History Specials

It began like the common cold. Then fever, baseball-sized black swellings on the neck, coughing of blood. Few lived more than two days. The year--1347. It was history's worst biological disaster and almost half of Europe's population died within three years. Visit the plague ships' rat-infested holds, witness the terror that swept through the towns, and walk with the religious flagellants. Follow a princess as she travels into the center of the plague, a doctor who struggles to understand what is happening, and a Jewish merchant caught up in violent attacks. Hear the actual words of the victims, taken from diaries and journals. From the Pope's palace to the humble huts of medieval peasants, watch as people live and die in the unforgiving grip of fear and death, and wonder how we would act if such a terrible event happened today.

The Roman Empire, rotten to the core by the fifth century, lay open to barbarian warriors. Europe was beset by famine, plague, persecutions, and a state of war that was so persistent it was only rarely interrupted by peace. These centuries are remembered today as the Dark Ages. Beneath this cloak of darkness were people like Charlemagne, St. Benedict and the Empress Theodora who helped to bridge the gap of civilization between Rome and the Renaissance. Ultimately, these points of light would illuminate the darkness, and Western Europe would rise from the Dark Ages to a level of cultural and political power unseen for a thousand years.

Explore the tantalizing question of whether all the remnants of mankind will eventually disappear from our planet. What would happen to the earth if humans ceased to exist? Would ocean life flourish, the buffalo return to the Great Plains and our skyscrapers yield to the wear and tear of time. Visit the ghostly villages surrounding Chernobyl, which were abandoned by humans after the nuclear disaster in 1986 and then travel to the remote islands off the coast of Maine to search for traces of abandoned towns that have vanished from view in only a few decades. Learn from experts in the fields of engineering, botany, ecology, biology, geology, climatology and archeology as they provide answers for many thought provoking questions.

In 1099 the Crusaders took Jerusalem in the bloodiest of battles, wrenching it back from the Muslims for the first time in 400 years. But, over the decades that followed, the Islamic world dreamed of fighting back.

Throughout history, crucifixion has been one of the cruelest and most excruciating ways to die. Approximately 500 years before the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the Persian King Darius crucified political opponents and both Alexander the Great and Caligula used crucifixion as a means of punishment and entertainment. Watch as a team of forensic experts reconstruct a 2000-year-old body using the only physical evidence of a crucifixion ever discovered. Modern day footage will show real crucifixions that take place in the Philippines. Recreations will be used along with extensive CGI animation and CSI forensic-style graphics to illustrate the different types of crucifixion techniques throughout history and how it eventually kills its victim.

Explore the earliest history of our planet and how it evolved to support a rich and vibrant menagerie of creeping, crawling, walking creatures in How Life Began. Visually stunning animation supplemented with expert interviews from leading historians, geologists and physicists, plus expeditions to exotic locations combined with cutting-edge science, help tease out answers about life's origins. Was life triggered by some event (like lightning hitting a pond full of amino acids) or did it float from some distant galaxy on the back of a meteor? Can we create life in a laboratory? Journey back with HISTORY to a young Earth, with massive asteroids colliding into the planet. See single-celled organisms as they divide, mutate and evolve into other, more complex creatures. And go beyond life on Earth as today's leading scientists try to create new life.

From the Jungles of Congo to the mountains of Bolivia and streets of Havana...Che was everywhere. A righteous Robin Hood to some, a war-mongering menace to others, Che Guevara's quest to expand revolution across the globe would have armies dying to crush him, and thrust him into a life cloaked in danger, mystery and intrigue. Che's almost god-like power to inspire insurrection would also inspire CIA plots, espionage missions, and a host of covert military action. With ambitions to start a third world war, his life would finally come to an end inside a ramshackle schoolhouse in a remote village in Bolivia. The True Story of Che not only captures the making of a legend, but also sheds light on the turbulent relationship between Cuba and the United States for the past 40 years.

Viewers will go where only the most elite insiders from the highest levels of the US government are allowed--on board Air Force One. Discover what makes this uniquely modified Boeing 747 faster, more secure, more comfortable and more capable than any other comparable plane. Take a 20,000-mile voyage through the heart of Africa and join the crew and privileged passengers on one of Air Force One's most challenging missions.

Who were the real powers behind the men who would be President of the United States? Who were they that even presidents trembled before them? Mothers! This feature-length special, based on the book First Mothers: The Women Who Shaped the Presidents by Time Magazine correspondent and bureau chief Bonnie Angelo, takes a look at the lives of ten mothers of world leaders, including aristocrat Sara Delano Roosevelt, pacifist Ida Eisenhower, family matriarch Rose Kennedy, stoic Hannah Milhous Nixon, courageous Dorothy Ford, Peace Corps mother Lillian Carter, actress Nelle Reagan, champion athlete Dorothy Bush, hard-living Virginia Clinton, and Barbara Bush, the former First Lady and later First Mother. Interviews with presidents, historians, and scholars shed light on the influence that these women wielded then and now.

The Koran is one of the most important works ever written. For almost one billion people worldwide, it is the Holy Scripture, the word of God and his prophet. For others, it is a historical artifact that has left an indelible imprint on the world. Decoding the Past: Secrets of the Koran probes the heart of the work that many outside Islam find mysterious. This feature-length program examines the history of the verses and their implications for modern times, as well as the striking similarities and differences between the Koran and the Bible. Trace the influence of the Koran from the Golden Age of Islam to the modern rise of jihadism, and hear from top Islamic scholars and holy men as they share their insights into the work that lies at the foundation of one of the world's great religions.The History Channel provides the perfect guide to understanding the fundamental work that has shaped the Muslim faith for over 1,400 years, and will long continue to influence modern history.

A profile of one of the 20th century's most important minds and recognizable faces--his very name a synonym for genius. Born in Germany in 1879, Albert Einstein was a surprisingly poor student, and failed his first entrance exam to the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich. We look at the long road to recognition, his brilliant theories, including relativity, his Nobel Prize in Physics, and his lifelong work for and devotion to international peace and world government.

It's a year that many have prophesized will bring a catastrophic end to life as we know it. Whatever is in store a massive cosmic collision, a global environmental disaster, an Armageddon-like religious showdown, or a more subtle transformation many believe that 2012 will mark a major shift in the history of our planet. But what is there to substantiate such fears? A detailed, historical investigation of this chilling prophecy is the mission of Nostradamus 2012, an explosive new two-hour sequel that picks up where The Lost Book of Nostradamus left off. Is there any proof that an Earth-shattering astrological alignment will indeed happen? Is there any compelling evidence that 2012 will be a year of unprecedented, even deadly, upheaval? From the mystical realms of the Guatemalan jungles to the Hopi elders and Mayan shaman to the most respected thinkers of the modern age; from the symbology of the ancient pyramids in Mexico and Egypt to that of the gothic cathedrals and monuments of Europe, Nostradamus 2012 casts the doomsday warning in a frighteningly modern context. December 21, 2012 is bearing down on us with alarming speed. Whether or not we are able to collectively heed the warnings and affect a course to avert disaster may be the defining moment of the modern age.

Is it possible that intelligent life forms visited Earth thousands of years ago, bringing with them technology that drastically affected the course of history and man's own development? Presented in the 1968 bestselling book Chariots of the Gods, by Erich von Daniken, this theory of ancient aliens rocked people's beliefs in mankind's progress. Ancient cave drawings of strange creatures, remains of landing strips in Peru, the shocking similarity of Egyptian and Mayan pyramids, and Indian texts that describe the flying machines of the gods were just a few of the strange, archaeological artifacts cited by von Daniken as proof that ancient astronauts were well known to our ancestors. Produced with the exclusive cooperation of von Daniken himself, Ancient Aliens launches all-new expeditions to seek out and evaluate this evidence, with a concentration on the latest discoveries of the last 30 years, including strange DNA findings on man's evolution and newly decoded artifacts from Egypt to Syria to South America. It is a balanced investigation into a theory some believe cannot be true, but many agree cannot be ignored.

The course of history could have been so different if the first plot to kill Adolf Hitler, in 1939, had been successful. But Hitler proved a hard man to kill. We review the many attempts on his life, and analyze what went wrong.

The target of a daring assassination plot by members of his military, Hitler nearly died at Wolf's Lair, his main wartime headquarters. It was one of 15 known attempts on his life. This is the story of those diverse individuals who tried to alter history's course, and of a top secret British plot to kill the most hated man on earth.

They are groups with names like Skull and Bones, Bilderbergers, Trilateral Commission, and Council on Foreign Relations. Their memberships are highly selective. Their goals are often vague and in some cases not public information.

Is Pro Wrestling on the level or is it fake? And, if it's fake, was it ever really real to being with?

THE UNREAL STORY OF PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING traces the evolution of an American ritual from respectable sport to performance art. The two-hour A&E documentary examines the world's oldest sport from both a historical and sociological point of view. Featured are such wrestling legends and innovators as Strangler Lewis, Gorgeous George, Killer Kowalski, The Fabulous Moolah, Andre the Giant and Hulk Hogan. Interviewees include stars of yesterday and today.

Sun Tzu was the Nostradamus of warfare, and his book Art of War, written 2,400 years ago, is still the ultimate how-to book for winning. This two-hour special brings his words to life.

For nearly two centuries, the Knights Templar were the medieval world's most powerful order, a fearsome and unstoppable Crusader militia. Then came accusations of unspeakable crimes. Who were the Templars, really? How did they become so powerful, so fast, and why did they fall just as quickly? Evidence hints that the Templars excavated under Jerusalem's Temple of Solomon. What did they find there? Was it, as The Da Vinci Code suggests, the true identity of the Holy Grail--the bloodline of Christ? Or an unimaginable treasure, documented in the Dead Sea Scrolls, buried 1,000 years before Christ's birth? We explore the Templar's origin, how they lived, trained, fought and became a medieval world power, and the suspicious circumstances behind their sudden downfall. Plus, we reveal why these warriors, dead for seven centuries, and their treasure still populate Hollywood blockbusters. Narrated by Ed Herrmann and featuring preeminent Templar authors.

For nearly two centuries, the Knights Templar was the most powerful order in the medieval world. Despite the Knights' long reign of power, the order experienced a sudden collapse in the early fourteenth century when certain members stood accused of unspeakable crimes and were subsequently tortured and killed. Today, the group's legacy has been popularized in the writings of Dan Brown, and is played out in an array of Hollywood blockbusters and numerous other works of literature. This insightful program from HISTORY interviews some of the world's leading biblical scholars and visits historic sites throughout Europe and the Near East to probe the remarkable rise and rapid descent of this powerful and obscure order. Did the Knights Templar, as many believe, guard the Holy Grail? Or was the object of their attentions buried a thousand years before the birth of Christ?

Against a morning sky, a mushroom cloud spirals heavenward. A nuclear bomb has detonated in the heart of Washington D.C., incinerating 15,000 residents in just 15 seconds. More than 50% of the population living within a half-mile radius of the explosion is either dead or severely injured. The next 24 hours will determine whether the rest of the city lives or dies. To survive this horrific ordeal they will need a plan. And lucky for them there is one. But will it work? For the first time on television, the Department of Homeland Security reveals its most detailed plan to save America should terrorists go nuclear. Day After Disaster is a chilling two-hour special that delves into the complex and highly secretive world of disaster planning. We've seen what can go wrong when federal, state and local agencies fail to respond to disaster in an organized and timely manner. But what must go right when the unthinkable happens a 10-kiloton nuclear blast in the middle of an American city?

He was one of the most fabled antiheroes of the Old West, a complicated figure whose outlaw reputation captured the imagination of a nation. In central Kansas, a treasure hunt is underway that could call into question much of what we think we know of him. What happened to the gold Jesse James stole? Can any part of it be found? And if so, does it suggest that Jesse James was more than a bandit stealing for his own personal gain? Was he, in fact, a clandestine member of a powerful Confederate secret society determined to help the South rise again? Follow in Jesse James’ Hidden Treasure a team of amateur historians as they search for James’ secret treasure in an attempt to discover new truths about the American legend, including why he robbed, and when he died.

It is inevitable that disaster will someday strike America on an unprecedented level. What have past acts of destruction taught us about what will happen to mankind after the apocalypse? History's most dramatic events Hiroshima, 9/11, Hurricane Katrina and others are examined and analyzed with hard data gathered from their massive aftereffects in the new HISTORY special After Armageddon. The disappearance of water and food supplies, the effects of deteriorated sanitation and health care on the remaining population, and the increased use of violence as a means of survival all illustrate how societies have responded and survived. Can history prepare us for the next Armageddon?

Archaeologist Jim Turner was island-hopping somewhere near the Marshall or Solomon Islands when he discovered a giant monolith he claims the Mayans believed their Gods would descend to observe the end of the world. Hidden for centuries to all but a handful of people, Mayan symbols on the statue predict the site to be the best vantage point for observing the total solar eclipse they believe will signal the dreaded 2012 apocalypse. The shock is that the island is located in the South Pacific, a long way from home for the Mayans, who are thought to have been a non-seafaring people. How could the Mayans have navigated so far across the sea to this location, and how could they have known their destination? Travel with HISTORY to this hidden place, where Turner, who spent ten years preparing for this expedition, will attempt to prove the significance of the ancient statue through extensive analysis, including carbon dating techniques to pinpoint the era when the rock was carved and where it came from, and interviews with elders of the ancient tribe that has called this the island home for centuries.

More than 350 years after his death, Miyamoto Musashi is celebrated in Japan as a national hero. The ultimate warrior of the Samurai era, his innovative fighting style is still taught and used by martial artists today. In the two-hour special Samurai, HISTORY follows modern-day martial artist and actor Mark Dacascos as he journeys to Japan in search of the life and legacy of this enigmatic warrior. Musashi's inventive style of combat was so effective that even modern businessmen the warriors of the 21st century model their cutthroat culture on his philosophies of strategic warfare. Yet by the end of his violent life of killing, Musashi had become a celebrated artist, poet and philosopher. In his search for the samurai spirit, Dacascos visits iconic Japanese landmarks associated with Musashi's legendary battles, learns the secret ancient craft of forging a samurai sword, and rides in a simulated battle wearing genuine centuries-old samurai gear. He also meets and trains with modern-day masters of the great warrior's renowned two-sword fighting style, and travels to the place where Musashi spent his final, redemptive years of peaceful reflection as an artist and author.

Robin Hood is the inspiration for more movies, radio and TV programs than any other folk hero, but the man in tights and a feathered cap is a recent addition to the myth. The Real Robin Hood probes the fascinating story behind the marauding vigilante of English folklore. In reality, the character is a composite of actual historical figures whose exploits date back to the Crusades, a dark time of tremendous brutality. Coinciding with the 5/14/10 Universal release of the film Robin Hood starring Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett, director Ridley Scott will also produce this dynamic two-hour television special. The Real Robin Hood features highlights from the film, as well as interviews with Ridley Scott, Russell Crowe and renowned historians.

There are six places on Earth believed to be actual entrances into Hell. They include a volcano in Iceland, a cave in the jungles of Central America, and a lake of fire in Africa. According to ancient myth and Christian legend, each is a passage to a terrifying underworld for the damned. Even today, some believe they are still portals. Eerily, they share striking similarities. We'll visit these six locations, and along the way, reveal how the concept of Hell emerged in history and why it still evokes fear today.

Today's world has troubles unique to its time in history, from the global financial crisis to technological meltdowns to full-scale, computerized global war. HISTORY® profiles three men "modern prophets" from different disciplines and with different theories who all believe America is on the decline, and will ultimately meet its end.

Is something unknown out there? For centuries, reports of a large, hairy ape-like creature have been documented across the globe. HISTORY follows scientists as they gather data from thousands of sightings of this elusive creature stretching over hundreds of years. Using state-of-the-art technology, these experts map every recorded sighting of Bigfoot's presence on a one-of-a-kind, 4-D global map. Is this mysterious creature a natural phenomenon, a human anomaly, a legend or just a hoax? Watch Bigfoot: The Definitive Guide as we uncover the hidden truth behind the most infamous footprints on earth.

Civilization's final frontier may not be the furthest reaches of space, but the inner world underground. So far, the deepest humans have ventured is just a 500th of the way to the Earth's core. Through CGI, live action and archive, HISTORY will take viewers on a jaw-dropping descent nearly 5,000 miles to the center of the Earth. Along the way, we'll explore some awesome natural wonders, encounter bizarre ancient life forms, witness eye-popping triumphs of human engineer, savor the reality of humanity's greatest and strangest underground endeavors, and, at the core, find one of the keys to life itself.

Jamie Stachowski, the maestro of meat, lifts the lid on the American melting pot to see what's cooking. Beef, Pork and Chicken, the meats Jamie calls the "Usual Suspects" are definitely in the mix, but these animals weren't even on the continent before Columbus discovered the New World.

Who was the first U.S. President from New York? What pre-Revolutionary event involved an unauthorized boarding of the Dartmouth, the Eleanor, and the Beaver? This school year, thousands of students from across the U.S. faced tough questions like these in the first annual National History Bee Competition. The top scorers, one from each of 32 regions, qualified for a two-day National Championship held in Washington, D.C. on May 11-12, where one young scholar walked away with a $50,000 scholarship and a national championship title. HISTORY will air the final rounds of this first-ever, fast-paced competition, in which students will race to demonstrate their knowledge of history from a wide array of eras and disciplines. Al Roker will serve as the moderator during the competition, and the special will be hosted by HISTORY/H2's Brian Unger. Joining them as a roving reporter will be Rutledge Wood from Top Gear, along with expert commentator Bob Harris.

Known around the world for his vision and ability to turn raw metals into art, Jesse James still has one metalworking discipline he hasn't yet mastered. In the special Jesse James Blacksmith on HISTORY, Jesse travels to Israel to study under world-renowned blacksmith Uri Hofi to learn how to forge metal. Uri is Jesse's type of guy; over the years, he's had the courage to question tradition and convention and has developed new forging systems. Uri teaches his craft all over the world, including inside prisons, and is used to tough guys like Jesse. So when the two strong-willed artisans get together, it can be a clash of the craftsmen. But after absorbing some of Uri's very radical ideas, Jesse returns to his shop in Long Beach to apply what he's learned to build his most spectacular bike yet.

It is mystery 4.5 billion years in the making: how has our planet transformed, and why? New clues are being discovered not in volcanoes or canyons, but inside each of us. From a case of hiccups to the sensation of d j vu to how we throw a football, quirks of the human body and mind all trace back to enormous transformations on Earth, millions and even billions of years in the past. Inside us are the keys to asteroid impacts, global mass extinctions, and shifting continents...ultimately revealing the epic story of Earth's past--and our own.

Hurricane Sandy was one of the most devastating super storms to hit our shores, claiming over 160 lives and causing billions of dollars in damage. This special examines what happened when Sandy hit and how it happened. We also hunt for clues that could reveal if we are entering an age when bigger, more deadly storms will become a regular occurrence. Is it possible to tell when the next super storm will strike and ultimately will we be prepared?

This spectacular two-hour special delivers the tipping points of World War II as you ve never seen them before. The key editorial feature of the program is an all-seeing CGI eye; a satellite, flying above earth, bringing a new visual approach to the biggest conflict of all time. Flying through space and time from above, we ll see these monumental moments in their global context, bringing new information to the forefront and explaining how a nation ranked 19th in the world s militaries in 1939, emerged six years later as the planet s only atomic superpower. Our view from above means we can re-interpret WWII; placing key events in perspective, flying around the world to show the importance of simultaneity, revealing the hidden ripple effects of crucial incidents, and re-creating ground-breaking moments that could never have been captured on camera.

Brad Meltzer connects the dots between ancient doomsday prophecy, modern science, and human behavior to decode the real threats to humanity when an extinction event strikes. Across the country, "preppers" are building and stocking underground bunkers and drawing up escape plans in anticipation of the apocalypse, but will they survive 2012?

As we look at the world around us, we think we're seeing things as they really are. But in fact, our human senses can only perceive less than 1% of what's actually there. The rest is invisible. Every day, unseen rays and waves bombard us. All around us there's an infinite, invisible ecosystem of wondrous and sometimes terrifying microorganisms struggling to survive. With the naked eye we can't see the things that are too fast or too slow, too big or too small...until now. In this fascinating documentary, we count down the 40 most amazing things you can't see with the human eye. We use the latest in cutting edge technology, and state of the art CGI animation to reveal the astonishing reality of the invisible world around us.

Why are salaries so taboo in America? We'll finally find out--and get people to spill what's in their paychecks. Along the way, we'll meet a small business owner who turned his leather football-making hobby into a growing small business, factory workers with a long history of manufacturing combat knives for the Marines, and the expert beer brewers at Samuel Adams. And we'll learn incredible facts about American salaries past and present, including what George Washington earned as President.

Get ready to go on the job with the people who make iconic Stetson cowboy hats, woodworkers who create baseball bats from scratch for Major League Baseball, and a man whose high-stakes job is to keep a nuclear facility in Connecticut safe from terrorist attacks. And we'll stop people on the street to see if they'll answer the taboo question: "How much do you earn?"

This countdown special reveals the weapons, inventions and vehicles that shaped and decided World War II. Counting down from 10 to 1, we ll provide an expert-led analysis of key game changers, from every theatre of the war. Designed to include surprising information and packed with visually stunning CGI, these instruments of WWII will come to life like never before.

Electromagnetic explosions, devastating climate change, mysterious diseases…But perhaps the natural disasters carving a deadly path across the globe are not the biggest threat to life as we know it. On Target Earth, a 2-hour special on H2™, scientists, government officials and other experts examine earth's infrastructures and life-support systems to theorize how humans would fare in an alien attack. See what they think would happen if extraterrestrial invaders targeted the earth's natural resources, telecommunications, food and water supplies, weapons and even the human body to seize control of our planet – and us. Would we have the weapons to fight back? Or would we be forced to surrender?

Car collectors from around the world are flocking to a small town in the heart of the Midwest for the chance of a lifetime. In a closed down family car dealership in Nebraska, the mother lode of classic cars--many having less than 10 miles on the odometer--are going up on the auction block. In this special presentation HISTORY will have exclusive access to the collection and the auction. The special will be hosted by Brian Unger and feature Top Gear's Rutledge Wood and Tanner Foust.

What does Thomas Jefferson have to do with your lights? How is Henry Ford connected to your grill? What does your pool have to do with taxidermy? From settling the American West to landing on Mars, every one of mankind's greatest achievements is hidden in your house; you just need to know how and where to look. Now, Kevin O'Connor, the host of PBS's This Old House, is on an H2 mission to deconstruct the American home and reveal the History hidden inside. You'll never look at your house the same way again.

At the time of this writing, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, transporting 227 passengers and 12 crew members from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, has been missing for months. An unprecedented international search was unable to locate any bodies or debris. Authorities remain baffled, and the world remains transfixed. However, this is not the first story of its kind to shake the global community. According to the Aviation Society Network, more than 80 aircrafts have been declared "missing" since 1948--"Ghost Planes" that have literally vanished without a trace. This special utilizes interviews with experts and the families of passengers, CGI, re-enactments and archival news footage to walk viewers through the various theories surrounding the fate of missing Malaysian Flight 370, while discussing the disappearance in its historical context--as one of many "Ghost Plane" cases that have perplexed people since the beginning of aviation.

A scientist searches for answers to his son's mysterious death in the Algerian desert, and discovers a vortex of unexplained activity similar to the Bermuda Triangle. His investigation uncovers eleven other "Vile Vortices" around the world, where some of the planet's most unusual and disturbing events are taking place. Bizarre animal attacks, unexplained weather patterns, and passenger jets disappearing right out of the sky might only be the beginning of a greater, looming threat. Could these vortices have been created by extra-terrestrials? Is the government hiding their existence? And can anything be done to neutralize them? This is the exclusive documentary that follows the expedition as they race to unlock the secrets at all costs.

Craig Beals, High School Science teacher and Montana's 2015 Teacher of the Year is on a lifelong mission to explore and reveal the planet's most surprising secrets. Beal believes the world is the ultimate classroom and the best way to uncover its secrets is by doing off-the-wall experiments.

How did a French prophet living in 16th century France predict so many modern day disasters? From the tragic events of 9/11, to recent tsunamis in the Pacific, to the Ebola outbreak in 2014--how could one man see so far into the future so accurately? It's because he had a secret--and now, we know what it was.

50 YEARS OF STAR TREK celebrates the phenomenon that is the Star Trek franchise from its origins as a primetime television series to the worldwide blockbuster it’s become.

Tells the extraordinary stories of three people who infiltrated white hate groups in an effort to bring them down from the inside. But these individuals unknowingly become part of fighting something far larger: the tight network of American white supremacy groups that is growing bolder and stronger every day.

Stonework experts Jim and Bill Vieira continue their hunt for the Lost Colony of Roanoke by analyzing the inscription on the mysterious Dare Stone against the 400-year-old historical record. By lining up passages on the stone with clues left behind by Captain John Smith of Jamestown, the Vieiras set out on a search for evidence that could reveal the location of the Lost Colony, and change American history.

What is life really like in the American mafia? How do you get in, get made and make money? What happens when you get in too deep? This two-hour special takes viewers on a step-by-step journey through the world's most famous criminal organization as lived by one of its most notorious members. It will answer all these questions and more by turning to the ultimate authority: former Colombo family captain Michael Franzese.