History Shows & Schedule

Bold, cunning, and audacious, pirates are a breed of fighting men and women who have terrorized the high seas since before recorded history. At the height of their power in the 1700s they literally influenced the fate of nations when they became embroiled in the rivalry between England and Spain. This special will visit maritime museums and shipwreck sites, utilize walk-and-talk demonstrations of fire arms, swords, and navigation instruments to help spotlight the innovations pirates brought to maritime technology. Includes a look at how many pirates modified their ships to make them faster and more powerful.

In 2001, Rick Rescorla was the 62-year-old head of security at the Morgan Stanley Bank situated high up in the South Tower at the World Trade Center. Rescorla was convinced that Osama Bin Laden would use jet planes to try and destroy the World Trade Center. Long before September 11th, he developed an evacuation plan for the bank, hugely unpopular amongst the city whiz kids who worked there who thought he was mad. His evacuation plan however ultimately saved 3,000 of their lives. Rescorla's plan was put into effect after the first jet hit the North Tower--even though WTC managers were instructing everyone to stay in the buildings. When the second jet hit the South Tower, he averted panic and organized a rapid evacuation. Rescorla went back inside to help those injured and trapped get out. He was still inside when the building collapsed. His body was never found.

One-breasted female warriors; the one-eyed, man-eating Cyclops; the ferocious griffin, part bird, part lion. Were these creatures, celebrated by the ancient Greeks and immortalized by Homer, something more than myth? Join the hunt with some of today's leading paleontologists as we explore newly-translated evidence and examine remains that may link the Greek classical age with Earth's prehistoric past. New data suggests that the ancients searched for, excavated, measured, and displayed massive fossils.

Bold, cunning, and audacious, pirates are a breed of fighting men and women who have terrorized the high seas since before recorded history. At the height of their power in the 1700s they literally influenced the fate of nations when they became embroiled in the rivalry between England and Spain. This special will visit maritime museums and shipwreck sites, utilize walk-and-talk demonstrations of fire arms, swords, and navigation instruments to help spotlight the innovations pirates brought to maritime technology. Includes a look at how many pirates modified their ships to make them faster and more powerful.

Military innovation is consistently at the cutting edge of technological advances. Almost all technology on the planet today owes its origins to inventions driven by one purpose--war. From apocalyptic skyscraper siege machines to ancient landmines and flamethrowers which had the potential to extinguish hundreds of lives in minutes, most of today's lethal weapons owe their origins to the inventors of the ancient world.

Our modern day landscapes are littered with the remains of ancient superstructures. Now, cutting edge archaeology is beginning to reveal that this century's most exciting discoveries actually lie at the bottom of the ocean.

Fighting Nazis; grabbing golden treasure; fleeing angry natives; dodging pitfalls in a booby-trapped temple--we all know how fictional explorers and archaeologists spend their days. But does real life compare? We follow some of the most daring archaeologists and take on the dangers they face--Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass steps into a booby-trapped tomb; American Arthur Demarest fights looters in the jungles of Cancuen; and in Chiapas, angry villagers kidnap Australian-born Peter Mathews. We also examine stories of past explorers who helped shape the "Indiana Jones" stereotype--paleontologist Roy Chapman Andrews battled venomous snakes and Mongol bandits in the Gobi Desert; John Pendlebury, the British archaeologist, fought Nazis on Crete; and Sylvanus Morley, who was the first American archaeologist/spy. There are no special effects, no stuntmen, and no retakes...and for these real-life archaeologists, no guarantee they'll survive for a sequel.

We can't live without them and yet they didn't even exist a couple of decades ago. We'll count down our list of the top ten technological innovations of the last generation. Have they made human existence exponentially better, or more fragmented and precarious? Tune in to find out what they are, and how they've impacted our lives.

Danielle has asked for a raise, but Mike and Frank delay a decision until they see how successful they are with the next trip she sends them on--through Kentucky. First they visit a serious collector who, after a life-altering incident, is definitely in the mood to sell. They also then stop in at the geodesic dome home of biker couple Tracey and Paul. They only have an hour to scour the massive collection but that's more than enough time for Mike and Frank to find their most unusual items. They also visit two spunky retirees who live in a former honky-tonk spot that's complete with a stage and a sprawling toy collection. Their eventual haul includes a KISS pinball machine, a vintage steam-powered corn popper and massive Laurel and Hardy costume heads. Finally, Frank and Mike "interview" Danielle to discuss her raise....and torture her a little more.

Now that two fellows are gone, it seems that Alice, the marine archaeologist from Alexandria, wants to ask Zahi for a spot in the fellowship program. Zahi sets her to task--her first assignment--ride with him on horseback through the vast open desert to the Falcon Galleries. Zahi wants to see if the long-forgotten Falcon Galleries can be restored as a new tourist destination. Inside, not only are there thousands of mummified birds, but deadly snakes and scorpions, too!

Engrained in the history and mythology of India are tales of a ferocious creature, half-man, half-ape. It has been dubbed the monkey-man and headlines across the world have told of the vicious nocturnal attacks that occurred in India's capital, New Delhi. The city's population was gripped with fear of a violent creature described by eyewitnesses as having sharp claws, fangs and dark hair. After three people died and dozens were hospitalized fleeing the creature, 3,000 police officers were tasked with capturing the animal, but came up empty handed. Experts were divided over whether this was a case of mass panic or an unknown primate. Even today, witnesses in other parts of the country continue to report terrifying encounters with a similar beast. MonsterQuest launches an expedition and meets the victims of the monkey man, sees their scars first hand and searches for a connection to the most recent sightings.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

Topics covered this week include: Bailing Out (D.B. Cooper's mysterious getaway, the ejection seat, D-Day's paratrooper drop); Rebellion (deadliest US prison riot, Civil War Draft Riots, Gandhi's Salt March); Building Blocks (Pyramid at Giza, International Space Station); and Quixotic Quests (the Holy Grail, Fountain of Youth, and Loch Ness Monster). The "most moment" covers Alexander Graham Bell's first demonstration of electronic transmission of speech.

Military innovation is consistently at the cutting edge of technological advances. Almost all technology on the planet today owes its origins to inventions driven by one purpose--war. From apocalyptic skyscraper siege machines to ancient landmines and flamethrowers which had the potential to extinguish hundreds of lives in minutes, most of today's lethal weapons owe their origins to the inventors of the ancient world.

Our modern day landscapes are littered with the remains of ancient superstructures. Now, cutting edge archaeology is beginning to reveal that this century's most exciting discoveries actually lie at the bottom of the ocean.