The History Channel

Today's world has troubles unique to its time in history, from the global financial crisis to technological meltdowns to full scale, computerized global war. Observing the convergence of such events, contemporary prophets have begun to emerge from obscurity to suggest that these conditions might be signs of the demise of the modern world. These men are historians as well, using all manner of information and patterns from the past to provide context for where we are going. Their predictions interpret the current state of affairs in our world as evidence that the America we know may come to an end. The men proposing these ideas are not crackpots living on the streets of New York; they are intelligent, learned men who come armed with the evidence to back up their claims.

December 21, 2012: a prophetic date delivered in stone by the ancient Maya. Revered by scientists for their extremely accurate calendars, the Maya are also known for their mysterious ability to predict unsettling events so many are taking the December date seriously. On this date a rare galactic alignment will take place and coincidentally, as the alignment happens, our sun will be entering its most violent solar storm cycle. And, all of this comes at a time when scientists believe Earth s magnetic defense shield, which protects us from dangerous solar radiation, may be compromised. Our planet may become paralyzed. People are heeding the warning and getting prepared, including a group of everyday Americans learning how to fend for themselves and live off the grid.

The Book of Revelation, the most terrifying and controversial book of the Bible, was written by an exiled prophet almost two thousand years ago. The final chapters of the New Testament describe mankind's violent end of days--a seven-year period of unparalleled death and destruction. Jesus breaks seven seals that unleash three waves of devastation--natural and man-made, from the sky and from deep within the earth. The Antichrist will rise. Pestilence, famine, war, and natural disasters will purge humanity before Jesus returns for the final battle between good and evil. But who is the Antichrist? Who will survive God's wrath? And when will this apocalypse happen?

In 1995, a beast dubbed "El Chupacabra," spanish for "The Goatsucker," was first sighted and accused of killing and draining the blood of hundreds of farm animals in Puerto Rico. Eyewitnesses describe it as a two-legged reptile-like beast with sharp claws and sharper fangs. But another rash of sightings, and killings, in Texas last year produced eyewitness descriptions of a creature that looked very different. This episode will go on the hunt for the Texas chupacabra. And for first time on television, DNA tests will be performed on evidence from both the Puerto Rico and Texas sightings in effort to scientifically prove just what these mystery beasts could be.

In the fall of 2007, residents of Bolivia, North Carolina started losing pets and farm animals to an unknown creature. Is it the same mystery predator with a taste for blood that preyed on goats and dogs in Bolivia more than 50 years ago? One-part history, one-part science and one part monsters, take a look at legendary creatures around the world.

Go back to a time before the invention of artificial light and experience a world petrified in the pitch of darkness...when fear ruled the night. Throughout the ages, real and imagined terror existed in the absence of light, and nighttime was anything but relaxing. Our predecessors cowered in caves to keep from being eaten alive. During the Middle Ages, brutal bandits went on the prowl and roadside ditches became death traps. Also in years past, the devil, werewolves and vampires were staunchly believed to stalk the night. With no artificial light, the black night sky of Galileo's gaze could illuminate every star without a telescope. This chilling special explores all the reasons why the dark was so feared throughout the eras. It takes you around the globe to places where real night still exits, and examines our modern-day fear factor when the lights go out during blackouts.

The Hopi people have warned us that the world is headed for extinction. Based in the Arizona Desert, the Native American tribe of the Hopi has been prophesying about the fate of society for centuries. They have accurately predicted the coming of the settlers to their land, the birth of telecommunication, and the worldwide spread of the internet. The Hopi believe that our actions have caused the earth to become out of balance which will lead to a cataclysmic great purification of the planet that few will survive. To herald these end times, the Hopi believe that a blue star will arise in the heavens, followed by a great shaking of the earth. These prophecies have been passed down from generation to generation and warn of massive earthquakes, tsunamis and super-volcanos that threaten the lives of millions. The Foster family of Illinois is prepping in their own way to be ready for the end.

Nostradamus, regarded as the most well-known prophet in the history, wasn t alone. Edgar Cayce, America s most famous psychic, predicted the 1929 stock market crash and the coming of World War II. Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon religion, claimed to receive messages directly from God foretelling terrors of a corrupted government and an impending bloody civil war. St. Malachy predicted that the next pope would signal a time of great tribulation and ultimately, the end of the world. Isaac Newton determined when the horrors depicted in the Book of Revelations would come to pass. Web Bot, a computer program, predicted global catastrophes such as September 11. Web Bot s data is warning of the end of world around December 2012. Hugh Vail is prepping his family for apocalyptic scenarios and helping others through the American Preppers Network.

We're the United States, but sometimes, it's every state for itself. Nearly every state has pulled a power play that gamed the system and changed the map. How much can you get away with when it's state vs. state?

Money makes the world go round and in America, the pursuit of riches has shaped our states. In the race to grab all resources, which states came out on top?

Americans have been racing to tame the West since they first set foot on the continent, but now that the West has been won, what's next? Is the West still the best.

In the battle between city and country, it looks like the city is coming out ahead in population, but is there something about the country that all the city slickers are missing? And how has the move from rural to urban changed the shapes of our states and cities?

Scientists at the University of Kansas believe gamma ray bursts were responsible for a great mass extinction on Earth 450 million years ago. The gamma rays strip away the ozone layer and generate chemical smog, producing a widespread chill that grips the Earth. It would cause food chains to collapse resulting in a prolonged worldwide famine. Also, an expected electromagnetic pulse will zap all of our electronics. Scientists predict the Earth will be able to support only 5 to 10 percent of its current population; that means close to 6 billion people will die--most by starvation. How will our modern cities hold up in the face of a previous global catastrophe?

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

The dastardly deeds of the Barbary Pirates are little known today, despite the fact that they terrorized the seas and the shores of Europe for more than 400 years. Join host Hunter Ellis, Kara Cooney and Charles Ingram, as they mount a special expedition to find the first-ever bona fide Barbary pirate vessel at the bottom of the sea.

Five hundred years before the Inca, a remarkable band of warriors called the Chachapoya built the greatest stone monument in the Americas. Amazingly, it's three times the size of Egypt's largest pyramid. Yet their civilization has almost vanished without a trace. Join Hunter Ellis as he accompanies a team of archaeologists to reveal its secret contents.

Since the 15th century, the Bermuda Triangle has mysteriously vanished an untold number of ships, planes and lives with three more known incidents in 2004. Using today's scientific knowledge and investigative techniques, we study the riddle of the Bermuda Triangle. Through computer graphics, highly stylized recreations, and underwater cameras, we will dramatically visualize the accidents as well as investigate the possible causes and explanations. On-camera interviews with both skeptics and believers will help lay out the facts and opinions of the cases. Can the latest science available today finally lay to rest the mysteries of the Triangle?