History Channel Documentaries

One of the most tragic and shocking images ever broadcast to the American people, the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion left our country in mourning. The loss of seven astronauts became more heartbreaking as we learned that the incident could have been avoided if protocols had been different. Hear the emotional recollections of the Challenger commander’s wife, two astronauts who were involved in the launch preparation, an engineer for the rocket boosters that failed, and a reporter who thought this would be a routine workday, as they relive the controversial moments that lead to the most notorious day in NASA’s history.

A gripping look at Putin's rise from humble beginnings to brutal dictatorship, and his emergence as one of the gravest threats to America's security.

When Martin Luther King Jr. was murdered in Memphis, TN on April 4, 1968, he left a legacy of profound change, yet there was still much unfinished work. This one-hour documentary explores the key battles in the Civil Rights Movement that transformed American society–from the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955 to the Chicago Campaign which led to the Fair Housing Act of 1968. The special will uncover what it took to translate protest into real legislative change.

Behind locked doors in St. Petersburg, Russia is the Leningrad Codex, the world’s oldest complete text of the Hebrew Bible. Because of its ancient origins, it is a purer version of the Bible–containing words and characters lost in later translations. Timothy Smith, an antiquities expert, believes he’s found an intricate code hidden within its text, one that may not show up in later translations. This two-hour special takes viewers on a journey across the globe to find out if the hidden code is real. If it is, could this be the actual word of God? A code written into his own divine work. A master plan for history? The code is said to point to a diverse variety of historical events from the rise of Hitler to the threat of North Korea and it may even point to the location of one of the greatest treasures of all, the lost Arc of the Covenant.

The 1993 siege on the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas was the deadliest single event in the history of the ATF. Hear from two agents who were wounded, a shell-shocked reporter, a law enforcement officer, Koresh’s would-be lawyer, the coroner, and the FBI agent who oversaw the 51-day standoff until the compound burned down with many of the Davidians still inside.

The modern development of U.S. and worldwide arsenals, highlighting technological turning points, the most fearsome weapons in circulation now and the mind-blowing armaments in development, from hypersonic missiles to space-based kill vehicles.

Master craftsmen compete in an underground challenge to build the most out of the box military-inspired weapons and artifacts. In a secret location, their incredible creations are tested to the extreme in explosive and escalating challenges.

The chronicle of Detroit's economic downfall and possible exciting rebirth told by famous Detroiters and relatives of those who back in the day helped build the city and the country.

It’s almost impossible to imagine what American car culture would look like without the muscle car. More than half a century after the first one rolled out of the showroom, the popularity of these high-powered head-turners is gaining momentum again. Since the introduction of the first muscle car in 1949, drivers have been fascinated with the ability to cram greater power and speed into their cars. The Oldsmobile Rocket 88 changed the world when it put a V8 inside a body designed for a six-cylinder engine. “If you look at what was happening with our country at that time, it makes sense,” says Tim Marinos, an auto restorer and owner of Vintage Autocraft in Lebanon, Tenn. “This all grew out of the [World War II] era. There was better technology, and we were learning more about what cars could do. We had access to more power.” Today, the muscle car has become so much a part of the car industry that it defines an era and an attitude. Essentially, a muscle car is one with a light body and a big engine. After Oldsmobile found a following with the Rocket, other auto manufacturers followed their lead.

The sea level in Venice has increased drastically in the last century or so, threatening the very existence of the city. Global warming and the harmful effects of tourism have amplified the phenomenon of acqua alta (sudden rise in sea level), rendering the traditional responses of inhabitants obsolete. It is urgent to act today. Projects conceived in laboratories across the globe are joining forces to save the city. These include RAMSES, a 3D modelization of the lagoon produced using lasers, which analyzes rises in water level; and MOSE, a series of movable dams costing over 4 billion euros, intended to block the sea in case of acqua alta. The film will take us on this extraordinary journey, the technological and scientific struggle for the survival of Venice, a survival that has been in doubt from its very construction.

Since their inception at the turn of the last century, pickup trucks have been essential to the American way of life, and manufacturing titans such as Ford, Dodge and Chevrolet have engaged in brutal competition to outsmart, outmaneuver and outlast one another. In this 2-hour special, automotive experts, designers and historians weigh in on the most influential innovations in the truck world over the past 120 years.

Strap in for a fuel-injected, pedal to floor experience recounting the most significant and perilous speed milestones throughout history and the fearless rebels who dared to sit behind the wheel. From the first days of the automobile to achieving supersonic speed, this compelling special parachutes into the treacherous attempts at speed records that propelled humanity forward.

Hot Wheels and Bobcat Studios are partnering to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the most popular — and disruptive — toy in the world, Hot Wheels. Our special follows the Hot Wheels team as they build a badass, full-sized, 50th anniversary original from the ground up. Springing off from the build, we’ll tell the history of Hot Wheels world record stunts –and their multi-generational influence on car culture and design.

The greatest prison break in history became America’s most notorious cold case. The escape from Alcatraz in 1962 forced the government into a merciless manhunt. Still, the three inmates were never found. This two-hour special follows the family of the escaped Anglin brothers as they search for answers to their family’s very public mystery, and also explores a groundbreaking new lead that could change the course of American history.

Active duty snipers from the military, law enforcement and America's elite federal agencies descend on Fort Benning, GA to compete in a series of deadly challenges based on real combat situations.

This 2-hour special gives viewers an inside look at the hunt for Pablo Escobar as told by the US DEA agents who hunted him and those that were there reporting. Viewers will hear personal accounts from several DEA agents, as well as journalists who were a part of the search and ultimate capture of Escobar. Along with never before seen footage and photographs of Escobar's life and capture, viewers will be taken along on the journey that was Pablo Escobar's life and his demise.

Nine hundred years ago, a Catholic Saint named Malachy was struck with a prophetic series of visions that predicted the identity of each future Pope. This ancient prophecy, buried within the Vatican for centuries, suggests that Pope Francis, the latest in the holy line which stretches back nearly 2000 years, may be destined to be the last Pope. It’s a warning of cataclysmic proportions, and one that experts believe is remarkably reinforced by some of the most famous writings and miraculous visions in all of Christianity, which may point to an imminent end to the papacy, a shattering of the Church as we know it, or worse, the apocalyptic end of days.

North Korea: Dark Secrets reveals the complicated history, extreme politics, and rigid societal standards that have created a legacy of internal oppression and external aggression. North Korea: Dark Secrets premieres next Tuesday at 8:30pm AEST on HISTORY.

Each World Trade Center tower consisted of 110 floors. Each floor has a story. In this two-hour special, survivors from two of those floors, many speaking publicly for the first time, tell their stories. Their experiences are harrowing, and recounted in astounding detail--from two men who volunteered to carry a stranger down 65 perilous flights of stairs, to the small group determined to get their pregnant coworker to safety, and to those who fought through flames and falling debris just one floor below the impact zone. Focusing on one floor in the North Tower and one floor in the South, this film will provide a never-before-achieved intimacy with what it was really like to be inside the Twin Towers on 9/11.

As families around the country prepare to gather with family, eat turkey and perhaps partake in some Black Friday shopping, they might be surprised to learn how much we don’t know about the origins of the Thanksgiving. What we do know is most of the adult colonists in attendance were men—and they were outnumbered by their Native American guests.

This half-hour special event follows our nation’s toughest first responders and their souped-up custom trucks, told from the perspective of these very heroes who put their courage, resourcefulness and vehicles to the test and the men and women they’ve saved.

A war hero, businessman, family man and the 41st President of the United States. Through archival footage, interviews, and speeches from George H.W. Bush, this special explores the lifetime of service and legacy of a great American President.