The History Channel

We live in a highly mechanized world in which billions of products are made by machines--but there are some things that can be built only by using an even more sophisticated tool--the human hand. In New Mexico, a pilot who builds his own jet-powered glider takes to the skies--his very life depending on his handiwork. Canoe makers in Montana, and a knife maker in Washington, handcraft items so unique that customers are willing to pay significantly higher prices than if they were machine made. In the farmlands of Central California, craftsmen keep alive the ancient art of weapon making--see their gleaming suits of armor in action, as weekend warriors do battle. Ever wonder how those impressive animal skeletons in museums are constructed? The artists of Skulls International in Oklahoma City share their secrets. And in Hollywood, the Chiodo brothers reveal how handmade special effects have a charm and character that today's computer animators can't duplicate.

A half-bull, half-man freak of nature, the Minotaur is one of mythology's most terrifying monsters. A bizarre tale of bestiality, human sacrifice, and war, the myth of the Minotaur endures as a symbol of the beast inside all men. But archeological research has uncovered clues suggesting the Minotaur and its terrifying labyrinth were more than just symbols. They may have been inspired by a real place that still exists to this day.

You may think you know the president, but do you know what it's like to be the President? From the mundane tasks to the madness we'll reveal the perks and perils of being the most powerful man in the world. We reveal secret details of the President's every day life inside the White House. Featuring interviews with past presidents, rarely seen recordings, and home movies, this two-hour special explores and exposes the day-to-day lives of our Commanders in Chief. Get a fresh perspective on the men you thought you knew. A look that trades everyday politics for their everyman side.

A bloody gunfight. A jilted lover with murder on his mind. A bawdy dance hall overrun with spirits of the past. These are a few of the spectral snapshots in our photo album of one of the Old West's most notorious towns--Tombstone, Arizona. The dusty streets of this lonely crossroad gave birth to legends and death to the desperate. Narrated by John Glover.

The Italian writer Dante called the sin of pride the "Chief of All Sins" -- the sin of Satan himself. The sin of pride was condemned by the Bible and the philosopher Socrates, while Romans and Vikings made it their greatest virtue. The sin of pride is thought to have led to the fall of Satan but strangely enough, the most famous story about Satan is not in the Bible. So what is the origin of the sin of pride?

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.

99% of all animal and sea creatures who ever lived have become extinct. Watch as some of the most bizarre and strangest creatures are brought back to life. Meet the nothronychus (a strange amalgam of bird and sloth), the anomalocarus (a 7-foot shrimp), as well as saber-toothed cats, mastodons and wooly rhinoceros. Advanced computer graphics, location shooting and expert interviews, will reveal detailed illustrations of what these ancient monsters looked like, where and how they lived, and how they died.

Chimpanzees are known to us as amusing circus attractions and are even popular as pets, but when they attack the results are frightening and horrific. Just as disturbing, across the U.S., witness reports suggest that chimpanzees may be on the loose. In the 1920s and 30s, chimps were common in Florida as part of road side carnivals and zoos, but in some cases these animals were let loose or escaped. Today, not only are attacks from pet chimps on the rise, but witnesses in Florida describe encounters with what may be wild chimpanzees. Now, MonsterQuest trackers and primatologists investigate how vicious chimps can actually get, and whether the environment could sustain these primates by searching the swamps and wilderness for a population of wild chimps in America.

A deadly, slithering menace is taking over Florida and may be heading north. For more than 100 years, giant pythons have been discovered in parts of the Sunshine State, but since Hurricane Andrew in 1992, their territory has rapidly spread. Now, MonsterQuest searches for incursions in the outskirts of Miami, a population hotspot that is just moments from schools and homes. The team investigates whether pythons could hybridize and adapt, enabling them to threaten every state in the US.

He was a priest, soldier and scholar. The first century historian, Flavius Josephus, is the most frequently quoted scholar when it comes to the history of Jesus' time. His vivid descriptions of historic events give us a clear picture of Roman times. But is it an accurate picture? Is there archaeological proof? We get a profile of the controversial historian.

In ancient times, thousands of people's lives ended, excruciatingly, on the cross. Despite the fact that so many were crucified, little physical evidence of it remains. We investigate why there is so little archaeological proof and visit the only known artifact, a foot with a nail through it, in an Israeli museum.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

Though the Caribbean is renowned for its cruises and hedonistic vacation resorts, the ghosts that haunt these islands, as well as the traditions used to both fend them off and call them to life, are a reminder that on every sun-kissed beach there may lurk a dark and disturbing shade! Home to supernatural spirits since Columbus landed in the Bahamas and began slaughtering the native Arawak, the Caribbean is also known for its zombies, pirate ships, and the infamous Bermuda Triangle.

The state of the art in high-rise living, New York City's Time Warner Center features all the amenities: a health club, restaurants, dry cleaners, top notch security, and citywide views. But high-rise, high-density living isn't new. Romans were living in high-rise apartments 2,000 years ago. Host Michael Guillen travels to Rome and its ancient seaport of Ostia where a number of them still exist. He illustrates many similarities we share with the ancient Romans including health clubs and dry cleaners. Food of all kinds was available at restaurants called thermopelia. As for the apartment complexes, some were as high as seven stories but building with un-reinforced concrete limited their height. We travel to Bath, England for an appreciation of the brilliantly designed Roman baths. Michael shows how ancient dry cleaners, known as fullers, cleaned garments with human waste. And the Los Angeles Fire Department helps demonstrate the Roman fire pump.

Twenty-five hundred years before modern air travel the ancient Chinese had learned the complicated principles of fluid and aerodynamics. Travel half way around the world to China where the notion of "hard air" (air pressure) was understood by Taoist monks thousands of years ago and who according to some accounts were actually able to parasail from mountain to mountain. Host Michael Guillen demonstrates how the ancient Chinese paper and silk making skills allowed them to make lighter than air objects and see how this knowledge let them to sail into the wind and uncover a number of maritime innovations.

Plagued by invasions, disease, and religious strife, Scotland's City of Edinburgh is steeped in murder, mystery, and mayhem. Occupied since the Bronze Age, Edinburgh took shape during the 11th century--and soon after tales of ghosts and goblins began to surface. Scary locations on our tour include: Holyrood Palace, rumored to be haunted by Mary, Queen of Scots, and her Italian secretary David Rizzio, who was murdered there; and an abandoned underground city, where thousands died during the 1645 plague.