The History Channel

What if I told you the government had proof of alien life but was actively covering it up? Millions of Americans believe in UFOs, but the government vehemently denies any alien encounters, from the infamous Roswell incident to the ultra-secretive military base known as Area 51. Finally, members of top military and aviation organizations break their silence to reveal exactly what the government knows about alien life, and what they stand to gain by lying about it.

Best-selling author Brad Meltzer and the team jump at the chance to take on one of the FBI's most puzzling unsolved crimes: the 1971 disappearance of airline skyjacker D.B. Cooper, who bailed out of a jetliner at ten thousand feet over Washington state with two parachutes and two hundred thousand dollars in ransom money strapped to his body. Working closely with the former FBI agent who headed up the unsuccessful search for Cooper, Brad and the team examine new evidence that points to a former airline employee named Kenny Christiansen, whose own brother suspects he was actually the skyjacker who called himself D.B. Cooper. This sets up a climactic meeting between the Decoded team and Christensen's possible accomplice, the man who may have helped D.B. Cooper and his two hundred thousand dollar ransom vanish into thin air.

The Declaration of Independence is the founding document of American Democracy. Could it contain hidden messages from our nation's forefathers intended to be discovered years later? Buddy, Mac and Scott travel across America to try and uncover the mysteries behind our nation's most prized document.

The team gets to the bottom--literally--of a mystery concerning the cornerstones of our democracy. Laid by the ultra secretive Freemasons, this landmark piece of stone vanished. The search for the White House cornerstone has been on for over 200 years, everyone from Harry Truman to Barbara Bush have looked for it. Is it a coincidence...or is there a secret conspiracy tied to these stones and the buildings they were meant to support?

On July 17, 1996, at 8:31 pm/et, TWA Flight 800 exploded midair and fell into the Atlantic. All 230 onboard perished. Federal investigators meticulously reconstructed the aircraft, looking for any evidence of terrorism and found none. They concluded that a malfunction in the center fuel tank caused the explosion. But this official conclusion has never satisfied a coterie of independent investigators and conspiracy theorists. We weigh existing evidence against various theories to let you decide.

April 14, 1865--Actor John Wilkes Booth shot President Lincoln in the back of the head at a Washington theater. Days later, Wilkes died in a standoff, and eventually, eight Southern sympathizers were tried for conspiracy. This much we know to be true. But many conspiracy theories arose--pointing to the Confederacy, the Union, and even the Catholic Church! Once again, new theories have sprung up, based on recently found documents and forensic technology. Historian Edward Steers Jr. connects Booth to the Confederate Secret Service in Montreal, which indirectly links him to Jefferson Davis and the Confederate government; while biographer Charles Higham places Booth in a larger conspiracy. Historians, biographers, and researchers, who take issue with Steers and Higham, counter their arguments here.

This two-hour special goes inside the history of the second most used illicit drug in America. The human appetite for this narcotic goes all the way back to 3000 B.C., when South Americans chewed coca leaves, thinking they were a gift from God. But it wasn't until 1855, when cocaine was first extracted from the coca leaf and used in powder form that its use spiked. Initially it was utilized as an anesthesia. Soon, famed psychologist Sigmund Freud touted it as an effective cure for depression and impotence. In 1886, John Pemberton, an Atlanta pharmacist, added it to his new soft drink: Coca Cola or Coke for short. In 1914, the drug was outlawed, but the damaged had been done. The 70's ushered in another boost in the drug's use, fueled in part by new drug cartels in South America. To combat cocaine's rise, the Reagan administration started the War on Drugs in the 80's.

Blackbeard. Anne Bonny. Henry Jennings. Calico Jack. Henry Morgan. Black Bart Roberts. During the mid to late 17th and early 18th centuries, they were feared criminals. The Caribbean was their domain, the parade of treasure and cargo to Europe their target. The origins of Caribbean piracy began when Columbus made landfall in the Bahamas. Two years later, the Pope granted Spain the exclusive right to the Caribbean and most of the New World. The Spanish reaped an immense fortune in gold and silver, but with a price. England, France, and Holland all desired a portion of this wealth and each established Caribbean bases and used privateers--private sailors fighting for profit--to protect their interests and steal Spanish treasure. The line between privateering and piracy became blurred. We'll examine this Golden Age of Piracy and the true stories of the infamous pirates, how they operated, and their successes and failures in this dark and deadly profession.

Investigate the fascinating truths behind Dan Brown's (The Da Vinci Code) first novel. From centuries-old secret societies to real-world cryptography, from the high-stakes intrigue surrounding the installation of a new Pope to the sometimes uneasy relationship between the Vatican and leading scientists, this special will thrill and inform viewers about this monumental time in world history. The clues Brown's hero Robert Langdon follows in frantic pursuit of the Illuminati will inspire further investigation--into religious conspiracies and the Freemasons, secret "codes" hidden in Roman architecture and artwork--as well as controversial theories about religious iconography. Features scenes from the new movie as well as interviews with renowned symbologists, art historians, religious scholars, scientists and other experts will help unravel the mysteries and expose the diabolical plot to destroy the Church.

History tells us that the Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity in the 4th century. But did Christianity conquer Rome or did pagan Rome conquer Christianity? Archaeology in Rome and Istanbul, along with previously ignored episodes in Constantine's life, reveals that the Emperor had the instincts of a marketing genius. Strategically combining many deities, Constantine "sold" Christ as an amalgamation of sun gods. By force of arms, the new religion suppressed the original Jesus movement and the hundreds of Christian alternatives that had sprouted around it. Constantine's Christianity is still the world's most successful brand.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

In 1990, the tomb of the High Priest Caiaphas was unearthed in Jerusalem. Along with inscribed "ossuaries" (bone boxes), two Roman nails were recorded in the official excavation report. However, the nails were not photographed, drawn, measured or widely publicized. Intrigued by the possibility of crucifixion nails in the tomb of the man who sent Jesus to the cross, filmmaker Simcha Jacobovici goes looking for them. He now finds that they have disappeared, and the tomb has literally been covered up. A dramatic investigation ensues. The goal is to find the missing artifacts and re-enter the tomb. Expect shocking revelations along the way.

On July 17, 1996, at 8:31 pm/et, TWA Flight 800 exploded midair and fell into the Atlantic. All 230 onboard perished. Federal investigators meticulously reconstructed the aircraft, looking for any evidence of terrorism and found none. They concluded that a malfunction in the center fuel tank caused the explosion. But this official conclusion has never satisfied a coterie of independent investigators and conspiracy theorists. We weigh existing evidence against various theories to let you decide.

April 14, 1865--Actor John Wilkes Booth shot President Lincoln in the back of the head at a Washington theater. Days later, Wilkes died in a standoff, and eventually, eight Southern sympathizers were tried for conspiracy. This much we know to be true. But many conspiracy theories arose--pointing to the Confederacy, the Union, and even the Catholic Church! Once again, new theories have sprung up, based on recently found documents and forensic technology. Historian Edward Steers Jr. connects Booth to the Confederate Secret Service in Montreal, which indirectly links him to Jefferson Davis and the Confederate government; while biographer Charles Higham places Booth in a larger conspiracy. Historians, biographers, and researchers, who take issue with Steers and Higham, counter their arguments here.

This two-hour special goes inside the history of the second most used illicit drug in America. The human appetite for this narcotic goes all the way back to 3000 B.C., when South Americans chewed coca leaves, thinking they were a gift from God. But it wasn't until 1855, when cocaine was first extracted from the coca leaf and used in powder form that its use spiked. Initially it was utilized as an anesthesia. Soon, famed psychologist Sigmund Freud touted it as an effective cure for depression and impotence. In 1886, John Pemberton, an Atlanta pharmacist, added it to his new soft drink: Coca Cola or Coke for short. In 1914, the drug was outlawed, but the damaged had been done. The 70's ushered in another boost in the drug's use, fueled in part by new drug cartels in South America. To combat cocaine's rise, the Reagan administration started the War on Drugs in the 80's.