Smithsonian Channel Documentaries

In 1914, the world's first trans-Antarctic expedition came to a cold stop. Trapped in ice just 60 miles from their destination, explorer Ernest Shackleton and his crew found themselves in a dire situation that would play out as a two-year battle against starvation, sub-zero conditions, and the threat of being swallowed by the unforgiving Southern Ocean. Witness this incredible story of courage and survival, fueled by ship captain Frank Worsley's exceptional navigational skills, the crew's resiliency, and Shackleton's cool-headed leadership

National air and space museum and it's crew

Washington, D.C. in 1861. The Civil War is at the doorstep and the city is bracing for disaster. America is a country torn in two. An untested President Lincoln strives to make the nation's capital the political center of the Union, but finds he is surrounded by Southern sympathies and under constant threat of attack. See how this once sleepy small town grew into the metropolis we know today. A city cast in marble, a symbol of American liberty and a memorial to those who fought tooth and nail to preserve it.

On a string of Southern Indonesian islands, poisonous predators lurk, each with its own toxic cocktail suited to its hunting style. Some bite. Some sting. Some strike quickly, while others deliver their own slow brand of death. Venom expert Dr. Bryan Fry is on a mission to uncover these creatures' poisonous secrets. Join him on a journey fraught with danger as he risks it all to get up close and personal with vipers, stonefish, and more. The ultimate encounter is with the beast sitting on top of the island food chain, the Komodo dragon.

There's a killer stalking the caves of North America, from New York, to Vermont and into Canada. Seemingly overnight, a disease known as white-nose syndrome is wiping out bats by the millions. In a race against time, bat expert Dr. DeeAnn Reeder and wildlife biologist Greg Turner search for the cause of and a cure for this mysterious fungus. Scientific ingenuity and groundbreaking technology may be the only hope to crack the case before an entire species is driven to extinction.

A 23-pound, solid-gold cauldron was found at the bottom of a Bavarian lake in 2001. Thought to be a 2,000-year-old Celtic treasure, one expert valued it at 1.4 billion dollars...until it was proven to be a fake. Yet the origins of this forgery prove to be just as historically significant. Discover the astonishing secrets behind this recently found artifact. Our investigation uncovers a story of intrigue, shady deals, and a plot by Nazi leader Heinrich Himmler to create a sinister Camelot inside "The Nazi Temple of Doom," Germany's Wewelsburg Castle.

Every graveyard tells a story, but few can talk to the living like Arlington National Cemetery. Visit the final home of war heroes from the Revolutionary War to 9/11 to the current struggle in Iraq. The American flag flies at half-staff more often than not as more than twenty-seven burials take place daily. Each section of the cemetery reflects a time in history, and each stone signifies a hero.

Celebrate the remarkablepast of discovery space shuttle before it embarks on its last flight.

America's rich history of invention and innovation - often against the odds.

The most expensive and specialized airplane ever built, the B2 Stealth bomber carries a price tag of more than two billion dollars. Highly effective and extremely technically advanced, it has been an integral part of the Air Force arsenal for the past 20 years. From a Cold War scrap heap candidate, to the go-to bomber in the 2011 strike against Qaddafi's army in Libya, "Spirit" has seen its share of trials and triumphs. Join us as we detail how this secret weapon evolved to overcome critics, espionage, and even tragedy, to change the shape of aviation forever.

“Never, ever, publish them!” What was it Jackie Kennedy wanted to keep secret? Acclaimed director Patrick Jeudy has access to a series of conversations recorded a few months after her husband’s assassination in Dallas on November 22, 1963. The young widow was then 34, and she recounts the past like a novel about her dream life with her husband John Kennedy. They are conversations about history, and about her own story – including some very intimate secrets and controversial opinions. The Lady in Pink was continually driven by a dual purpose: that of molding her own image, whilst managing that of the president. She cannot change the past, so she may as well rewrite it and start to build the legend of JFK.

Across America, the morning of September 11, 2001 began routinely, with news and radio broadcasts sharing local human interest stories and traffic reports. But by 9 a.m., the day's narrative had taken a tragic turn. Most of us are familiar with the national news coverage of 9/11, but the local reporting from TV and radio affiliates across the nation was no less important and no less compelling. This is an account of the tragedy as it unfolded, and as it aired in American cities large and small, told without narration or interviews.

Since the eighth century, the Samurai have held a special place in Japanese history and culture. But over the years, legend has obscured the truth about how these elite knights actually lived, loved, fought, and died. Using rare 16th century war documents, we tell the story of a Samurai coming of age during that time. Witness his rise from peasant boy to foot soldier to ruthless warrior, all brought to life through stunning re-enactments and expert testimony from Japanese and martial arts historians.

Meet the Bionic Man: a talking, breathing, walking man, made of the best prosthetic body parts and robotic technology available

1934. Berlin. The Nazi party is on the rise, and so are violent acts against Jews. Anti-Semitism has become a state doctrine and racism has replaced education, profoundly affecting the most vulnerable members of the Jewish community: the children. But one woman dared to stand up to hatred and to Adolf Hitler's totalitarian regime. Witness the story of Leonore Goldschmidt, a fired teacher who found a loophole in Nazi law and opened the Goldschmidt School, a sanctuary for hundreds of Jewish youths, an oasis in the heart of hell.

Before Lee Harvey Oswald gunned down a president and stunned the world, another lone assassin had plans of his own to kill JFK. His weapon of choice was not a rifle, but a Buick 8, packed with dynamite and primed for detonation. Discover the story of Richard Pavlick as we go inside the mind of a madman. See what happens when we conduct a test to see if the car bomb would have worked, and the impact it might have had on history if President Kennedy had died three years before November 22, 1963

The doctor who tried to save him. The Secret Service agent who was seconds too late. The man wrongly accused of his murder. And the woman who unwittingly sheltered an assassin. The death of JFK has inspired thousands of books and debates over the last 50 years, but the stories of the people there on that day have gone largely untold...until now. Experience November 22, 1963 as it has never been presented before, in this minute-by-minute account of that day, narrated by Academy Award-winner Kevin Spacey, and brought to life through rarely seen footage and rarely heard testimonies.