Videos

The Most Popular Christmas Gifts Through the Decades

From Star Wars action figures to the iPhone, every decade has had a "must have" Christmas gift.

11:17m watch

Observances & Traditions

Hanukkah at the White House

In 1951, PM Ben-Gurion chose a menorah—suggested by the Jewish Museum—as a birthday gift for U.S. President Harry S. Truman.

Why the Military Tracks Santa

The U.S. Air Force tracks Santa each year—a tradition born from a child’s misdialed call to the Continental Air Defense Command.

Digital Exclusive

Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin breaks down high-stakes presidential moments in our exclusive video series Command Decisions.

6 videos

U.S. Presidents

Eisenhower and War or Peace in Korea

U.S. Presidents

JFK and the Cuban Missile Crisis

U.S. Presidents

Truman and the Berlin Airlift

U.S. Presidents

LBJ Signs the Civil Rights Act

FDR and the Atlantic Charter

U.S. Presidents

Lincoln Issues Emancipation Proclamation

Featured Topics

World War I

Ancient Egypt

Great Depression

U.S. Presidents

Kevin Costner's The West

Fetterman vs. Carrington: Clash for Command on the Frontier

When daring cavalry officer William Fetterman arrives on the scene, Carrington's struggle to control his men only escalates.

Bloody Consequences in the Fight for Free States

When Kansas becomes a battleground in the debate over slavery, settlers on both sides pour into the territory to determine its future.

A New Era for Britain's Former Colonies

After years of U.S. encroachment, Chief Little Turtle leads the Northwest Confederacy to a major victory over the young U.S. Army.

A Devastating Outbreak Heightens Tension

Protestant missionaries Marcus and Narcissa Whitman seek to spread their Christian faith to the local Cayuse people.

Digital Exclusive

9 videos

The Morning of the Attack

The Attack on Pearl Harbor: The First Wave

The Attack on Pearl Harbor: Battleship Row

Civilian Reaction to the Attack

The War's End

Could Pearl Harbor Have Been Prevented?

Inventions & Science

PTSD and Shell Shock History

Remember Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor Veterans on the Price of Freedom

American Ingenuity

Lonnie Johnson Creates the Super Soaker

Lonnie Johnson—a nuclear engineer—invented it by accident.

Inventions & Science

History Shorts: How a Camping Trip Brought Us Charcoal BBQs

The invention of charcoal briquets came about thanks to a camping trip by Thomas Edison and Henry Ford.

Inventions & Science

How Harley-Davidson Transformed Motorcycles Forever

Harley-Davidson changed the motorcycle industry and created a subculture like none of its competitors.

Inventions & Science

The First Kinetoscope Parlor Opens and Movie Theaters are Born

In 1894, two brothers opened NYC’s “Kinetoscope Parlor,” sparking the rise of movie theaters across America and the world.

Ancient Mysteries

Ancient Middle East

8 Ancient Empires You’ve Never Heard Of

Grab your fedora and bullwhip as we unearth eight amazing yet obscure ancient empires in this episode of History Countdown.

Ancient Middle East

10 Lost Wonders of The Ancient World

Discover these 10 incredible structures constructed by ancient civilizations and shrouded in mystery in this episode of History Countdown.

9 Greatest Unsolved Mysteries of Ancient History

Some mysteries may never be solved—but others are begging to be! Explore nine ancient enigmas in this episode of History Countdown.

Curse Tablets: The Greeks' and Romans' Dirty Little Secret

Ancient Greeks and Romans left behind more than knowledge—thousands of eerie "curse tablets" reveal a darker side of their legacy.

Playlist

HISTORY Honors 250

Celebrating 250 years of America’s history, we reflect on its journey from independence in 1776 to global influence.

50 videos

The Wright Brothers' Sister Was the Secret to Their Success

Without their sister, Katharine, the Wright brothers may have never taken flight.

1:00m watch

Inventions & Science

How Thomas Edison's Deafness Shaped His Revolutionary Innovations

Thomas Edison, America’s greatest inventor, was also deaf—a trait that sharpened his focus and fueled his groundbreaking innovations.

The End of WWII

The end of World War II was one of the most celebrated moments in 20th-century history—and is marked by multiple historic days.

Arts and Entertainment

Arts & Entertainment

The Birth of Hip Hop

On August 11, 1973, DJ Kool Herc rocks his first Bronx party, debuting a game-changing turntable move that electrifies the crowd.

Arts & Entertainment

Why Is Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey' Significant?

Take a journey through the history of science fiction and examine the cultural influences such as the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement, and space exploration, that influenced Stanley Kubrick's 1968 visionary film "2001: A Space Odyssey."

Arts & Entertainment

The Spirit That Built America: Anna May Wong

Anna May Wong was a silver screen icon and trailblazer for representation in Hollywood, known as America's first Asian American A-lister.

The Black Cowboy Who Transformed Rodeos—and the Silver Screen

Before the cowboy image Americans know today existed, a formerly enslaved man became the country’s first cowboy.

Ice Road Truckers

The warriors of the ice roads are back, hauling vital cargo to remote communities over some of the most dangerous routes in the world. But, this season, the toughest job in the world just got tougher.

What Is Ice Road Trucking?

Ice Road Truckers Returns: Extended Preview

Ice Road Truckers is back for Season 12—new cast, epic hauls and the perilous frozen roads that made the show a legend.

What Is Ice Road Trucking

The cast and crew discuss ice road trucking—hauling loads on slippery, dangerous ice to remote diamond mines.

Repairing an Ice Road

All roads need repairs from time to time, but just how do you repair one made of ice?

History of the Arctic Front

The battle to tame the frontier isn't new. Look back at the pioneers of exploration in the Arctic.

History Makers and Boundary Breakers

Women’s History

Breaking Barriers: 5 Women Who Fought for Equality

Discover five extraordinary women whose leadership and determination redefined America, proving that change happens when bold voices rise.

5 Lesser-Known Figures in Black History You Should Know

Explore the enduring legacy of Black resistance, intellect and activism through the stories of five key figures.

5 Turning Points in LGBTQ+ History

From the underground activism of the 1920s to a landmark Supreme Court victory in 2015, explore five defining moments in LGBTQ+ history.

5 Trailblazing Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders

Discover five history making figures in the AANHPI community whose innovation, creativity and leadership redefined the American story.

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Topics

U.S. Presidents

JFK and the Cuban Missile Crisis

When U.S. spy planes discovered Soviet missiles in Cuba, John F. Kennedy faced the greatest test of the nuclear age.

U.S. Presidents

Truman and the Berlin Airlift

When the Cold War’s first great showdown erupts, Truman is forced to choose between backing down or risking everything to stand firm.

U.S. Presidents

Eisenhower and War or Peace in Korea

As global tensions spiral toward the brink, Eisenhower must decide how far he’s willing to go to project American power.

Mysteries & Folklore

The 1962 Car Crash That Revealed a Rare American Treasure

In 1962 North Carolina, a deadly car crash leads to a shocking discovery—a rare piece of American history hiding in plain sight.

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U.S. Presidents

John Quincy Adams’ Strange Exploration Beneath the Earth’s Surface

In the 1800s, John Quincy Adams was asked to fund an exploration to go deep beneath the Earth's surface.

Pigeon Guided Missiles and Other Wild WWII Weaponry

An inventor develops an idea during the mix of WWII, which would have pigeons guide missiles.

Mysteries & Folklore

The Day UFOs Landed in Zimbabwe

In 1994, Zimbabwean kids spotted two glowing discs and sketched eerie, humanoid beings with large heads and haunting eyes.

How Cash Fueled the Unsolved D.B. Cooper Case

In 1980, an 8-year-old finds rotted $20 bills buried in dirt—cash that investigators link to one of America’s most famous unsolved cases.

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When the US Wanted to Blow Up the Moon

During the 1950s space race, the U.S. Air Force proposed detonating a nuclear bomb on the Moon to warn the Soviets.

Tom Oar's Secrets From the Wild

Tom Oar shares his hard-earned survival secrets forged through a lifetime of experience living in the wild.

Queen Bess: The Black Aviator Who Dared to Fly

Bessie Coleman was the first woman of African American and Native American descent to earn her pilot's license in the U.S.

Native American History

Maria Tallchief Becomes America's First Prima Ballerina

Maria Tallchief, a trailblazing Native American, became a famed prima ballerina and the Nutcracker’s iconic Sugar Plum Fairy.

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Native American History

How Native Americans Protected Alaska During WWII

After Japan invaded the Aleutians, 6,300 Alaska Natives formed the Alaska Territorial Guard to defend against further invasion.

Observances & Traditions

The Presidential Turkey Pardon

Presidents have been pardoning turkeys every Thanksgiving for decades, but how did this tradition get started?

Charles Harrison Redesigns the View-Master F Into a Kid-Friendly Toy

Harrison was an American designer, speaker, educator and the first African American to lead a major design department.

The History of Snowboarding in America

Before the term "snowboarding" existed—and at least 80 years before it was an Olympic phenomenon—people were surfing down snowy hills.