The History Channel

The crucifixion of Jesus gives birth to global religion, but Christianity may never have happened without the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire's vast network of roads and shipping lanes allows goods and ideas to flow across three continents, allowing Jesus' message to transform Mankind around the world. When Rome is sacked by barbarians, Europe enters a Dark Age. But from the fringes of the old empire, two new forces remake the world. The Arabs, funded by a gold rush, unite under the banner of Islam. The Vikings rejuvenate the cities of Europe, travel to America and become Christian knights. The stage is set for a clash of civilizations--the Crusades.

In an attempt to prove he should get an ownership stake in the Gold & Silver, Corey buys a sword without getting a second opinion. Rick and the Old Man think he got ripped off, but Corey s convinced he got a deal. They call in a local expert to determine who s right. And a one of a kind item from the beaches of D-Day creates a lot of noise in the shop.

All hail the Pawn Stars when they check out a uniform from the King of England's royal guard. Used by those guarding the royal palace in England since the 1700s, can the guys get the seller to crack a smile, or is he strictly business? Then, Rick checks out a guitar made from a tortoise shell. Does a slow and steady negotiation win this rare piece, or will the price leave Rick shell shocked? And later, when a seller brings in an antique BBQ built in the shape of a pig, the Old Man reminisces about the good old days smoking pork in the South.

The Pawn Stars have a chance to buy a 450 year-old book once owned by Sir Isaac Newton, but when hand-written notes and formulas are discovered in the margins the gravity of the situation becomes clear. Can they postulate a proper price or will this deal require an equal and opposite reaction? Then, a man walks in with his grandfather's Army jacket from the Spanish American War. Will Rick and Corey offer up the shirts off their backs or will one loose thread cause the whole deal to unravel? And later, Rick and Chumlee check out a collection of John Wayne memorabilia. Will they sound a charge to secure pieces of the western legend or will Rick be forced to retreat?

A young man wants to trade a 1750 Blunderbuss gun for an engagement ring. Will Rick exchange vows and buy the gun or will he get cold feet and run? Then, the Pawn Stars get an opportunity to purchase an ejection seat allegedly from a World War II fighter jet, but is this deal destined to crash and burn? And later, a guy looking to make rent money wants to pawn his original 1966 Schwinn Stingray bike which has Rick remembering the good old days. Will his trip down memory lane include laying out the dough?

As it recovers from the Civil War, America undertakes the largest building phase of the country s history. While much of the growth is driven by railroads and oil, it's built using steel.

The steel and oil have forever changed the face of America, but they are just the beginning. JP Morgan arrives on the scene and expedites growth through finance.

Mike and Frank pick in a house that's stacked to the ceiling with rare toys. Mike adds to his King Kong collection while Frank drops a bundle on a rare train set. Later, when its value fails to impress, the guys decide to take a huge risk and sell it at auction.

The guys are in the South and running low on cash. They're desperate for a good pick when they happen upon a massive old junkyard and closed-down family flea market. The location is promising but its nostalgic owner is reluctant to part with his treasures. Then, Mike and Frank tour an amazing collection of rare, retro automobiles. Mike is thrilled about discovering a famous cartoonist's sketchbook that could be the jackpot they've been waiting for. But before they start laying out the cash, they have to make sure it's the real deal. And, after taking a big gamble on buying a huge pottery collection in Atlanta, the guys find out what their new thousand-dollar pottery collection is really worth.

Get ready for a half hour of history's most infamous gangsters, kidnappers, and witchcraft practitioners. Find out which Chicago mobster went by Snorky, why Bonnie & Clyde were like Fleetwood Mac, and exactly how many U.S. vice presidents have shot people while in office. The answer may surprise you.

We may be a law-abiding nation but we also admire the outlaw, and the clash between rebels and the rules has shaped our states. Which states like to make their own rules, and which do the heat have on lockdown?

Strap in for a ride with the Cajun Pawn Stars when shop regular Chester tries to sell them a motorized Coca Cola mini car. Will the guys give Chester the green light or will they be forced to slam on the brakes? Plus, Johnnie comes across a very rare collection of WWII Japanese tank items. And, Jimmie faces seeing one of his favorite movie prop items from Dances with Wolves fly out of his hands.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

Catering to more than twenty million truckers, truck stops are bigger and better than ever. These mega-pit stops are essential to the trucks and truckers that haul eight billion tons of freight annually. Tour the world's largest truck stop that offers fuel, food, parking, private showers, a movie theater, a dentist office, and a barbershop. Look at how 18-wheelers can power up their rigs with a high tech parking lot hookup called IdleAire; complete with heat, air conditioning, a telephone line, a computer with high speed internet, and of course satellite TV. We'll also see how 30,000 gallon underground diesel storage tanks are manufactured. And we'll weigh and inspect a truck while it's barely slowing down. In an interview with Willie Nelson, we'll explore one of the most unique truck stops in the United States and the revolutionary fuel it sells: biodiesel.

America would come to a standstill without trucks. Trucks transport a staggering 70 percent of all the nation's goods. Explore the amazingly diverse world of American trucks and the colorful men and women who drive them. Join country superstar Brad Paisley and his crew of truckers on the road between Little Rock and Tulsa--racing the clock to be on time for Brad's next concert. In Dearborn, Michigan, climb aboard one of the most popular pickups--the Ford F-150--as it tackles a devilish test course. And in Virginia, see how fast the world's most nimble tow truck can extract a car from the tightest parking spot imaginable. Meet a Mack truck fanatic and his cool collection of vintage models, and ride-along with an unsung hero with a truly dirty job--operating a truck designed to empty and clean portable toilets.

Teddy Roosevelt carried a revolver. The night they each died, Abraham Lincoln carried a $5 Confederate note and nine newspaper clippings, while John Wilkes Booth carried a candle and pictures of five women, including his fianc e. Why? Most people don't even think about it anymore. We simply put what we were carrying yesterday, and the day before that, back into our pockets. Do we really need everything we carry with us? In this hour we will take a look at the items we found in peoples' pockets all across America. Not cell phones, which everybody has, but more intimate items. Personal things...both valuable and cheap. Work aids...both simple and high-tech. Even food! And we'll not only see what they must have in their possession, but how some of it is made. Why does a search and rescue fireman carry a hockey puck? We'll also discover how they make and carry a "personal escape" bailout system.

A series of construction errors causes a devastating flood that brings Chicago to a standstill. A deadly accident traps hundreds in a smoke-filled Alpine tunnel, with no ventilation. Three boilers explode on a Mississippi riverboat resulting in thousands of deaths and earning the disaster the title of the worst in maritime history. Two buildings, halfway around the world from each other, collapse from the same type of shoddy construction methods--14 years apart. And a cockpit warning system malfunctions, causing a fiery, fatal crash before the jetliner ever takes off. We interview design and construction experts as we investigate what went wrong. And we talk with rescue personnel, eyewitnesses, and victims as we visit the tragedies' sites to see what improvements have been implemented to insure against these kinds of disasters.

In March of 2005, the BP Refinery in Texas City, Texas, suffered a series of explosions that decimated a large portion of the facility and killed 15 workers. Examine the series of events that led to one of the worst industrial accidents in the United States. Then we'll document the unusual circumstances that caused American Airlines flight 587 to fall from the sky. What happened in Times Beach, Missouri, when a local waste hauler oiled down dusty roads with oil that was laced with dioxin? Next we'll look at what went wrong with NASA's Skylab in 1974 and finally we'll examine the fire that destroyed the gas company, Praxair, in June of 2005. Interviews with survivors help complete the picture.