The History Channel

This Mongol destroyer set in motion the conquest of a quarter of the world's population with a body count in the millions.

The king of Macedonia considered himself a god; his admirers called him a military genius; his enemies considered him the devil. He used weapons of mass destruction of his day to defeat his enemies. What drove his quest for world domination and led him to massacre tens of thousands, including women and children and members of his own family?

This young Roman emperor had a fearsome reputation as a sadist, a murderer...and a raving lunatic.

The ruler whose ego was as big as his empire declares himself dictator of Rome for life--turning his allies to enemies in the process.

Gathered from archives and attics and now seen for the first time, these extremely-rare home movies tell the story of the children of Joseph and Rose Kennedy, as they grew up in the 1930s and 40s through November 1963, and include scenes of the last weekend Jack and Jackie Kennedy spent with Caroline and John, Jr., just two weeks before Dallas. The movies provide behind-the-scenes footage of the family at their Hyannis Port and Palm Beach homes, and on trips to Europe and Asia. Also featured are never-before-seen home movies filmed by Robert and Ethel Kennedy in the early 1950s. This footage, shot by the Kennedys and their closest friends, allows viewers to experience the forces and personalities that shaped their lives as never before. Interviews with family members of Kennedy friends provide fresh anecdotes and colorful stories, and distinguished historians contribute new insights into this larger-than-life American family.

The flowering of the Roman Empire saw incomparable power and civilization - and at the same time corruption, cruelty and depravity on an unparalleled scale. Emperors from Augustus to Tiberius and Nero built the biggest empire the world had ever seen, while presiding over a way of life riddled with violence, deviancy and excess. This special visits the archaeological sites of ancient Rome, talks to leading historians world-wide and uses stylish reconstructions to describe and explain how good and evil went side by side.

This young Roman emperor had a fearsome reputation as a sadist, a murderer...and a raving lunatic.

From water and grain...to mash...still...vat...barrel and bottle--the distilling of alcoholic spirits is a big business and near-sacred religion. Its acolytes eye the color, swirl the glass, inhale the bouquet, sip, and then ponder their ambrosia. What's your pleasure? Bourbon, Scotch, Rum, Gin, Vodka, or Tequila? We trace the history of distilling from the one-man/one-still tradition to the Voldstead Act of 1920 that devastated American distilleries to the mega-sales and high-volume distillery of today.

On May 5, 1821, when Napoleon Bonaparte died in exile on the island of St. Helena, doctors weren't certain of the cause. Possibilities included hepatitis, syphilis, scurvy, and cancer. They finally agreed on stomach cancer. But more than 50 years ago, researchers suggested that a servant working for the ruling power in France murdered Napoleon. The poison theory is still debated by two hostile camps--one believes in an elaborate conspiracy, the other thinks the truth isn't nearly so complicated. Over the years, investigators from prestigious scientific laboratories, including the FBI and Scotland Yard, joined the search to solve the mystery. We sort through the many theories--including recent investigations conducted by toxicologists from the Paris Police Department and French medical doctors that conclude death from conventional causes. We'll let viewers decide: Was Napoleon murdered?

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

The fate of man's world of food. Destructive forces turn supermarkets into breeding grounds for insects and rodents. Some foods last forever. Da Vinci's The Last Supper suffers due to an unusual paint ingredient. Some of man's agricultural staples succumb, while a surprising plant thrives. Exquisite restaurants atop of Taipei 101, the second tallest building in the world, collapse.

Take an unprecedented look at the aircraft of tomorrow and the tactics that will determine air superiority above the battlefield of the future. Profiled are the F-22, F-35 and Eurofighter Typhoon as well as adversaries such as the Russian Su-35 and Su-37 and Chinese Chengdu J-10. Watch as these aircraft engage in realistic air combat scenarios. Interviews and computer graphics will give viewers a unique look at how advanced avionics, stealth technology, and extreme performance will be combined in the future.

Gathered from archives and attics and now seen for the first time, these extremely-rare home movies tell the story of the children of Joseph and Rose Kennedy, as they grew up in the 1930s and 40s through November 1963, and include scenes of the last weekend Jack and Jackie Kennedy spent with Caroline and John, Jr., just two weeks before Dallas. The movies provide behind-the-scenes footage of the family at their Hyannis Port and Palm Beach homes, and on trips to Europe and Asia. Also featured are never-before-seen home movies filmed by Robert and Ethel Kennedy in the early 1950s. This footage, shot by the Kennedys and their closest friends, allows viewers to experience the forces and personalities that shaped their lives as never before. Interviews with family members of Kennedy friends provide fresh anecdotes and colorful stories, and distinguished historians contribute new insights into this larger-than-life American family.

The flowering of the Roman Empire saw incomparable power and civilization - and at the same time corruption, cruelty and depravity on an unparalleled scale. Emperors from Augustus to Tiberius and Nero built the biggest empire the world had ever seen, while presiding over a way of life riddled with violence, deviancy and excess. This special visits the archaeological sites of ancient Rome, talks to leading historians world-wide and uses stylish reconstructions to describe and explain how good and evil went side by side.