The History Channel

Did a number of explorers discover the New World long before Christopher Columbus staked his claim in 1492? No less than a dozen cultures have tales of these adventurers woven into their histories, but they are noticeably absent in American history books. This documentary explores the possibility that the Chinese, Japanese, Polynesians, Norse, Welsh, Irish, Ancient Hebrews and the Solutreans all made it to the Americas earlier than Columbus. Rebuild the ships, trace the routes, test the artifacts and analyze blood evidence to finally learn the answer to one of the greatest mysteries of all time--who really discovered America?

The squabble between east coast and west coast leaves the rest of the country stuck in the middle. It's a rivalry that has made its way into our popular culture, but is there any common ground in this continental tug of war?

Battles over access to lakefront property have made the Great Lakes region the most contested land on the entire map, and even pushed the states to a border war.

To what degree was Egyptian cult part of Egypt's success story? Through Akhenaten's ill fated revolution we discover just how powerful Egypt's religious tradition really was. Egyptian cult prevails even when threatened by the pharaohs. The cult was the backbone of the country's civilization; it was seen as the guarantor of the worldly order, and thereby helped to maintain inner peace and stability.

An innovative and comprehensive look at the history of Ancient Egypt, from the pre-dynastic through to the late dynasties. This episode looks at how Egypt was founded. King Narmer claimed it was warfare. We discover that peace and collaboration were at least as important as the big battle that united Upper and Lower Egypt. Both war and peaceful collaboration laid the foundations for the Egyptian success story lasting more than 3000 years.

Bridges have been pushed, airlifted and taken apart, but if needed, can one of the world's longest and most famous suspension bridges be moved? Experts say San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge can be relocated and they'll show how. In Rhode Island, the team is challenged when they take on the job to haul the world's widest network-arched bridge 15 miles up river and set it in place.

The world's oceans are graveyards for some of the greatest ships ever built. During the mid-1500's the English warship Mary Rose was sunk by a French cannon. Finally, more then 400 years after it sank, its massive 580-ton hull would be raised from its watery grave. In the Baltic Sea the 17th century warship, The Vasa, was heralded as the greatest ship ever built at that time, but on the day of her maiden voyage she sank. After early salvages failed, our team spent more than a year battling dangers to raise her to the surface. When the huge French liner Normandie capsized in New York Harbor, it created a deadly toxic cesspool. The team along with the Navy Salvage Service pulled off the dangerous mission of bringing her back up. At the end of WWII in the shallow area of Scapa Flow a captured German Admiral gave the orders to scuttle 72 ships. Experts said they could never be raised. One man proved them wrong and raised 28 of them.

Imagine trying to move a 475,000 pound structure from Texas to Minnesota. Forget freeways, it'll never clear bridges or overpasses. Flight is out of the question. The only way to do it--lift it by crane, load it onto a barge and float it up the mighty Mississippi River... an amazing move that will travel past 10 states and cover more than 2400 miles.

Ships are routinely sunk for a variety of reasons. Sometimes they are sunk to be kept out of enemy hands or they are decommissioned and turned into artificial reefs. Watch as a World War II transport ship the U.S.S. Queens--later renamed the Texas Clipper--is sunk to develop a desperately needed artificial reef. Discover the challenges the team encounters trying to place a 500-foot long ship at precise spot 130-feet down on the bottom of the ocean.

Super-heated death rays... High-tech rockets... Powerful sonic weapons... Are these examples of modern day science or could these technologies have originated thousands of years ago? Is it possible that early man possessed scientific knowledge far beyond that of our own century? Ancient texts, folklore and art suggest humans witnessed disc-shaped flying machines and fire-spewing chariots. Could these be accounts of flying saucers and rocket ships? And if so, was advanced technology left here by visitors from the stars? Did mankind's quest to unlock the secrets of levitation, anti-gravity and laser technology merely spring from our imaginations or did these ideas come from otherworldly beings?

The Mayan civilization dominated Central America for nearly 2000 years, but by the 9th century A.D., the great Mayan cities were abandoned, and the Mayan people vanished. What could have happened to this advanced culture? Might the Maya have left clues as to how they surpassed other cultures in science, mathematics, time keeping, and most importantly, astronomy? In recent years, hieroglyphs have been decoded to reveal that the Maya were able to accurately predict shifts in the Earth's axis every 26,000 years. Inscriptions on the sarcophagus of their most prominent ruler, King Pakal, tell of a journey to the Milky Way. And a sophisticated calendar foretells of the end of the world in 2012. Most striking is their belief that knowledge was passed to them by otherworldly beings who descended from the sky. Could the ancient Maya have actually conspired with extraterrestrial visitors to plan the future--and even the very end of the world?

The Book of Revelation: the New Testament s blueprint of doom foretells the coming of the Four Horsemen of the apocalypse, heralding the end of days. These horsemen will usher in four divine judgments that promise to devastate humanity. While skeptics dismiss it as a mere allegory, every Sunday around the Christian world, church pews reverberate with its dark prophecies. With the potential for global pandemic hiding in every unchecked sneeze, worldwide hunger at an all-time high and the specter of World War III hanging over the Middle East, Revelation s followers believe its dark imagery is coming to light in modern times. Believer and prepper Ray Gano sees current events as a confirmation of the Book of Revelation s predictions and is preparing to face the divine fury of God.

Unearthly visitations... Heavenly messengers... Close encounters... Accounts of humans interacting with celestial beings have existed since the beginning of mankind. Many of these encounters resulted in moral, philosophical and artistic inspirations. But did these contacts involve ethereal beings from heaven or extraterrestrials from other worlds? Are holy books the word of God, or guidebooks passed down by more advanced civilizations? Who told Joan of Arc how to defeat the English Army--saints or extraterrestrials? Could a young boy from India have learned advanced mathematical formulas from a Hindu goddess? What message did an American serviceman receive while touching an alien aircraft? If the Ancient astronaut theory is correct, then are beings from other worlds communicating with us for our benefit... or theirs? Just what is the purpose of these alien contacts?

In 1718, the infamous pirate Blackbeard and his flagship, the Queen Anne's Revenge, wreaked havoc raiding British supply routes to and from their American colonies. Then, the British offered a pardon to all pirates who would give up their dastardly ways. Blackbeard decided to accept, but as he moved toward the coast of North Carolina, his flagship ran aground in what is now known as Beaufort Inlet. Eventually Blackbeard abandoned the Queen Anne's Revenge, leaving her to succumb to the elements...or so the story goes. In 2001, underwater archaeologists found the remains of a ship in the inlet. Join our veteran divers John Chatterton and Richie Kohler as they embark on a journey to solve the mystery of the ship's identity. Could this be the final resting place of Blackbeard's ship? And did the famed master seaman really run aground, or was that all part of another notorious Blackbeard scheme?

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

Genghis Khan conquered half the world and his barbarism influenced generation after generation. A brilliant and charismatic leader and military strategist, he united the nomadic Mongol tribes and left behind sons and grandsons to maintain the dynasty long after his death. And he left behind one of history's great mysteries--what happened to all the booty taken from conquered cities? Nothing has ever been found--not a goblet, coin, or statue, though gold, silver, and jewels flowed back to Mongolia like shining rivers. Legend suggests it was buried with the Great Khan and the gravedigger-soldiers killed to keep the gravesite secret. Our investigation follows clues uncovered by a Chicago attorney and passed on to an expeditionary team. There's no treasure map, but the path these scholars take provides insight into the Asian warlord and the continuing mystery of his burial place.

During the heyday of piracy, fearsome buccaneers sailed the Caribbean in search of booty. Fortresses are raided, swords are drawn and galleons clash in an incredible story of glittering treasure and swashbuckling adventures. From the icy docks of Bristol to the tropical paradise of the Caribbean, discover the incredible world of the buccaneers. Follow a team of historical detectives who use evidence from recent excavations, scientific studies and historical documents to piece together clues as to what the pirate world looked like.

In this hour of our innovative and comprehensive look at the history of Ancient Egypt, we ask how Egypt maintained its relative independence for 3000 years. We answer this through Thutmosis III. He conquers more land than any other pharaoh. Yet ultimately he has no interest in establishing an expanding empire abroad. Like all pharaohs he is guided by the wish to establish peace and stability at home and secure the borders through forward defense. The pursuit of peace remains a key part of Egypt's success story.