The History Channel

From breakthrough technologies to never before seen weapons and defense systems, Secret Access: Superpower is an all-access pass to America's military might, featuring the most modern weapons taking on the age old challenges of terrorism, war, bomb threats, close combat, the deepest missions of sea and death-defying airborne fights. Hosted by actor/director and military enthusiast, Peter Berg, along with Peter Singer, the noted defense expert and NY Times best-selling author, this two-hour special leads viewers down the war path of America's most remarkable munitions of past and present in an exciting and surprise-filled journey behind the scenes of the world's last remaining superpower.

Our lives are so full of stuff these days that the average object is instantly forgettable. But, when fate and history combine, even the simplest of objects become infused with destiny--so much so that they actually change the world. It may look like a lump of rock, but if it's a Moon Rock then it stands for mankind's giant leap. And while it's just a twisted loop of steel, if it's a Slinky it bounces us back to our youth. Sometimes a guitar is just a guitar, but if the guitar you're playing is Jimmy Hendrix's, then you're touching a generation. Some objects are one-of-a-kind (King Tut's mask,) others are ubiquitous (the wedding ring,) but they touch us all...personally and universally. They're icons, and without them, the world wouldn't be the same.

Across borders, cultures and time, food is one thing that all people share. And from the time of the caveman to today's spaceman we like our food to go. While the burger and fries reign supreme in the world of fast food, grub on the go has taken us way past the drive-thru. Quick eats like beef jerky have allowed us to explore new frontiers and pocket-sized portables like protein bars enable us to push our bodies to the limit, no matter the conditions. Fueled by pizza, we have burned the midnight oil, and from the battleground (MREs) to the final frontier (space food,) food is always along for the ride. This is the countdown of fast foods that takes us back, propels us forward, and sometimes even gazes into the future (the fortune cookie.)

The gadget: It's small enough to hold in your hands. It's mechanical or electronic, and mass-produced. It's a personal item that evolves from novelty to necessity--and ultimately shows its paradigm-shifting power. In this two-hour special, the editors of Popular Mechanics and a panel of experts join forces with HISTORY to rank the most influential inventions of the past 200 years and tell the surprising stories behind them.

A man shows up at Scott Wolter s lab with a 500-pound discovery. In the flatbed of his truck is a large boulder he pulled from the Arkansas River, inscribed with a mysterious bull symbol. Wolter s investigation into who carved the stone and for what ritualistic purpose ultimately reveals a connection between the ancient Egyptian cult of the Apis bull, the mysterious religion known as Mithraism and a party of pre-Columbian explorers to Oklahoma s panhandle. In the end, carvings in a cave in America s Heartland shed light on an ancient connection that could prove a group of religious outcasts made it to America in pre-Columbian times.

Geologist Scott Wolter visits a Minnesota farmer who wants to investigate the possible existence of bones from a giant he unearthed in his yard. The bones raise the question of whether Vikings could have traveled all the way to America.

Christianity is thought of as a religion of peace, not war. But in this episode Simcha Jacobovici reveals that the religion of love was spread by the Roman army. The investigation begins with a mysterious symbol found engraved on an ancient skull. The film then discovers the symbol on the walls of Roman army barracks, inscribed on amulets and on pillars of underground churches. From Pompeii to the farthest reaches of the Empire, in England and Syria, this episode reveals how Christianity secretly thrived within the very army that was supposed to suppress it.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

Part two of the deadly saga of the Solomons plays out at the Santa Cruz Islands. In one terrible day of vicious combat, Enterprise loses her sister ship USS Hornet and suffers dozens of casualties as bombs nail her flight deck. When the smoke clears, Enterprise is the only American carrier left in the Pacific. For the U.S. Navy at Santa Cruz, survival becomes the ultimate battle.

November 1942. For the crew aboard USS Enterprise, the war has never been more personal. Enterprise is the only battle-ready American carrier left in the Pacific, and she and her crew are all that stand in the way of the Japanese. When the Imperial Navy tries to retake Guadalcanal, it's Enterprise that sends their transports and destroyers to a watery grave in Iron Bottom Sound.

While the allies storm France, American forces hit Saipan in the Marianas Island. The Enterprise supports one of the largest and most deadly battles of the Pacific War. Enterprise and her sister carriers nearly wipe out Japanese Naval Airpower in the "Great Marianas Turkey Shoot" and devastate enemy surface forces in the Philippine Sea. It is one of the greatest carrier battles of the war. The Aircraft Carrier USS Enterprise became the most decorated ship of World War II.

Sun Tzu was the Nostradamus of warfare, and his book Art of War, written 2,400 years ago, is still the ultimate how-to book for winning. This two-hour special brings his words to life. Shot like a graphic novel, it weaves together several epic stories, including the story of Sun Tzu himself, and a war soon after his death where a city is saved using his tactics as China takes the first step toward unification. We'll also follow other epic battles in history--Roman battles, The Civil War, WWII, and present day--that illustrate more of Sun Tzu's lessons, to detail how the people who understand his strategy are the most dangerous weapons of all. And while his ideals were originally created for battle, his lessons could be used by anyone who wants to win--whether at sports, business, or life.

It is one of the most covert military bases on American soil, protecting the nation's most confidential research and development. For decades, the highest levels of government had denied its existence. But behind the barbed wire fences and surveillance cameras are secrets...Go inside the most famous secret military base on Earth to expose the high-tech security, undercover operations, and most outrageous claims surrounding the 575 square miles of "restricted" space. What actually goes on at Area 51? Is there a connection between Area 51 and the Roswell event of 1947? Could there be a secret subterranean city underneath the barren desert? Have the conspiracy theories surrounding Area 51 been a smokescreen for controversial military projects? While the government may never reveal what it's really hiding at Area 51, many believe it is a place where truth is stranger than fiction.