The History Channel

Five thousand years ago man first throws a handful of rocks into a campfire and stumbles upon a discovery that changes the world: Metal. Copper, Tin and Bronze empower the ancient world and allow empires to expand, armed with sharp, hard-wearing weapons. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Early man rubbed two sticks together and created fire. We learn to cook our food, saving vital energy. As a result, our brains expand--making us the most intelligent species on the planet. Armed with fire, we experiment by heating minerals to make stronger tools allowing us to fight wars and build civilizations. But burning wood destroys our landscape, so Mankind exploits a new energy--oil. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Rubber, Plastic, Nylon, Aerosols, Resins, Solvents, and Lubricants--none can exist without oil. If we stopped driving our cars tomorrow, America would still need five million barrels of oil a day. Visit Vulcan Materials, where oil tanks are emptied into massive double-barrel mixers to make asphalt and then continue to the Rolls Royce Aerospace Facility where complex jet fuels are blended. Travel back to the 1870's to see how an unemployed whale oil salesman turned a greasy oil-drilling by-product into a household staple: Vaseline. Finally discover how cutting-edge recycling techniques can breathe new life into used motor oil, and where a number of renewable fuels and technologies take aim at oil sovereignty. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Not long ago South Africa stood poised on the edge of anarchy. The flames of violence threatened to engulf a nation that had already fought long and hard against the brutal burden of Apartheid. Massacres and assassinations unleashed a storm of angry recriminations that thundered over the land and echoed in the empty negotiating halls where peace talks had stalled. But, just over a year later, the country was celebrating its first, fully democratic election that culminated in the joyful inauguration of President Nelson Mandela. They achieved the unimaginable: a rainbow nation at peace with itself and the world. This is the remarkable story of South Africa's transition to democracy, a singular achievement that astounded and inspired the world. Includes personal anecdotes from world leaders, local and global celebrities who tell of their small, but valuable contributions to the liberation of South Africa and her people. TVPG VL | CC

America in the 1920s was a country poised for a fresh start. The horrific brutality of the first global war was over. The economy was beginning to "roar," and the Presidents at the helm were happy to take a backseat to Congress. But as America crashed into Depression--and then another World War--the times called for a stronger leader, one who set the table for presidential power in the 20th century. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

In 1945, at the end of a devastating global war, America emerged as a superpower. The Cold War presented the nation with a new and unprecedented crisis: the threat of nuclear annihilation. Instinctively, the country looked to the President to keep them safe during these dangerous times. The struggle against the spread of communism abroad, and the corrosive effects of inequality at home, demanded a new resolve and a steadfast international leader. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Since the mid 1960s, the power of the presidency has risen and fallen. It's been burdened by the personal failings of the men who occupied the office; by a Congress determined to reassert its power; by a skeptical and fragmented media; and by a public that had grown indifferent to politics. The Cold War ended, but global terror networks rose to present a more complicated threat. Despite these new challenges, the power of the office has grown substantially since it was first imagined--remaining the shining symbol of America's noble experiment in democracy. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Who are the beings with big heads and giant eyes that seem to have been visiting our planet for millennia? Known by researchers as the "greys," these mysterious beings have been depicted in rock-art and carved stone figures throughout the ages and all over the world. Who are they, what planet do they come from, and what do they want? TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Across the globe, archaeologists have uncovered ancient tombs filled with strange items and writings. Remarkable similarities have been found at each of the sites. How is it possible that the burial chambers of distant cultures were so similar in design? Ancient Astronaut theorists believe that some of these complicated and technically advanced tombs were designed with the help of extraterrestrials. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Throughout the world, ancient rites and rituals are believed to connect humans to another dimension. But just who--or what--are we communicating with? Could today's rituals, such as festivals, coronations and funerals, be based on early man's attempts to emulate ancient alien visitors? If so, what other ancient rituals might find their roots in a kingdom--not of this world? TVPG VL | CC Show Site

It starts with a spark, but some ideas catch fire and in the process change the world. Necessity is the mother of invention--from darkness, man found light (the candle) and from even the farthest distances we can still find each other (the telephone). But some inventions have transformed our lives far beyond our homes (the steam engine), our planet (the telescope), and our wildest dreams (the Internet). This countdown highlights how human ingenuity comes in all shapes and sizes. Some were born from the humblest means (the hammer) while others push the limits of what was ever believed possible (the airplane). But regardless of the ratio of inspiration to perspiration, each invention to make the cut was destined to change our lives forever. TVPG VL | CC

For the first time on American television, we uncover the surprising connections between the United States and the Vatican, from America in its infancy to the Cold War and beyond. This is also the first time that American audiences get an intimate and revealing look on how Pope Benedict XVI lives, works and functions in his papal role. With specially granted permission, viewers experience a world rarely seen as we reveal Secret Access: The Vatican. TVPG VL | CC

In 1975, Travis Walton claims to have been abducted and taken aboard a space ship inhabited by extraterrestrial beings. Several people witnessed his encounter and nearly 40 years later Walton's story of alien abduction, missing time and mind-telepathy manipulation has not wavered. But researchers say that abductions are not a modern phenomenon. The Hebrew Bible is filled with stories of abductions by otherworldly beings. Jonah, Moses, Ezekiel and Enoch all depict what can best be described as physically being taken to other dimensions and then returned. Is it possible that extraterrestrial beings have been abducting humans for thousands of years and if so, might there be an alien agenda behind the phenomena? TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Heading to Tucson, Arizona with his son Grant, Wolter is eager to investigate a mysterious cache of crosses, swords and other relics pulled from the desert in the 1920s. One sword has a date--800 AD--written in Latin, which would suggest a group of Europeans was in the American Southwest hundreds of years before Columbus made it to America. Wolter's investigation is particularly important for one man--the grandson of the man who helped discover the items. The investigation could determine whether the artifacts are part of an elaborate hoax or part of a find that could change history. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

After his famous expedition to map the American West with William Clark, Meriwether Lewis recorded details of the adventure in a journal and intended to publish it. Before he could, he was shot and killed in an inn on the Natchez Trace. His death has been classified as a suicide, but as forensic geologist Scott Wolter discovers, there's reason to think he may not have killed himself. As Wolter investigates the death of America's most famous explorer he uncovers details that suggest President Jefferson himself may have had ulterior motives for the Lewis and Clark expedition that have never made it into the history books and may have led to his violent death. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Finding Cleopatra's tomb has been the lifelong passion for many an archaeologist. Some scholars believe Cleopatra's remains are at Taposiris Magna, while others believe her remains must be in the city of Alexandria, where she lived an infamous life with Julius Caesar and Mark Anthony. Zahi has finally permitted archaeologists from the Hellenic Institute to dive into the Mediterranean Sea and bring up a nine-ton pylon that is a confirmed part of her historic shrine. But with the persistent problems of permits and permissions, an impending storm approaching, the Minister of Culture and the worldwide international press waiting on the shoreline, Zahi's fury is felt by all the incompetent people working to get this 2000-year-old pylon out of Alexandria's Eastern Harbor. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

This was the first time the English settlers engaged in the slaughter of Native Americans after years of relatively peaceful coexistence. Known as the Pequot War, this massacre in Mystic, Connecticut, set the pattern of possessing Indian land throughout the country. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

The discovery of gold spurred tremendous financial and physical growth throughout the West. For the first time in history, individuals--not kings or sultans--could have gold for the taking, inspiring tens of thousands of people to make the arduous journey West. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Set against the backdrop of the 1901 World's Fair and the dawning of the new century, the assassination of President William McKinley ushered in a new Progressive Era under the presidency of Teddy Roosevelt. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

The sensational courtroom battle between William Jennings Bryan and Clarence Darrow over the teaching of evolution in a small Tennessee town underscored a deep schism within the American psyche -- religion versus science, church versus state, elitism versus populism. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Albert Einstein's letter to FDR urged the development of an unthinkably powerful new weapon. The result, known as the Manhattan Project, brought government and science together to build a bomb that would change the world forever. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

It's early morning in Saqqara and Zahi is getting ready to open two sealed tombs for the first time in thousands of years, but Zoe is late again and his patience is wearing thin. At the "Festival of the Sacrifice," Derek and Allan begin to learn about the customs and traditions of their host country, while Zahi meets the press and reveals a completed renovation of one of the oldest operating monasteries in the world. If only the fellows hadn't made that unexpected stop to the Robber's Tomb, maybe things would have been different... TVPG VL | CC Show Site

A small island in the southwestern Pacific, Guadalcanal was the place the US chose to confront the Japanese on the ground for the first time in WWII. Here, beginning in August 1942, Americans and Japanese were brought face-to-face in close-quarter shootouts that became a turning point of the war. From the near-total annihilation of Colonel Frank Goettge's intelligence patrol to the battles of Bloody Ridge, both sides learned what the other was made of. The Japanese were willing to fight to the death, and the Americans were eager to offer them that chance. The victory ultimately belonged to the US, but in the man-on-man struggles that characterized the campaign, winning or losing became personal and the difference between survival and death. Experience the thick of battle from the perspective of soldiers from both sides. TVPG VL | CC

The Pacific Ocean is a vast emptiness, where World War Two is fought on tiny specks of land. As the big battles unfold, soldiers come face- to-face at close quarters with their enemies. In this episode, we head right into the middle of a daring raid on the Makin Atoll; on New Georgia in the Solomon Islands, a solo machine gunner is outnumbered; two dozen Marines face hundreds of Japanese on Peleliu; and a single rifleman holds off two companies in the Philippines. Sometimes they took minutes, at others they took hours. Join us as we examine these famous shootouts in history--from the perspectives of both sides of the fight. Meet the men with guns in their hands, thousands of miles from home, where the winners are the only ones left alive. TVPG VL | CC

The United States of America was a bold invention of enormous risk. An 8-year war of independence, followed by intense political debate produced a government of, by and for the people. This democracy in a world ruled by Kings and Emperors was a new experiment with three branches--a Court, a Congress and an Executive--all sharing power; a precarious balancing act purposely left open to interpretation. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

America in 1824 saw the era of the Founding Fathers coming to an end. Over the next 25 years, six presidents would reflect the country's sometimes uneasy transition from old traditions to an expansion of land, influence and opportunity. Democracy was the word on everyone's lips, and the true power of the nation's leader would be found in the common man. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

How has our ability to communicate defined us as a species? Sharing information with each other has allowed humans to rise to the top of the food chain and dominate our environments. But humans aren't the only species that can communicate. Organisms as simple as bacteria can communicate, a strategy that lets them cooperate to take down creatures millions of times their own size. Fish use pheromones to warn each other about predators and find mates. Chemicals are also an effective means of communicating on land, and they've allowed insects--some of nature's smallest and most unassuming animals--to become the most populous and prolific on earth. The ability to interact stretches back billions of years and has often been one of the primary factors in a species ability to evolve and survive. TVPG VL | CC

The story behind the world's most renowned modern myth. Enter creator J.R.R. Tolkien's fantastical world of hobbits, orcs and wizards, and uncover the real life influences that shaped his epic fantasy, The Lord of the Rings. TVPG VL | CC

Idolized in ancient Norse mythology as the protector god, Thor battles evil ogres and a giant serpent bent on destroying mankind. It's the quintessential fight for survival that culminates in a final showdown between good and evil. But was the rise and fall of the hero Thor ancient code for something greater? Today, new discoveries unlock the hidden truth behind the Norse god of Thunder. TVPG VL | CC

Running from Washington, DC to Boston, the Acela is a high-tech wonder that runs on lines dating to the Great Depression. It is the fastest train in the country and is powered by high-voltage overhead electrical wires. Join hosts Matt Bown as he meets the workers who are just inches from possible electrocution on a daily basis. Filming here was so dangerous that the production crew had to take and pass a special course before they were allowed to begin. Also, take a look at historic Penn Station and discover why it had to be demolished. TVPG VL | CC

Go on a sweeping adventure into the mystery of the history of oil. Where does it come from? When will it run out? Where is it driving us? This amazing fluid that powers our lives has made a 160 million year journey to reach our gas tanks and plastic bags. Learn about Earth's extraordinary Carbon Cycle, and the role of oil in current concerns regarding the environment. The Oil Age we now take for granted began less than a century and a half ago, and it could be over in our lifetime. TVPG VL | CC

How did one awesome battleship spark the 20th century's first arms race? Journey back to the start of the 20th century in England for a look at the HMS Dreadnought and one admiral's devastating vision. TVPG VL | CC

Throughout railroad history, disasters lay at the heart of progress, since expansion and profit proved the main goals of management. In 1875 alone, an average of 22 train accidents happened daily; in 1890, over 6,000 people were killed. We'll examine how safety, once a secondary consideration, became a primary goal. TVPG VL | CC

Until the diesel age, trains were powered by steam, and we'll trace the steam train's 160-year history. We travel to Steamtown National Park to see these 19th-century technological wonders in action; and, visit Union Pacific's Steam Operations Division to profile #3985, the largest operating steam locomotive in the world. TVPG VL | CC

Discover a prehistoric watering hole where multiple dinosaur species fought to the death under the intense heat of a Jurassic drought. Watch as more than 15,000 bones are uncovered at the scene of one of the bloodiest battles in Paleohistory. Scientists are able to identify Allosaurus and its rival Ceratosaurus as the predators. Evidence collected at the site, detailed animal behaviors, and the results of hi-tech CAT scanning are used to recreate what happened on this dry lakebed in Utah 150 million years ago. TVPG VL | CC

Amazingly some of the world records that still stand today were set in the ancient world. The most valuable thing in the ancient world is still the most valuable thing today--2000 dollars per gram! And incredibly it is made from nothing more than rotting shellfish. What was the fastest thing in the ancient world and is it still the fastest man-made machine today? Ancient Discoveries builds a replica of a 2000 year old jet engine. A weapons team finally reveal the only weapon in history that can shoot around corners--and solve a 500 year old debate. Explosives experts reveal that the world's first gun was made of fruit. And on a windswept beach in Britain, can a team of historians and engineers beat the ancient world land speed record? TVPG VL | CC Show Site

In 2004 the American School of Classical Studies in Greece made a surprising discovery of two limestone coffins which dated back 3000 years. Archaeologist Guy Sanders was not only surprised by the quality of the sarcophagi but shocked by their size and weight. The coffins weighed 3 tons, and he concluded that the people of the Geometric Period must have used massive machines to move them. From the Pharos of Alexandria to the Parthenon on the Acropolis we will delve into the world of the ancient heavy engineers, and discover how their machines were used to build and transport some of the most amazing structures in Antiquity. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Traces the rise and fall of one of the world's greatest empires and weaves together the glittering and tempestuous stories of the Imperial rulers with the life of the Russian people to explore historic trends and turning points that shaped the nation's destiny. Part 1 begins with the founding of ancient "Rus" by Viking warlords, Russia's subjugation by Mongol hordes, the rise of Ivan the Terrible, and transformation from isolated borderland to powerful European state under Peter the Great. TVPG VL | CC

In 2009, 46 years after he was shot, JFK will be gone for as long as he was alive. While the moments and hours after his tragic assassination were some of the most formative and important for our country, that story has rarely, and only partially, been told. For the first time, using never-before-seen transcripts only recently made public, this film pieces together the 24-hour period after the shots were fired. The timeline reveals startling new information about the death of the president and the traumatic transfer of power to his successor, Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson. From new details about when JFK really died, to the truth behind LBJ's Oath of Office photo on Air Force One, this special uncovers an unfamiliar story born out of one of the most crucial days in American history. TVPG VL | CC

Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt were Washington's first couple with a New Deal. But historian and author David Eisenbach reveals that the Roosevelts' marriage was a political arrangement of epic proportions. FDR had a long-running affair with his wife's secretary, and Eleanor was a closet lesbian in love with a female news reporter. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

George S. Patton was WWII's greatest combat general. His armored troops rolled to stunning and important victories in North Africa and Europe. But Patton suffered from dyslexia, he never wore those pearl-handled pistols, and he was even an international contraband smuggler. Maverick historian David Eisenbach uncovers Patton's secrets. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

America after the Civil War was a traumatized country in desperate need of leadership. The President who'd seen the nation through its most divisive conflict was dead, leaving no road map for peace. Over the next three decades, a series of weak Presidents lacked any vision for the future and showed little interest in real leadership. Each successive man took a back seat to Congress and to captains of industry--and the Presidency hit rock bottom. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Investigates the history and symbology so prominent in the creation of the United States, and traces the intricate connections of the Founders with Freemasonry, other secret organizations and between each other. How did the trademarks of the highly secretive Masons become integrated into the Great Seal, and on the dollar bill containing the All-Seeing Eye? Did the grid design of the nation's capital--commissioned by George Washington and completed by Pierre L'Enfant--contain occult symbols embraced by the Illuminati in 1776? Did Benjamin Franklin and George Washington deliberately enlist 33 Freemason generals from France to grow the fraternal brotherhood among Masonic nations? Explore the secret (and secretly dark) sides of the men responsible for laying the foundation of the United States. TVPG VL | CC

In Greek mythology, ancient Greece's most powerful god wages an epic struggle against his father for control of the universe. It's the ultimate power struggle as the Olympians challenge the Titans in mythology's greatest showdown. This is a pivotal battle that experts believe may have been ancient code for a real world event--one of the greatest natural disasters the Earth ever experienced. TVPG VL | CC

Humans have always been fascinated with the one part of the world that we could not conquer--the sky. How did the earth's first flying creatures come to be? Examine the first vertebrate flyer, the pterosaur, which took to the air over 220 million years ago and eventually evolved to be the size of small airplanes. Scientists have long pondered how they, the largest flying creatures ever, were able to achieve such an astonishing feat. Scientists examine the fossil record compare pterosaurs to living birds to try and unlock how some species evolved to have the remarkable trait of flight. TVPG VL | CC

How has our ability to communicate defined us as a species? Sharing information with each other has allowed humans to rise to the top of the food chain and dominate our environments. But humans aren't the only species that can communicate. Organisms as simple as bacteria can communicate, a strategy that lets them cooperate to take down creatures millions of times their own size. Fish use pheromones to warn each other about predators and find mates. Chemicals are also an effective means of communicating on land, and they've allowed insects--some of nature's smallest and most unassuming animals--to become the most populous and prolific on earth. The ability to interact stretches back billions of years and has often been one of the primary factors in a species ability to evolve and survive. TVPG VL | CC

Every aspect of our lives involves pressure. It's what puts the bubbles in soft drinks, propels shaving cream from its can, cools the contents of your refrigerator, and causes volcanoes to erupt. But when pressure suddenly changes, you better look out! Rapid pressure changes can be as violent as explosions. And variable atmospheric pressure? We call that the weather. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Join train conductor and host Matt Bown as he joins the coal train hauling of a priceless cargo of coal through Pennsylvania from mine to power plant. Matt pitches in with the crew as they load up the train and also learns how the Nazis tried to blow the tracks during World War II. Discover the huge part that trains have played in shaping American history and how trains are vital to American life today. TVPG VL | CC

Running from Washington, DC to Boston, the Acela is a high-tech wonder that runs on lines dating to the Great Depression. It is the fastest train in the country and is powered by high-voltage overhead electrical wires. Join hosts Matt Bown as he meets the workers who are just inches from possible electrocution on a daily basis. Filming here was so dangerous that the production crew had to take and pass a special course before they were allowed to begin. Also, take a look at historic Penn Station and discover why it had to be demolished. TVPG VL | CC

From popes and presidents to dictators, Antichrists have been identified in all periods of recorded history and in all walks of life. Even nations, movements, and technologies have been thought by some to be the agents of the Antichrist. Throughout history, people have seen their own times as the most morally bankrupt and have recognized signs of the coming of the Apocalypse. If the end is near, what will it be like? What is the Antichrist's agenda? How does he intend to take over the world and wreak destruction? Is this escapist fantasy or inescapable fate? TVPG VL | CC

Sail the high seas on a swift, agile, and deadly pirate ship as it strikes fear in the hearts of swabbies everywhere! We'll go onboard these highly maneuverable ships with their skull and crossbones ensign, and find out why no one really ever walked the gangplank. TVPG VL | CC

How did one awesome battleship spark the 20th century's first arms race? Journey back to the start of the 20th century in England for a look at the HMS Dreadnought and one admiral's devastating vision. TVPG VL | CC

Why are humans so different from every other species on Earth? Did we evolve from ape--or is our intelligence the result of contact with an otherworldly source? Could unexplained advances in human evolution be the work of interstellar beings? 10,000-year-old petroglyphs link our ancient ancestors with star beings. Might evidence of alien contact help unlock the mystery of the Creation of Man? TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Tyrannosaurus rex was the most feared predator on earth--but to one dinosaur, he was prey. A discovery in Montana reveals the broken and fractured bones of a juvenile T-rex, and the teeth of its attacker--Nanotyrannus. As modern crime scene investigative methods are used, paleontologists get an unprecedented look into a 65 million-year-old battle. Modern CAT scanning gives science a never before look into the functions of the brains of Tyrannosaurus and Nanotyrannus. Watch as experts recreate what happened when Nanotyrannus came upon an unguarded juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex. TVPG VL | CC

Discover a prehistoric watering hole where multiple dinosaur species fought to the death under the intense heat of a Jurassic drought. Watch as more than 15,000 bones are uncovered at the scene of one of the bloodiest battles in Paleohistory. Scientists are able to identify Allosaurus and its rival Ceratosaurus as the predators. Evidence collected at the site, detailed animal behaviors, and the results of hi-tech CAT scanning are used to recreate what happened on this dry lakebed in Utah 150 million years ago. TVPG VL | CC

The Roman Emperor Nero, renowned for playing the fiddle whilst Rome burned, was infamous for cruelty, incest and murder. TVPG VL | CC

A marauding barbarian with a reputation as one of history's monsters, even today Attila's name is a synonym for savagery. TVPG VL | CC

As a child, Hannibal from Carthage, modern-day Tunisia, was forced by his father to make a blood to destroy the Romans. His reputation as one of history's cruelest generals was earned as he ruthlessly slaughtered women and children along with tens of thousands of his own and enemy soldiers in the pursuit of defeating Rome. While he won several major battles, he curiously gave up before marching into Rome. TVPG VL | CC

A gripping, dramatic look, with the most recently released materials, at the extraordinary events of September 11th, 2001...not just this infamous day in history, but also how this day came to be through the dramatic stories of people whose lives converge at a moment when history turns. We'll recount the story of Al Qaeda's agents as they plan and execute the most deadly strike on the US since Pearl Harbor. It's also the story of the men and women who were attacked in the World Trade Center, and of the heroic rescuers who risked everything to save those trapped inside the doomed Twin Towers. And finally, it's also a political action thriller. It portrays FBI agents and counterterrorism experts in the months leading up to the attack as they desperately try to convince key players in both the Clinton and Bush administrations of the dangers of Al Qaeda and the possibility of a deadly attack on US soil. TVPG VL | CC

America in 1824 saw the era of the Founding Fathers coming to an end. Over the next 25 years, six presidents would reflect the country's sometimes uneasy transition from old traditions to an expansion of land, influence and opportunity. Democracy was the word on everyone's lips, and the true power of the nation's leader would be found in the common man. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

America by the mid-1800s was triple its original size thanks to bold and controversial decisions by Presidents such as Jefferson, Jackson, and Polk. But with new territory came old confrontations. Slavery--the question that had been avoided since the country's birth--now had to be answered. Some leaders pinned their hopes on compromise, until one used the Presidency to defend freedom and the Union--at any cost. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

America after the Civil War was a traumatized country in desperate need of leadership. The President who'd seen the nation through its most divisive conflict was dead, leaving no road map for peace. Over the next three decades, a series of weak Presidents lacked any vision for the future and showed little interest in real leadership. Each successive man took a back seat to Congress and to captains of industry--and the Presidency hit rock bottom. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Idolized in ancient Norse mythology as the protector god, Thor battles evil ogres and a giant serpent bent on destroying mankind. It's the quintessential fight for survival that culminates in a final showdown between good and evil. But was the rise and fall of the hero Thor ancient code for something greater? Today, new discoveries unlock the hidden truth behind the Norse god of Thunder. TVPG VL | CC

The tale of the strongest superhero in Greek mythology and his quest for redemption. To atone for committing a heinous crime, Hercules embarks on a series of impossible challenges known as the 12 Labors. Hercules endures as one of history's most influential demi-Gods, but recent archaeological discoveries suggest that mythology's strongest man may have been inspired by a real person. TVPG VL | CC

In Greek mythology, ancient Greece's most powerful god wages an epic struggle against his father for control of the universe. It's the ultimate power struggle as the Olympians challenge the Titans in mythology's greatest showdown. This is a pivotal battle that experts believe may have been ancient code for a real world event--one of the greatest natural disasters the Earth ever experienced. TVPG VL | CC

Don't look now--but there's a lot more to your walls than you'd ever imagine. Take a penetrating look inside something we consider utterly mundane, and uncover a surprising and sometimes shocking world. A computer-managed home in Colorado showcases the high tech gadgetry destined to inhabit every wall in the future. At the headquarters of Orkin in Atlanta, a network of walls with cutouts and Plexiglas windows reveal how pests and creepy crawlies of all kinds can congregate in huge numbers inside our homes. In Washington, scientists at Underwriters Labs play with fire in the name of research, investigating how our walls can keep us safe--or expose us to a fiery death. And in Los Angeles, a security company demonstrates innovative new technology that can "see" through walls--detecting motion, heat, breathing, even heartbeats. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Every aspect of our lives involves pressure. It's what puts the bubbles in soft drinks, propels shaving cream from its can, cools the contents of your refrigerator, and causes volcanoes to erupt. But when pressure suddenly changes, you better look out! Rapid pressure changes can be as violent as explosions. And variable atmospheric pressure? We call that the weather. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Until the diesel age, trains were powered by steam, and we'll trace the steam train's 160-year history. We travel to Steamtown National Park to see these 19th-century technological wonders in action; and, visit Union Pacific's Steam Operations Division to profile #3985, the largest operating steam locomotive in the world. TVPG VL | CC

How would you recognize the most evil person on Earth? According to many historical texts, you should look for a brilliant, enigmatic public figure who transforms the world for good--for a while. Basically, the last person you'd tap as Satan's human emissary. While many believe the Antichrist has come and gone, just as many believe he will soon arrive, if he's not already in our midst. Join us for harrowing look at an evil so obscure that he answers only to Satan. Real? Our group of prophecy believers and historical experts help sort it out. We follow the emergence of the Antichrist from pre-Judaic texts, through the Book of Daniel and Revelation, into Christian writings of the Middle Ages, and other religious traditions as well. Aided by interviewees both religious and secular, comprised of eminent clergy, scholars, historians, psychologists, and culture makers, we'll examine the evil enigma from every conceivable angle. TVPG VL | CC

From popes and presidents to dictators, Antichrists have been identified in all periods of recorded history and in all walks of life. Even nations, movements, and technologies have been thought by some to be the agents of the Antichrist. Throughout history, people have seen their own times as the most morally bankrupt and have recognized signs of the coming of the Apocalypse. If the end is near, what will it be like? What is the Antichrist's agenda? How does he intend to take over the world and wreak destruction? Is this escapist fantasy or inescapable fate? TVPG VL | CC

In 2004 the American School of Classical Studies in Greece made a surprising discovery of two limestone coffins which dated back 3000 years. Archaeologist Guy Sanders was not only surprised by the quality of the sarcophagi but shocked by their size and weight. The coffins weighed 3 tons, and he concluded that the people of the Geometric Period must have used massive machines to move them. From the Pharos of Alexandria to the Parthenon on the Acropolis we will delve into the world of the ancient heavy engineers, and discover how their machines were used to build and transport some of the most amazing structures in Antiquity. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

For thousands of years, there have been places around the world considered dangerous to humans. Might these locations hold the key to an otherworldly connection? At Australia's Black Mountains, local myths speak of ancient serpent gods and hikers disappearing. Every year hundreds are drawn to a dark forest at the base of Mount Fuji in Japan--to commit suicide. What causes these places to be evil? Could there be evidence that past extraterrestrial activity lead to the negative energy in Earth's evil places? TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Why are humans so different from every other species on Earth? Did we evolve from ape--or is our intelligence the result of contact with an otherworldly source? Could unexplained advances in human evolution be the work of interstellar beings? 10,000-year-old petroglyphs link our ancient ancestors with star beings. Might evidence of alien contact help unlock the mystery of the Creation of Man? TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Featuring exclusive interviews with President Barack Obama and other senior aides, this two-hour special event will take viewers inside the dedicated effort to hunt and kill Osama Bin Laden. We'll also examine the historical ramifications for President Obama's administration, as well as look at the role of the men and women who worked for many years over several administrations to make this possible. Rigorously researched, Targeting Bin Laden uses historical footage, photographs and dramatic re-enactments to illustrate one of the most important missions in our nation's history. In addition to President Obama, interviewees include National Security Advisor, Tom Donilon; White House Chief Counter-Terrorism Advisor, John O. Brennan; Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications; former CIA Director, Gen. Michael Vincent Hayden; former CIA Deputy Director of Counter-Terrorism, Philip Mudd; members of Congress; policy experts and others. TVPG VL | CC

Not long ago South Africa stood poised on the edge of anarchy. The flames of violence threatened to engulf a nation that had already fought long and hard against the brutal burden of Apartheid. Massacres and assassinations unleashed a storm of angry recriminations that thundered over the land and echoed in the empty negotiating halls where peace talks had stalled. But, just over a year later, the country was celebrating its first, fully democratic election that culminated in the joyful inauguration of President Nelson Mandela. They achieved the unimaginable: a rainbow nation at peace with itself and the world. This is the remarkable story of South Africa's transition to democracy, a singular achievement that astounded and inspired the world. Includes personal anecdotes from world leaders, local and global celebrities who tell of their small, but valuable contributions to the liberation of South Africa and her people. TVPG VL | CC

This 2-hour special, narrated by Deon Cole, gives a fresh perspective of the black movement in America, from Emancipation to the Civil Rights era. The special uses first-hand accounts, rare audio recordings, never-before-seen archival footage, and home movies to chronicle African American life as lived by regular people, in their own words, through 150 years of social upheaval. TVPG VL | CC

Who are the beings with big heads and giant eyes that seem to have been visiting our planet for millennia? Known by researchers as the "greys," these mysterious beings have been depicted in rock-art and carved stone figures throughout the ages and all over the world. Who are they, what planet do they come from, and what do they want? TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Across the globe, archaeologists have uncovered ancient tombs filled with strange items and writings. Remarkable similarities have been found at each of the sites. How is it possible that the burial chambers of distant cultures were so similar in design? Ancient Astronaut theorists believe that some of these complicated and technically advanced tombs were designed with the help of extraterrestrials. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Throughout the world, ancient rites and rituals are believed to connect humans to another dimension. But just who--or what--are we communicating with? Could today's rituals, such as festivals, coronations and funerals, be based on early man's attempts to emulate ancient alien visitors? If so, what other ancient rituals might find their roots in a kingdom--not of this world? TVPG VL | CC Show Site

It starts with a spark, but some ideas catch fire and in the process change the world. Necessity is the mother of invention--from darkness, man found light (the candle) and from even the farthest distances we can still find each other (the telephone). But some inventions have transformed our lives far beyond our homes (the steam engine), our planet (the telescope), and our wildest dreams (the Internet). This countdown highlights how human ingenuity comes in all shapes and sizes. Some were born from the humblest means (the hammer) while others push the limits of what was ever believed possible (the airplane). But regardless of the ratio of inspiration to perspiration, each invention to make the cut was destined to change our lives forever. TVPG VL | CC

No matter what you might think of him, in all corners of the globe, Jesse James is respected for his incredible skills, vision and dogged determination. Jesse is known as the Master Fabricator, he is a world-class welder, operates the violent power hammer with grace and agility and he even became a coppersmith to make one of his bikes out of copper. There is only one discipline left for him to tackle before mastering all aspects of metal working--blacksmithing. It's been years since we last saw Jesse do what we love to watch him do the most, build an amazing one-of-a-kind creation and then take us along for a ride. For the first time ever, Jesse will build his first engine--but not just any engine, he takes on the near impossible mission of tracking down a rare 1930's race car engine and rebuilds it to go into a new bike. With no blueprints, no instructions, he goes on a hunt to find a rare breed of craftsmen and builders who might know something about how to help him achieve his goal. TVPG VL | CC

Our in-depth history of Hades begins with the story of a negative near-death experience, in which a man thinks he went to Hell after being declared clinically dead and before resuscitation. Following Lucifer's trail from cave paintings in France circa 6,000 BC to current portrayals in popular culture, our 2-hour exploration shows how Hell and the Devil remain powerful forces--at a church in Texas, where souls are delivered from Satan's grip; in talks with a survivor of the 1980s recovered memory craze, who "recalled" attending Witches' Sabbaths that practiced cannibalism; and at the modern Church of Satan. We review literary landmarks that expanded our ideas of the Underworld, from Dante's Inferno and Milton's Paradise Lost to Mark Twain's anti-hero, and trace development of Christian, Moslem, Jewish, and Buddhist conceptions of the afterlife. TVPG VL | CC

15,000 years ago man and the wolf form a partnership that shapes the future of Mankind. With the help of man's new best friend we domesticate more animals, sowing the first seeds of farming and civilization. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Communication is the vital ingredient in the building of civilization. The ability to share complicated ideas allowed early man to hunt, farm and build communities. And the creation of things like a 22-letter alphabet and the printing press allow Mankind to further expand, leading to the proliferation of new ideas and revolution. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Could there be a monstrous, undiscovered star orbiting our own Sun? Could it be scattering killer comets throughout our Solar System like clockwork every 26 million years? New scientific surveys are probing the edges of our Solar System--a realm populated by giant worlds and mysterious planetoid--hunting for Nemesis, the Sun's purported evil twin. We may be on the verge of discovering this ultimate death star, suspected of causing every mass extinction in Earth's history. We employ everyday experiences to explain what Nemesis is and why it's been so hard to find. Experts start a wildfire on a dry California hillside, race a NASCAR around an oval track, and juggle fire, all in the effort to present how Nemesis works, and why life on Earth may depend on its discovery. TVPG VL | CC Show Site