The Transcontinental Railroad unites the nation and transforms the Heartland. Native American civilizations decline as farmers settle the continent. Cattle replace wild buffalo as king of the Plains; the Cowboy becomes a new American icon.

Nazi propaganda portrayed Adolf Hitler as a man minus family or private life. As a matter of fact, he kept in touch with his family--mainly to control them. There was shady half-brother Alois, a Berlin innkeeper who tried to profit from his name, and half-sister Angela, in charge of housekeeping at the Berghof retreat, who had neighbors chased away. His niece Geli, who called her uncle a "jailer", committed suicide. His "favorite nephew" was educated at an elite Nazi school. His sister Paula wanted to marry a surgeon and mass murderer. And his English-born nephew William Patrick, a playboy in Berlin, extorted money by threatening to expose family secrets. We present previously unknown documents and personal records and descendants of the Hitler family talk about living in the shadow of a dictator.

During Mardi Gras, New Orleans sets records for alcohol consumption; but there's another form of "spirit" for which the "Big Easy" is also famous. Meet a Voodoo Queen said to lurk the grounds of a gothic graveyard; the ghosts of two poisoned children who play in Myrtles Plantation; and a family of phantoms backstage at Le Petit Theatre.

The U.S. Bullion Depository, better known as Fort Knox, is home of the United States Army and one of the world's most top secret fortresses. Hidden deep inside the vault is an estimated $73 billion dollars in gold. Almost all information about it is classified. Through interviews with eyewitnesses, rare photos and rarely seen films, we will construct a picture of what the building might look like. Hear testimony of those journalists and congressmen who were among the select few invited inside in 1974. Discover the history and secrets behind the Army's tank warfare and the classified military technologies it will use to fight the wars of the future.

George Washington's losses are adding up and some in Congress begin to question his leadership. Washington's main concern, however, is sustaining and rebuilding his ragged, starving, and dwindling army through the frigid winter at Valley Forge. With the help of Baron von Steuben and Nathanael Greene, the Continental Army becomes a more professional fighting force. And Washington rebuilds his reputation by holding back the British at the Battle of Monmouth. Join us for this 13-part look at the birth of America--from the Boston Tea Party to the ratification of the Constitution.

Discover a book that has never been seen in the west until now. In a world exclusive we track down the secret manual that explained how the Vietnamese defeated not only the US in the 20th century, but the Mongols 700 years earlier--including a revelation of the largest booby trap in history--one that snagged an entire battle fleet. Next, discover how king Mithridates used a substance called burning mud in his revolt against Rome. Learn how the terrorist booby-traps and letter bombs of today were invented hundreds of years ago. Investigate the legend that the Christians wiped out paganism in an attack on their temples with fire so hot it could melt bronze. And, learn how the great ancient revolutionary Spartacus kick-started his great revolt against the Roman Empire.

If ancient aliens visited Earth, what was their legacy, and did they leave behind clues that exist in plain sight such as sophisticated aircraft, complex electrical grids, and intricate construction machinery? Indian Sanskrit texts, dating back to 6000 B.C., describe in varying but vivid detail flying machines called Vimanas. Megalithic stone structures in Egypt reveal evidence of precision saw work. Interpretations of the Jewish Zohar writings offer depictions of a life-sustaining manna machine, eerily similar to chlorella algae processing systems today. Are these examples of modern technology, or is there evidence that these incredible mechanisms existed on Earth thousands of years ago?

If ancient aliens visited Earth, who were they, and where did they come from? Possible historic evidence and beliefs are examined around the world. The Dogon people possess knowledge of a galaxy they claim was given to them by a star god named Amma. The Hopi and Zuni people celebrate Kachinas, gods from the sky, whose headdresses and costumes appear to resemble modern helmets and protective clothing. Halfway around the world, Chinese legends tell of the Han leader, Huangdi, arriving on Earth on a flying, yellow dragon. Was this dragon more likely a spacecraft? Ancient astronaut theorists believe that these are far from chance encounters and that extraterrestrials not only interacted with us, but changed the course of human history.

Prostitution: the world's oldest profession. The Hebrew Bible mentions prostitution in lots of places, but the juiciest sex story involving a prostitute is the one about Judah and Tamar in Genesis 38--where prostitution is the lynch pin to the whole plot. So how do you go from prostitution and non-marital sex not prohibited in the Bible, to the prudery of the New Testament. Is there anything archaeology can tell us about this shift? Simcha Jacobovici hosts.

There's a curious sentence in Judges 5:17, "and Dan remained in ships." In this episode host Simcha Jacobovici tries to determine whether some of the Dan took to the sea and became part of a Mediterranean confederation of Sea Peoples. Are the Danoi, a people mentioned in Homer's Odyssey, really the Dan? Is there any light archaeology can shed on the age old mystery of why Dan remained in ships?

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

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.

It's a story that spans 4,000 years, older than the Bible...and it's all true. It was lost for thousands of years, discovered a century ago, and its true meaning recently resurrected by the miracle of computer graphics! The reason the Egyptians built the pyramids, it's the first written description of any religion--and is the likely source of the 10 Commandments! In this 2-hour special we follow the ancient scroll from creation around 1800 BC near the site of the Egyptian city of Thebes, to rediscovery (and theft!) in 1887 AD. Join us in a tale that spans from the age of papyrus to the age of silicon...and beyond. Biblical scholars agree that portions of the Old Testament are direct descendants of the Egyptian text, and some archaeologists argue that Moses must have read and carried a copy of it with him when he fled Egypt! And now, a new generation is reexamining the ancient text for wisdom that can still affect our inner lives!

Travel to the Yucatan and Guatemala to explore how the Maya were able to build the city of Tikal without metal tools or beasts of burden. It had monumental masonry temples, lavish sports stadiums, and palaces all connected by an elaborate system of paved roads. Host Michael Guillen demonstrates the tools used by the Maya to carve limestone; he shows how they made cement and built roads that still exist today and he examines the mysterious acoustical phenomena in the ball court and pyramid at Tikal. Journey up the Usumacinta River to the ancient city of Yaxchilan to explore the remains of what some believe to be the largest suspension bridge ever built until the 14th Century.