Slow Path...") Madame de Pompadour (real name Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson) wrote what would be her final message to the Tenth Doctor before her death. Within, she wrote about the fact she thought that they would not meet again and her own deteriorating health. The letter was entrusted to Louis XV to personally deliver to the Doctor. (TV: The Girl in the Fireplace, PROSE: "The Slow Path...") The Doctor himself later wrote in detail about his meetings with Reinette through the time windows on the spacecraft he visited as well as the clockwork robots that were trying to extract her brain. (PROSE: A History of Humankind)
In 1793, a letter from the Third Doctor was delivered to Marie Antoinette. It would later be reproduced in The Time Lord Letters. The letter was suppressed by the revolutionary French authorities for many years for its obvious criticism of the Revolution and the unrest and oppression it predicts would follow. The Doctor tells her that he also knows of a brighter future for France after the time known as "the Terror" has passed. He also tells her he has not forgotten the happy time he spent with her and Louis. It was said that despite the grim predictions therein, Antoinette herself found it comforting at a very difficult time - in declining health and facing execution. It was not known who delivered the letter but was speculated to have been James Stirling, an English aristocrat and spy in France at the time. (PROSE: "Hope in Adversity")
The Doctor wrote about his time stuck in France during the Reign of Terror when he visited Robespierre with English spy James Stirling and had to break his friends Ian, Barbara and granddaughter Susan out of prison before they got their heads chopped off. (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: The Reign of Terror)
19th century
In his modified version of A History of Humankind, the Doctor wrote about visiting the village of Killingworth in the early days of the Industrial Revolution at a time when the Rani and the Tremas Master were both also there. The Rani was stealing a chemical from workers' brains that made them restless and violent and the Master was trying to advance human progress to turn Earth into a power base. The Doctor was able to stop both of them but they escaped into the Rani's TARDIS which he had sabotaged, leaving him to suspect they didn't get far. (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: The Mark of the Rani)
In February 1821, the Eleventh Doctor delivered a handwritten note that was unsigned and undated to Napoleon Bonaparte on Saint Helena. In it, the Doctor apologised for whatever Napoleon had found so enraging and thanked him for the bottle of wine, which he was later able to enjoy with River Song, Amy Pond and Rory Williams. Modern historians considered the letter to be a fake or hoax as, despite being itemised in the list of Napoleon's possessions made in 1821 upon his death, the note was written on pale blue writing paper watermarked "Basildon Bond". The Basildon Bond brand was not created by Millington & Sons until 1911 - some ninety years after Napoleon's death. Nevertheless, the note was reproduced in The Time Lord Letters. (PROSE: "Apologies and Thanks")
The Twelfth Doctor claimed in his modified edition of A History of Humankind that Sir Richard Owen was only credited for coining the term Dinosauria meaning "terrible lizard" in 1842 because he suggested it to him. (PROSE: A History of Humankind)
In his version of A History of Humankind, the Doctor noted his meeting with the matron of St Joseph's Workhouse Mercy Hartigan in 1851 who turned out to be working with Cybermen which eventually betrayed her. He also noted that in dealing with the CyberKing he met Jackson Lake whom he initally believed to be a later incarnation of himself. In fact, his sonic screwdriver was simply a screwdriver and his TARDIS a hot air balloon; he had been brainwashed by an infostamp on which the Cybermen stored all their information about the Doctor which led to Lake believing he was the Doctor. (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: The Next Doctor)
Circa 1869, after the Ninth Doctor encountered the Gelth with Rose Tyler in Cardiff, he wrote Charles Dickens an undated letter expressing his disappointment that they only got to talk briefly over the course of the adventure. He reiterated that he was a fan and told him he was present at a reading he gave in February 1858, before ending by telling him he now had more personal experiences to write about because of their time together. The letter was discovered amongst Dickens' correspondences after his death in 1870 but the more contemporary style and vocabulary led many to believe it was a hoax, somehow inserted recently into the correspondence. It was later reproduced in The Time Lord Letters. (PROSE: "A Great Fan") The Twelfth Doctor included a detailed summary of these events in his version of A History of Humankind that included notes about the nature of the Gelth and their defeat through Gwyneth. (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: The Unquiet Dead)
The Doctor wrote about his tenure as a United States Marshal in Mercy in 1870 and Rory and Amy's time as deputies after the previous marshal gave the Doctor his badge. He explained that an alien cyborg named Kahler-Tek had come to the town in seek of revenge for what scientist and doctor Kahler-Jex had done to him for the purposes of the Kahler's war. Eventually, Jex blew himself up to save the town and the Doctor gave the title of Marshal to Tek, who became known as the Gunslinger and who protected the town for decades afterwards. (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: A Town Called Mercy)
In A History of Humankind, the Doctor claimed partial responsibility for the disappearance and mystery of the Marie Celeste in 1872. He explained that the Daleks were chasing him and his cohorts in their own time machine and during the chase they both landed on the ship. The Daleks disembarked looking for him and the crew jumped overboard with the Doctor not realising where they were until it was too late. (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: The Chase)
In 1879, Queen Victoria of Great Britain, after being saved from a Lupine Wavelength Haemovariform, knighted the Tenth Doctor and Rose Tyler as "Sir Doctor of TARDIS" and "Dame Rose of the Powell Estate". She then exiled them both from the British Empire, and founded the Torchwood Institute to defend the Empire from aliens including the Doctor, who was named in the Torchwood Foundation Charter as an "enemy of the Crown". (TV: Tooth and Claw) The Doctor wrote about this encounter in great deatail in his version of A History of Humankind, specifically in regard to how he was able to defeat the creature by using the Koh-i-Noor diamond that Prince Albert and George MacLeish had cut specifically for the purpose of drowning the wolf in moonlight. (PROSE: A History of Humankind) In 1899, the Torchwood branch in Cardiff observed numerous references to "the Doctor" made by Jack Harkness in conversations with strangers in various drinking dens. (TV: Fragments)
The Doctor claimed he was present at the gunfight at the O.K. Corral in 1881 in his modfied version of A History of Humankind. He claimed he was looking for a dentist because he had toothache after eating some sweets given to him by the Celestial Toymaker. It was there he met Doc Holliday although after learning he was his first patient and witnessing some of his dubious practices, the Doctor decided the toothache was preferable. (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: The Gunfighters)
In 1883, a sketch recorded that the Ninth Doctor was present on the coast of Sumatra the day that Krakatoa exploded. (TV: Rose)
The Doctor made particular note of the life of Vincent van Gogh in his version of A History of Humankind, specifically drawing attention to his encounter with the painter whilst in the company of Amy near the end of his life in 1890. He visited van Gogh because he had painted a Krayfayis into The Church at Auvers but van Gogh was the only one that could see it as a result of his unique perspective of the world. When the Doctor and Amy arrived, the Krafayis had already killed several people and the Doctor planned the stun the creature with crosactic energy but ultimately Vincent stabbed it with his easel. The Doctor also claimed to have brought van Gogh to the Musée d'Orsay in the future to show him that he would not be forgotten as Amy hoped to avert his suicide but this did not come to pass because as the Doctor put it: "time and history don't work like that". (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: Vincent and the Doctor)
In A History of Humankind, the Doctor also noted he made many friends in late Victorian times. These included Henry Gordon Jago and Professor George Litefoot and the Paternoster Gang that consisted of Vastra, Jenny Flint and Strax. The Paternoster Gang reportedly helped him with the Great Intelligence, a nasty prehistoric slug, a big dinosaur, homicidal clockwork robots and some headless monks. Also, according to the Doctor, it was Vastra that put an end to Jack the Ripper although he additionally held knowledge that Magnus Greel was suspected by some to be the killer. (PROSE: A History of Humankind)
As the Doctor recounted in his version of A History of Humankind, on one of his visits to the late Victorian era he met a version of Clara Oswald who was working in a tavern and as a governess. The Great Intelligence was just getting started at this time and the encounter led to Clara's death. (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: The Snowmen)
In his modified textbook, the Doctor also elaborated on the prehistoric slug that he and the Paternoster Gang fought as a red leech called Mr Sweet that was allied with Winifred Gillyflower who was using her model village of Sweetville in the year 1893 to launch a rocket containing Sweet's poison to signal the coming apocalypse and replace the world's population with her "perfect" people. Clara was also involved. Ultimately, the rocket did launch but Vastra and Jenny had confiscated the poison resulting in the plan causing only minor damage. (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: The Crimson Horror)
20th century
In A History of Humankind, the Doctor elaborated on the mystery of Fang Rock in the early 20th century and revealed the nature of the Beast of Fang Rock that plagued the island according to legend. The Beast was a Rutan scout which could shapeshift that was sent to Earth to make a survey of the planet to determine whether it could be of strategic importance in their war with the Sontarans. The Doctor eventually managed to kill it, but not before it had killed everyone including the passengers of the recently-wrecked ship - Lord Palmerdale, his secretary Adelaide Lessage, his friend Colonel Skinsale, Harker and Old Reuben the lighthouse keeper - except him and Leela. (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: Horror of Fang Rock)
In A History of Humankind, the Doctor claimed that he was there to save the galaxy when Sutekh escaped from his pyramid in 1911. He also explained that the gods of Egyptian mythology were based on Sutekh and the Osirans. (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: Pyramids of Mars)
In April 1912, a record and photograph put the Ninth Doctor as a friend of the Daniels family, who cancelled their trip aboard the ill-fated RMS Titanic. (TV: Rose, AUDIO: Battle Scars)
In 1913, the Tenth Doctor briefly served as a history teacher at Farringham School for Boys under the name "John Smith". (TV: Human Nature / The Family of Blood) The Twelfth Doctor listed this period as the first in the timeline of his career in education that he included in his version of A History of Humankind. (PROSE: A History of Humankind)
The Doctor recalled playing cricket with the Cranleighs some time in the 1920s in his version of A History of Humankind. He noted there was also a party and a dance, as well as a murder and a secret brother who had been locked away after losing his mind and getting horribly scarred in his search for the black orchid. All of this reportedly made for an "interesting weekend". (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: Black Orchid)
In his version of A History of Humankind, the Doctor revealed the confusion behind the disappearance of the SS Bernice after its departure from Bombay in 1926 by noting that time had gotten confused after being rewritten. He explained that the Bernice was taken away and put in a miniscope which the TARDIS later landed in. He then escaped the miniscope and pointed out they were outlawed, after which he shut it down and sent all the "specimens" that were inside home again. (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: Carnival of Monsters)
The Doctor mentioned his encounter with Agatha Christie in 1926 at Eddison Manor in his version of A History of Humankind. The Doctor revealed the reason for her ten-day disappearance that year was his doing; he dropped her off at Harrogate Hotel after she lost her memory when a psychic link was broken between her and a Vespiform which was disguised as a vicar. The Doctor also noted that people died but he was able to work out the mystery with Agatha's help. (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: The Unicorn and the Wasp)
The Doctor noted his presence in 1930 New York City shortly after the Wall Street Crash in his version of A History of Humankind. He also wrote extensive notes spread across multiple pages about the Cult of Skaro's plans to create human-Dalek hybrids whilst they were operating in this period but he did not give any details regarding his part in their defeat. (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: Daleks in Manhattan / Evolution of the Daleks)
The Doctor claimed to have accidentally saved the life of Adolf Hitler in 1938 by knocking over the Justice Department's Teselecta with the TARDIS by crashing through a window in his version of A History of Humankind. The reason he gave for the bad landing was the fact he was being held at gunpoint by Mels, who later regenerated into River Song. He was also travelling with Rory at the time who proceeded to punch Hitler and put him in a cupboard. (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: Let's Kill Hitler)
In an attempt to "wave" at Amy Pond and Rory Williams, the Eleventh Doctor made a cameo in a Laurel and Hardy movie, specifically in The Flying Deuces. (TV: The Impossible Astronaut)
A number of notes written by the Third and Fourth Doctors dating from 1955 to 1977 were left for Professor Chronotis at St Cedd's College. They concerned the Doctor's attempts to visit Chronotis, only to find him not in his office. All four notes were reproduced in The Time Lord Letters by kind permission of the Master at St Cedd's. (PROSE: "Absent Friend")
"A long time ago", the Doctor made an oath to guard the body of Missy for 1000 years. After this he transported her to the Vault beneath St Luke's University. (TV: Extremis) In late 2016, he had apparently been lecturing at the university for over fifty years, although some rumours said he had been there for over 70. He gave no name during this time, and so was known simply as "the Doctor". (TV: The Pilot)
In 1963, the First Doctor and his granddaughter Susan Foreman spent some months living in Shoreditch after fleeing Gallifrey. Their official address was 76 Totter's Lane, the junkyard where the Doctor kept the TARDIS. (TV: An Unearthly Child)
Susan's student application to Coal Hill School and the accompanying covering letter were stored in the school's archives and were later reproduced in The Time Lord Letters. The application was for the Michaelmas term in 1963 and the reason given for joining the school late was on account of the Doctor and Susan's travelling and having only just settled in the location. The application was received and approved on 19 June with the Doctor giving his name as Doctor I.M. Foreman, the name under which school teachers Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright initially addressed him. (PROSE: "An Application")
While Susan attended Coal Hill, the Doctor registered a library card under the name "John Smith". (TV: The Vampires of Venice) Ultimately, the Doctor and Susan left Shoreditch along with Ian and Barbara on the night of 22 November. (TV: An Unearthly Child)
As recorded in a photograph preserved by the Washington public archive, the Ninth Doctor was witness to the assassination of John F. Kennedy, President of the United States on 22 November 1963. (TV: Rose)
The Doctor claimed in his version of A History of Humankind that he was nearly offered the job of caretaker at Coal Hill in 1963 but the headteacher, who was apparently working for the Daleks, thought he was overqualified. (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: Remembrance of the Daleks)
The Tenth Doctor and Martha Jones spent some time in London in 1969, having been displaced by the Weeping Angels from 2007. Whilst there, they left a note at Wester Drumlins as well as a recorded message which was placed as an easter egg in seventeen DVDs that would be owned by Sally Sparrow in 2007, leading the the TARDIS to pick up the pair. (TV: Blink)
During their second incarnation's exile, the Doctor lived in luxury at the Carlton Grange Hotel and was very prolific in the public eye. The Doctor acted as a lecturer for a time at London University. (COMIC: The Brotherhood) He also appeared as a guest on the television show Explain My Mystery after becoming famous for his incredible exploits to help solve the mysteries of the viewers. (COMIC: The Night Walkers)
Rowan Cartwright was easily able to contact him after reading the headline "TIME AND SPACE TRAVELLER RESIDING IN LONDON" in the Daily Record (COMIC: The Mark of Terror) and the Brotherhood were able to land a helicopter on top of the hotel and kidnap him with relative ease. (COMIC: The Brotherhood) During his trial with the Time Lords, the Second Doctor argued against his exile on Earth by explaining that he was "known on Earth… things might get very awkward for [him]"; the Time Lords reassured him that this would not be a concern because his appearance would be changed before he began his exile. (TV: The War Games) Indeed, after his forced regeneration into his next incarnation and throughout his subsequent involvement with UNIT, the Doctor faded into obscurity. (TV: Spearhead from Space et al.)
The Doctor mentioned his involvement with Operation Golden Age and the evacuation of London because of the spontaneous appearances of dinosaurs in his modified version of A History of Humankind. He noted that Whitaker was using a timescoop to displace the creatures and that he put a stop to it. (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: Invasion of the Dinosaurs)
The Doctor outlined his visit to Little Hodcombe in 1984 in his improved version of A History of Humankind as an addition to the section on the English Civil War. During this time, a reenactment of one of the bloodiest battles during the war was occuring and the Malus used the negative emotions to try and make the villagers truly kill each other. According to the Doctor, when he stopped this from happening the Malus destroyed itself and the church where it was hidden. (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: The Awakening)
In November 1988, the Seventh Doctor left an unsigned note in the vault beneath Windsor Castle apoligising for intruding and explaining he had been looking for the Bow of Nemesis only to find it no longer there. Although a catalogue was kept the vault was usually in some disarray therefore leaving it uncertain as to whether the handwritten note had been obtained by the Royal Family and placed in the vault or whether it had been left by someone. It was later reproduced in The Time Lord Letters. (PROSE: "The Missing Bow") The Doctor elaborated upon this in his improved edition of A History of Humankind by saying he had previously shot Nemesis off into space only for it to return to Earth. He mentioned the search for Nemesis got crowded as Cybermen, Neo-Nazis and Lady Peinforte who had time travelled from 1638 were all also looking for it. (PROSE: A History of Humankind, TV: Silver Nemesis)
On 30 December 1999, the Seventh Doctor was admitted to San Francisco Walker General Hospital after sustaining a gunshot wound. As a result of exploratory surgery performed by Grace Holloway, who was unfamiliar with Gallifreyan physiology, the Doctor died with his regeneration being delayed by anaesthetic. As he had no identification on him, the Doctor's corpse was tagged as John Doe and taken to the morgue before vanishing; in actuality, the Doctor regenerated into the Eighth Doctor, who broke out of the hospital. (TV: Doctor Who)
21st century
By 2005, Clive Finch had collected records of all incarnations of the Doctor, with the exception of the War Doctor, up to the Thirteenth Doctor, as well as two potential Doctors. He shown a particular interest in the Ninth Doctor as he operated a website, whoisdoctorwho.co.uk, which hosted an image of this incarnation. Following her encounter with this Doctor, Rose Tyler found this website by searching "Doctor Blue Box" on search-wise.net and sought Clive out for his insight. (TV: Rose, PROSE: Rose)
By March 2006, the British government recognised the Doctor as the ultimate expert in extra-terrestrial affairs, though this did not mean that all employees were aware of him. In the past year, Mickey Smith read up on the Doctor, finding him by "look[ing] deep enough" on the internet and in the history books, "followed by a list of the dead." It was also through this research that Mickey learnt of the Doctor's association with UNIT.
After a Slitheen spacecraft crashed into Big Ben and landed in the River Thames, the government's Emergency Protocols were activated, leading their software to automatically search all communications for keywords, including "doctor". As a result, when Jackie Tyler called 08081 570980 to report that her daughter was with a man calling himself "the Doctor" with a blue box known as a TARDIS, a red alert was sounded at 10 Downing Street and the police were sent to collect him. Escorted to Downing Street, the Ninth Doctor was photographed by press with Rose Tyler when they arrived at 10 Downing Street to aid the situation with other alien experts. (TV: Aliens of London) One such photograph was part of the Torchwood file acquired by Victor Kennedy. (TV: Love & Monsters)
On 25 December 2006, during the Sycorax invasion of Earth, the Queen's Christmas speech was cancelled in favour of a message from Prime Minister Harriet Jones in which she pleaded for the Doctor's help in dealing with the crisis. (TV: The Christmas Invasion)
On that night, following the destruction of the Sycorax spaceship above Earth, the Tenth Doctor was caught in a photograph taken in Trafalgar Square by Ursula Blake. Along with Colin Skinner, Ursula was a member of a group which studied the Doctor, though she was not aware she had caught his image until Skinner pointed it out. After realising this, she posted the image to her "obscure, little" blog, My Invasion Blog. Elton Pope, who had seen the Doctor in his house as a child, found the image on Ursula's blog, having been inspired to search for him by the Sycorax invasion. Meeting with Ursula, Elton joined her group, which he named LINDA. Though they were aware of "different Doctors", (TV: Love & Monsters) the Tenth Doctor was of particular interest to LINDA, who hosted a drawing of him on their website. (WC: Tardisode 10)
In two letters posited by The Time Lord Letters to have "probably" been written in 2006, the Ninth and Tenth Doctors expressed their congratulations and regrets in regard to the way in which Harriet Jones dealt with the Slitheen and Sycorax crises respectively. The Time Lord Letters noted that because the two letters had differing handwriting, archivists unfamiliar with regeneration speculated that one or both of the letters had been dictated and then handwritten by an unidentified third party. (PROSE: "Congratulations and Regrets")
By early 2007, numerous images of the Doctor, the TARDIS, and by association Rose Tyler had been recorded, though evidence pertaining to this companion in the Torchwood files were lacking due to corruption from the Bad Wolf virus. Nevertheless, Victor Kennedy, actually an alien from the planet Clom, came into the possession of Torchwood files, several photographs as well a video recording of the Tenth Doctor and Rose entering the TARDIS before cutting out, while an audio recording of the TARDIS dematerialising remained.
In March, Victor Kennedy took over LINDA as he pursued the Doctor. Some time after, a police box was sighted in Woolwich as the Doctor and Rose hunted a Hoix. (TV: Love & Monsters)
For a brief period, the Tenth Doctor taught at Deffry Vale High School as a science teacher named "John Smith". (TV: School Reunion) The Twelfth Doctor recorded this time as part of his timeline of his career in education. He added the details that he had taken the job to deal with the Krillitane and the fact that he had given his predeccesor the winning lottery ticket that led to her resignation. (PROSE: A History of Humankind)
Later that year, Torchwood One successfully captured the Tenth Doctor in London, only to be destroyed in the Battle of Canary Wharf. (TV: The Sound of Drums) With only Torchwood Two (TV: Everything Changes) and Cardiff's Torchwood Three remaining, Jack Harkness moved to rebuild the Insitute to honour the Doctor. (TV: The Sound of Drums) The Doctor noted in his version of A History of Humankind that he believed he had dealt with the Cult of Skaro during the Battle of Canary Wharf, only to discover later they had escaped to 1930 Manhattan. (PROSE: A History of Humankind)
In 2008, the Tenth Doctor spent a day undercover at the Royal Hope Hospital as a patient named "John Smith". (TV: Smith and Jones)
The Tenth Doctor sent Mr Copper a letter in February 2008 informing him of some things potentially left out of Mrs Golightly's Earthonomics degree course and telling Copper that he might visit soon now that he had found his feet. The letter was found amongst other papers held by the Mr Copper Foundation. Its exact provenance was unknown with experts believing it was probably written as a joke. It was reproduced in The Time Lord Letters. (PROSE: "Putting Things Straight")
Martha Jones was still able to qualify as a doctor despite a sustained period in which she was absent from her medical training. A handwritten note stapled to the page dated from September 2008 explained that her absence was due to the fact she had been engaged on business of national importance covered by the Official Secrets Act, asking that one would need to contact General Lethbridge-Stewart via the Ministry of Defence for more information. It was signed by the Doctor and later reproduced in The Time Lord Letters. (PROSE: "A Medical Note")
Later that year, the Tenth Doctor was named and pictured along with Martha Jones and Captain Jack Harkness on BBC News 24 by a newsreader because of the fact the Saxon Master, under the guise of British Prime Minister Harold Saxon, ordered a nationwide hunt for the trio on the grounds of suspected terrorism. (TV: The Sound of Drums)
On Christmas 2008, Queen Elizabeth II, gave her thanks from afar to the Tenth Doctor as he saved Buckingham Palace from the spaceship Titanic. (TV: Voyage of the Damned) By that point, she was counted as an acquiantance of the Doctor, having shared tea and scones with him. (TV: The Beast Below)
In 2009, the Tenth Doctor investigated Adipose Industries as "John Smith", a Health and Safety officer. (TV: Smith and Jones)
Martha Jones wrote a short, handwritten message to the Tenth Doctor in June 2009 which explained her reasons for departing his company as well as notifying him she had left him her phone in case he needed her in the future. The note was left tucked between controls on the TARDIS console and later reproduced in The Time Lord Letters. (PROSE: "Getting Out") Ultimately, the note was not needed as Martha explained her reasons for leaving the Doctor in person. (TV: Last of the Time Lords)
For a brief period while he was pursuing Cybermen in April 2011, the Eleventh Doctor worked, under the name "The Doctor", at a branch of Sanderson & Grainger in Colchester, during which time he had an amicable relationship with his colleagues. (TV: Closing Time) The Doctor's letter of application was preserved in his personnel file, still held by the company some time later. It was also reproduced in The Time Lord Letters. He cited his address as 79A Aickman Road and in the "care of Craig Owens" before crossing out the former upon realising Craig had moved. After listing his references as "ruling administrations from various star systems, President Nixon and various Earth-based security organisations" he was noted to "obviously [have] a sense of humour, probably [being] good with the kids" and was subsequently hired. Other notes on his file related to difficulty to get the Doctor to divulge his National Insurance number or to provide a P45 from his previous employer. A "torturous and helpful" series of letters to and from HM Revenue and Customs came to an abrupt end because the Doctor simply failed to turn up to work one morning. (PROSE: "Offering to Help")
A letter from the Tenth Doctor to General Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart sent to him during the former's final reward was found amongst his personal effects upon his death (PROSE: "A Fond Farewell") on 16 December 2011. (PROSE: Acceptance, and then Understanding) It was one of the few documents Sir Alistair insisted on taking with him to the nursing home during his final months and it was found lying on his bedside cabinet, as if he had been reading it moments before he passed away. The letter touched on the Doctor's guilt for not having visited him in so long and also confirmed that his times with him at UNIT were among his happiest, despite the fact his past self never told him as such. It was later reproduced in The Time Lord Letters. (PROSE: "A fond Farewell")
The Eleventh Doctor left Amy Pond and Rory Williams a note written in felt pen on the back of a paper napkin in December 2011 telling them that he had in fact arrived on time for Christmas dinner and had even brought his special straw. However, some trouble in the Galpraneth Nebula arose so was leaving the note in case he did not return later for which he preemptively apologised. The note was found pressed between the pages of a Melody Malone novel after Amy and Rory's disappearance in 2012 and was reproduced in The Time Lord Letters. (PROSE: "Christmas Absence")
In a letter dated to 12 March 2012, David Spooner of Eastminster College responded to Mr Coburn's request for references for Clara Oswald in support of her application for a post in the English department of Coal Hill School. The letter was amended by the Twelfth Doctor who used unsigned and handwritten annotations in a blue pen to "fix" mistakes his "secretary" had made and also reiterate the sentiment that "Clara Oswald will be good". This letter was reproduced in The Time Lord Letters. (PROSE: "Clara Will Be Good")
The Tenth Doctor was caught on camera taking the Olympic Torch from a fallen torchbearer during the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games. Huw Edwards, a commentator for BBC News 24 who reported as the Doctor enthusiastically lit the Olympic Flame, described him as a "mystery man" and noted "we've no idea who he is." (TV: Fear Her)
Record of the Doctor's involvement in the Cybermen invasion of 2012, among other incidents, was found by Sonny Robinson. (COMIC: Invasion of the Mindmorphs)
A letter from a John "The Doctor" Smith to Frank Armitage of Coal Hill School received 6 October 2014 was reproduced in The Time Lord Letters. In it, he applied for the post of temporary caretaker whilst the regular caretaker Atif Basra was taken ill. He also briefly outlined his qualifications for the role including his previous teaching positions at Deffry Vale and Farringham and the fact he was once told by one of Armitage's predecessors that he was overqualified for the job. The Doctor ends the letter by informing the school of the uselessness of replying and that he will report to work on Wednesday. The Time Letters notes the letter was stamped one day before Basra called in sick on Tuesday, chalking it up to the date stamp being wrong. (PROSE: "Taking Care")
While working as caretaker, the Doctor left several notes and letters including one from "Doctor Caretaker" to Danny Pink whom he addressed as "PE", a name The Time Lord Letters assumed was a nickname he had at the school when it reproduced it. It concerned the Doctor's annoyance regarding the untidiness of Pink's classroom and his sub-optimal arrangement of tables. The handwritten note was found in the drawer of his desk in Coal Hill after his death in a road traffic accident. (PROSE: "Keeping it Tidy")
The Doctor recorded his tenure as caretaker in a history textbook in Coal Hill library called A History of Humankind. (PROSE: A History of Humankind)
The Doctor quickly left the post after dealing with the Skovox Blitzer. (TV: The Caretaker, PROSE: The Time Lord Letters) He wrote a note to headteacher Coburn informing him that his stint at Coal Hill was coming to an end. In the note he also advised Coburn on several improvements that could be made to school including giving each classroom its own supply of paper towels and new strategies for playground duty. Although addressed to Coburn, it was actually found among the personal possessions of Clara Oswald. When it was reproduced in The Time Lord Letters that publication concluded from the note's condition, it was likely Coburn threw it away, having taken whatever - if any - action he deemed necessary. It also speculated Clara kept the note because she found it amusing. (PROSE: "A Few Suggestions")
In addition to the risk assessment on file at the school for the Coal Hill Year 8 Gifted and Talented Group's sleepover visit to the London Zoological Museum in November 2014, an annotated version also existed. It was this version that was partially reproduced in The Time Lord Letters. The modified version was very critical towards the way in which Danny completed the form. It was not known who provided the annotations - actually the Twelfth Doctor - or if they were meant to be taken seriously. (PROSE: "Assessing the Risk")
By the mid-2010s, UNIT developed an algorithm to trace the Doctor's appearances, generating probabilities based on crisis points, anomalies, anachronisms and keywords, detecting him in San Martino, Troy, multiple instances in New York and three possible versions of Atlantis. It was through consulting this algorithm, with the crisis points removed, that Clara Oswald found the Doctor in Essex in 1138. (TV: The Magician's Apprentice)
By early 2020, C, head of MI6, had read files pertaining to the Doctor but was under the mistaken belief that they were "[always] a man", failing to recognise the Thirteenth Doctor as such. (TV: Spyfall)
An undated letter from the Twelfth Doctor to Agatha Christie was discovered by Matthew Puckering tucked inside a paperback copy of Death in the Clouds, which he bought from a second-hand bookshop in the village of Lower Withering On The Spire. It was later reproduced in The Time Lord Letters which concluded that it was unlikely the letter was ever delivered to Dame Agatha, citing the fact the book itself had been stamped "Property of St Cedd's College Library". In the letter, the Doctor asked for help in figuring out the mystery of the Foretold on the Orient Express, doubting within the text itself if he'll ever "bother to send it". (PROSE: "66 Seconds")
In the late 21st century, after the Seventh Doctor and Melanie Bush defeated Kroagnon and united the Caretakers, Kangs and Rezzies, the Acting Interim Chief Caretaker formally expressed his appreciation for the Doctor's efforts and informed him of his plans to slightly relax the rules at Paradise Towers in a letter. He also left an open invitation for them to return, promising an apartment free of wallscrawl. The letter was apparently slipped into the Doctor's pockets before he and Mel left Paradise Towers and it was later reproduced in The Time Lord Letters. (PROSE: "Thank You (in accordance with Rule 1781-B)")
22nd century
In 2119, Alice O'Donnell counted herself as a "fan" of the Doctor, noting to the Twelfth Doctor that she followed his exploits as well as being aware of his companions. UNIT was still in existence by this time, and the Doctor remained in contact with them. (TV: Under the Lake/Before the Flood)
In 2167, after Susan Foreman left the TARDIS to marry David Campbell and help rebuild in the aftermath of the 22nd century Dalek invasion, she discovered a letter written to her by the Doctor tucked into her coat pocket. The letter described his reasons for forcing her to move on from him in case the Doctor never found the right time to tell her in person, namely the fact he could see a love blossoming between her and David. Additionally, the Doctor's words in the letter exactly echoed that of his final speech to her before departing. The text was reproduced in The Time Lord Letters by the kind permission of the Campbell family. (PROSE: "To my Granddaughter")
Later history
By 33rd century, Queen Elizabeth X of Starship UK was well aware of the Doctor and his relationships with the British Royal Family. When she met the Eleventh Doctor, she acknowledged his history with Elizabeth I, Victoria, Elizabeth II and Henry XII. (TV: The Beast Below)
