Smithsonian Channel

A look at how the C-47 evolved from passenger plane to a transport aircraft and flying hospital in WWII and years later as a gunship in Vietnam.

Allies slug it out on the island of Peleliu in a campaign to pave the way for Gen. MacArthur's return to the Philippines; footage shows troops enduring the muddy muck in the Philippines; Japan unveils a devastating new tactic, the kamikaze.

An American submarine crew gets an order: to hunt Japanese ships that are conducting a secret VIP evacuation in the Philippines in June 1945; examining the stealthy, dangerous tactics they used that would set a US Navy record.

A drone team at the location of the Battle of the Bulge hunts for the long-lost encampment of an African American troop.

It is 1943, and the Allies launch a campaign to liberate Italy from the occupying Nazi forces; Military experts use the latest drone imaging technology to understand how the Nazis used the Italian landscape to their advantage.

Between 1940 and 1942, the Axis powers unleash over 3,000 bombing raids on Malta, an island key to controlling the southern coast of the Mediterranean; Conflict archeologists use cutting-edge drone technology to explore the defenses of Malta.

More than 75 years since the historic Allied invasion; Conflict archeologists uncover hidden evidence on and off the shores of Normandy, thanks to drone technology; One team examines the site of a British commando raid that liberated Port-en-Bessin.

Allied and Axis forces push science and engineering to the limits to gain the upper hand; Aerial drone footage and Lidar technology uncover evidence of military aviation innovations that played roles in key conflicts of the European campaign.

Studies are currently under way looking for evidence of dark energy in the movement of galaxies.

Paid programming.

German U-boats roam the seas in packs, threatening to starve Britain into submission during World War II.

Great Britain faces losing its battle for survival against German U-boats until a new source of intelligence turns the tide in 1941.

The German U-boat hunters become the hunted as advances in technology turn the tide in the Allies' favor.

German U-boats roam the seas in packs, threatening to starve Britain into submission during World War II.

Great Britain faces losing its battle for survival against German U-boats until a new source of intelligence turns the tide in 1941.

The German U-boat hunters become the hunted as advances in technology turn the tide in the Allies' favor.

An elite squad of Norwegians destroy a power plant in 1943 that the Nazis may have been using for nuclear weapons research.

The Germans begin a retreat on the eve of the polar winter; the Soviet Union begins a major offensive in the north; the Finns push the Germans towards their defensive line.

Track German tank commander Georg Gaertner, vanishes from a U.S. POW camp and eludes the FBI for 40 years; learn how two escaped Auschwitz prisoners help save countless lives and how Nazi officer Adolf Eichmann is finally brought to justice.

Blinded in one eye in the battle for Normandy, a defiant French-Canadian sniper sets out to liberate a Dutch city in the final days of the war.

A high-profile murder case in Brazil during the 1970s captures the world's attention and leads to a national scandal.

Track German tank commander Georg Gaertner, vanishes from a U.S. POW camp and eludes the FBI for 40 years; learn how two escaped Auschwitz prisoners help save countless lives and how Nazi officer Adolf Eichmann is finally brought to justice.

Blinded in one eye in the battle for Normandy, a defiant French-Canadian sniper sets out to liberate a Dutch city in the final days of the war.

A high-profile murder case in Brazil during the 1970s captures the world's attention and leads to a national scandal.

Blinded in one eye in the battle for Normandy, a defiant French-Canadian sniper sets out to liberate a Dutch city in the final days of the war.

Egyptologists examine ancient sites and relics to determine what brought the age of the pyramids to an end.

A high-profile murder case in Brazil during the 1970s captures the world's attention and leads to a national scandal.

Blinded in one eye in the battle for Normandy, a defiant French-Canadian sniper sets out to liberate a Dutch city in the final days of the war.

During the night, the Champlain Towers South condo in Surfside, Miami, collapsed, killing 98 people; revealing fatal mistakes that led to the disaster, including code violations, inadequate storm defenses, ignored warnings and a contaminant.

Modern history's worst disasters are revisited and analyzed to identify ten key errors that led to each one.

Iranian students invade the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, taking 66 Americans hostage and triggering a crisis that will last 444 days; 10 key mistakes the United States made, including an ignorance of anti-U.S. sentiment and multiple security errors.

In-depth analysis of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing reveals ten key failures and errors that took place during and after the terrorist attack.

On May 18, 1980, Washington state's Mount St. Helens erupts; revisiting the destructive volcanic event and revealing ten failures that escalated the catastrophe, including ignored warnings, inadequate safety zones and poor rescue planning.

Lunar and solar eclipses.

Paid programming.

For centuries, Mexico's historic center has been a land of legends and power. From Veracruz's shores to Mexico City's ancient layers, Puebla's epic battle and Michoacan's indigenous traditions, discover where empires rise and tr.

Discover shocking truths about religious rituals, sacred symbols, and spiritual traditions. Learn the brutal truth about execution rites in Roman England, look at shark bones in a Peruvian temple, and unearth a secret silver amulet in Germany.

Uncover how a royal imprisoned two princes and took the British throne. Ponder how the Irish crown jewels were stolen from a locked safe inside Dublin Castle, then see if the death of Amy Robsart at Elizabeth I's court was an accident or murder.

Exceptional texts are inscribed on the walls of an obscure pyramid; experts scan the the funerary chamber of Egypt's longest-reigning pharaoh to try to uncover its mysteries.

Delve into the history of the Fourth Dynasty monarch responsible for one of the great pyramids; examine the tyrannical reputation of this ancient leader and decipher the complex strategies he used to guide such a massive building project.

Egyptologists believe there was a perfect pyramid, hidden in the sands of Abu Rawash, which served as a tomb for the pharaoh Djedefre.

The discovery of an underground haven used by World War I soldiers.

Exploring the engineering and architectural masterpieces like The Copper in Manhattan to Gardens By the Bay in Singapore.

Mike Davidson embarks with the team to one of the most extreme, avalanche-prone ski mountains in the world: Snowbird; they battle to keep the steep and deep slopes safe with shovels, snowcats and even a WWII Howitzer.

Going under one of the world's largest lakes for a multi-million dollar tunnel boring project in one of the fastest growing cities on Earth.

Exploring the engineering and architectural masterpieces like The Copper in Manhattan to Gardens By the Bay in Singapore.

Mike Davidson embarks with the team to one of the most extreme, avalanche-prone ski mountains in the world: Snowbird; they battle to keep the steep and deep slopes safe with shovels, snowcats and even a WWII Howitzer.

Going under one of the world's largest lakes for a multi-million dollar tunnel boring project in one of the fastest growing cities on Earth.

Exploring the engineering and architectural masterpieces like The Copper in Manhattan to Gardens By the Bay in Singapore.

Mike Davidson embarks with the team to one of the most extreme, avalanche-prone ski mountains in the world: Snowbird; they battle to keep the steep and deep slopes safe with shovels, snowcats and even a WWII Howitzer.

Going under one of the world's largest lakes for a multi-million dollar tunnel boring project in one of the fastest growing cities on Earth.

Exploring the engineering and architectural masterpieces like The Copper in Manhattan to Gardens By the Bay in Singapore.

Bill Nighy leads a magical journey in the Norfolk Broads along England's holiday river, the River Bure; discovering a watery world where both wildlife and recreation go hand in hand.

The view from above reveals baffling behavior from one of the ocean's fastest fish; whales with a strange, aquatic accessorizing habit; a confounding congregation of sharks down under; a perplexing collection of circles decorating the seabed.

Salvor and treasure seeker Phil Risko sets out to retrieve valuable 80-year-old hardwood logs from the bottom of the sea; a multi-million dollar cruise vessel undergoes emergency repairs in Panama.

Bill Nighy leads a magical journey in the Norfolk Broads along England's holiday river, the River Bure; discovering a watery world where both wildlife and recreation go hand in hand.

An exploration of the astrophysics of stars creating matter.

John Norton leads Six Nations warriors against the invading Americans.

Salvor and treasure seeker Phil Risko sets out to retrieve valuable 80-year-old hardwood logs from the bottom of the sea; a multi-million dollar cruise vessel undergoes emergency repairs in Panama.

Over three millennia, more than 340 pharaohs succeeded one another to make Ancient Egypt one of the world's most captivating civilizations; thanks to the latest discoveries by specialists, a look at the story of Egypt's greatest pharaohs.

Part 2/6. Uncover the secrets of the Old Kingdom ruler who revolutionized architecture alongside his famous vizier, Imhotep. Piece together the mysterious life of the very first king to build a step pyramid in the heart of a grandiose and complex burial site.

Ramesses II reigns for 66 years and builds monuments and temples.

The Pyramid of Khufu is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World which can still be seen in its original state.

At the heart of Saqqara, the largest necropolis in Egypt is the Step Pyramid of Djoser, built around 2600 BC.

Meidum is the least-known of the pyramids of Egypt as it stretches skywards to resemble a castle keep.

Over three millennia, more than 340 pharaohs succeeded one another to make Ancient Egypt one of the world's most captivating civilizations; thanks to the latest discoveries by specialists, a look at the story of Egypt's greatest pharaohs.

Exploring the engineering and architectural masterpieces like The Copper in Manhattan to Gardens By the Bay in Singapore.

A mid-air engine shutdown forces maintenance teams to scramble. A helicopter pilot flies engineers onto live power lines. A rookie pilot flies his first solo anti-poaching patrol, and scientists fly to track down a pride of lion.

A major snowstorm disrupts Christmas travel in Anchorage; bush pilots aid an Arctic village after a fire; ice jeopardizes an airborne science mission; Customs agents combat a surge in illegal holiday food imports.

Southern Mexico stretches from Yucatan's crystal-clear cenotes to the fertile land of the Oaxaca Valley; Maya and Zapotec traditions live through gastronomy and art; history is ever present in ancient pyramids and architecture.

A mid-air engine shutdown forces maintenance teams to scramble. A helicopter pilot flies engineers onto live power lines. A rookie pilot flies his first solo anti-poaching patrol, and scientists fly to track down a pride of lion.

A major snowstorm disrupts Christmas travel in Anchorage; bush pilots aid an Arctic village after a fire; ice jeopardizes an airborne science mission; Customs agents combat a surge in illegal holiday food imports.