Smithsonian Channel

Catastrophes have destroyed civilisations in the past; from pandemics to climate collapse and asteroid crashes, ancient disasters reveal much about today's world.

President Harry Truman decides to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki; Emperor Hirohito surrenders, and Gen. Douglas MacArthur arrives to oversee the country's occupation; mortal enemies must now become partners in Japan's rebirth.

Mike joins the U.S. Marines' Heavy Haulers helicopter squadron and gets inside their battle to keep a fleet of souped-up Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion choppers flying as they prepare for intense war games in the desert and mountains.

Building an eco-friendly visitor centre in the permafrost on Colorado's Pikes Peak tests the team. A museum is constructed in a disused dry dock that's in danger of collapse.

Celebrating one of humanities biggest engineering achievements, the International Space Station, a meteor proof lab bigger than a football field, constructed by astronauts traveling 250 miles above us at 17,500 miles an hour.

Dig up an epic find in South Dakota that fuels suspicion and misfortune, then examine an Egyptian boy king's tomb plagued by an ancient curse. Study a haunted English painting and ponder a relic coveted by a king that may have doomed his reign.

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.

Celebrating one of humanities biggest engineering achievements, the International Space Station, a meteor proof lab bigger than a football field, constructed by astronauts traveling 250 miles above us at 17,500 miles an hour.

Dig up an epic find in South Dakota that fuels suspicion and misfortune, then examine an Egyptian boy king's tomb plagued by an ancient curse. Study a haunted English painting and ponder a relic coveted by a king that may have doomed his reign.

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.

The investigation of a missing basketball and a controversial Kentucky Derby trophy.

Celebrating one of humanities biggest engineering achievements, the International Space Station, a meteor proof lab bigger than a football field, constructed by astronauts traveling 250 miles above us at 17,500 miles an hour.

Dig up an epic find in South Dakota that fuels suspicion and misfortune, then examine an Egyptian boy king's tomb plagued by an ancient curse. Study a haunted English painting and ponder a relic coveted by a king that may have doomed his reign.

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.

A breathtaking journey down the German section of the beautiful Moselle river, famous for vineyards on its dramatically steep banks and remarkable meandering loops.

Dive into the historical and natural secrets of the deep; explore an uninhabited concrete island, ocean spirals off the Australian coast, underwater evidence of a violent past and tracks thousands of metres below the sea's surface.

The journey down the attraction-packed Niagara River is filled with adventure and beauty; navigating the fascinating history and engineering of this border river between Canada and the United States, arriving at the world-famous Niagara Falls.

Earth's closest neighbor, the moon, is the cosmic stepping stone to a future with the planets.

Paid programming.

Dive into the historical and natural secrets of the deep; explore an uninhabited concrete island, ocean spirals off the Australian coast, underwater evidence of a violent past and tracks thousands of metres below the sea's surface.

A breathtaking journey down the German section of the beautiful Moselle river, famous for vineyards on its dramatically steep banks and remarkable meandering loops.

A journey along the geological marvel that is the Bay of Fundy coastline.

Egyptian archaeologists discover a vast burial chamber filled with over a hundred coffins.

Arctic conditions continue to wreak havoc in British Columbia; Jeremy Birch is called upon to raise a concrete-hulled vessel.

As the family made Windsor their home, Philip grew restless; Elizabeth assigned him as ranger of Windsor Great Park, but that only led to more problems.

Egyptian archaeologists discover a vast burial chamber filled with over a hundred coffins.

A look at life in the Pacific before, during, and after the attack on Pearl Harbor, presented through home movies and combat footage.

Celebrating one of humanities biggest engineering achievements, the International Space Station, a meteor proof lab bigger than a football field, constructed by astronauts traveling 250 miles above us at 17,500 miles an hour.

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.

The crew faces the looming threat of icebergs and rough winds in a section of the ocean known as Iceberg Alley; their challenges are only made worse by their miserable living conditions, which provide little respite from the peril they face.

Get a birds-eye view of a mysterious, massive explosion in China and a quickly melting glacier on Earths iciest continent; investigate a strange orange haze enveloping the Big Apple, then float over a toxic, too-hot-to-handle lake in New Zealand.

The Dendera Temple is one of the best-preserved temples in all of Egypt; experts decipher its mystifying zodiac images and uncover the ceremonial events that took place at this sacred site, and stunning CGI rebuilds this grand complex in its prime.

The crew faces the looming threat of icebergs and rough winds in a section of the ocean known as Iceberg Alley; their challenges are only made worse by their miserable living conditions, which provide little respite from the peril they face.

Get a birds-eye view of a mysterious, massive explosion in China and a quickly melting glacier on Earths iciest continent; investigate a strange orange haze enveloping the Big Apple, then float over a toxic, too-hot-to-handle lake in New Zealand.

The Dendera Temple is one of the best-preserved temples in all of Egypt; experts decipher its mystifying zodiac images and uncover the ceremonial events that took place at this sacred site, and stunning CGI rebuilds this grand complex in its prime.

The search for a missing Olympic gold medal won by one of the greatest sports heroes in American history.

The crew faces the looming threat of icebergs and rough winds in a section of the ocean known as Iceberg Alley; their challenges are only made worse by their miserable living conditions, which provide little respite from the peril they face.

Get a birds-eye view of a mysterious, massive explosion in China and a quickly melting glacier on Earths iciest continent; investigate a strange orange haze enveloping the Big Apple, then float over a toxic, too-hot-to-handle lake in New Zealand.

The Dendera Temple is one of the best-preserved temples in all of Egypt; experts decipher its mystifying zodiac images and uncover the ceremonial events that took place at this sacred site, and stunning CGI rebuilds this grand complex in its prime.

New York's Hudson River stretches 315 miles through natural landscapes, from the Adirondack Mountains to the George Washington Bridge and Statue of Liberty.

Traipsing along ancient pathways criss-crossing Easter Island; finding gigantic designs carved into Asia's Eastern Steppe; ascending a tall pyramid rising from Antarctica's icy landscape.

A breathtaking journey down the German section of the beautiful Moselle river, famous for vineyards on its dramatically steep banks and remarkable meandering loops.

Take a bird's-eye-view of Cape Breton Island; soar above from the Canso Causeway to the Cape Breton Highlands, and see the Cabot Trail.

Traipsing along ancient pathways criss-crossing Easter Island; finding gigantic designs carved into Asia's Eastern Steppe; ascending a tall pyramid rising from Antarctica's icy landscape.

New York's Hudson River stretches 315 miles through natural landscapes, from the Adirondack Mountains to the George Washington Bridge and Statue of Liberty.

Take a bird's-eye-view of Cape Breton Island; soar above from the Canso Causeway to the Cape Breton Highlands, and see the Cabot Trail.

Archaeologists discover a mysterious 2600-year-old coffin with a remarkable secret.

Phil Risko's team at Northstar works fast to refloat a trawler that's been blown onto the shore of a national park in New Jersey; the team improvises to get it back to sea before it suffers further damage.

In 1972, the Queen celebrated her 25th wedding anniversary; she was photographed with the whole royal clan at Windsor, looking relaxed and happy; twenty years later, three of her four children were divorced and her beloved home had gone up in flames.

Archaeologists discover a mysterious 2600-year-old coffin with a remarkable secret.

Months after the Pearl Harbor attack, shock waves reverberate in every corner of the Pacific; Americans deploy to stem the enemy's advance; after culture clashes, Allied forces later bond over efforts to thwart Japan's move to control New Guinea.

Get a birds-eye view of a mysterious, massive explosion in China and a quickly melting glacier on Earths iciest continent; investigate a strange orange haze enveloping the Big Apple, then float over a toxic, too-hot-to-handle lake in New Zealand.

The Dendera Temple is one of the best-preserved temples in all of Egypt; experts decipher its mystifying zodiac images and uncover the ceremonial events that took place at this sacred site, and stunning CGI rebuilds this grand complex in its prime.

Revisit Colditz Castle, a Nazi fortress where breakouts featured human catapults and clever disguises; meet the pilots who staged the famed Great Escape from a Polish stalag; see how 32 POWs pulled off the Warburg Wire Job in just one minute.

The most-produced bomber in US history, used during World War II by every branch of the American military, as well as by the Royal Air Force.

Uncover the sinister ways that dictators convince their followers to worship them as heroes; watch how they weave mythical narratives around their abilities, selling themselves as saviors who should hold absolute power over the people.

Revisit Colditz Castle, a Nazi fortress where breakouts featured human catapults and clever disguises; meet the pilots who staged the famed Great Escape from a Polish stalag; see how 32 POWs pulled off the Warburg Wire Job in just one minute.

The most-produced bomber in US history, used during World War II by every branch of the American military, as well as by the Royal Air Force.

Uncover the sinister ways that dictators convince their followers to worship them as heroes; watch how they weave mythical narratives around their abilities, selling themselves as saviors who should hold absolute power over the people.

When a body is discovered in a bombed-out London church, investigators race to determine if it was caused by the Nazi Blitz or a local killer.

Revisit Colditz Castle, a Nazi fortress where breakouts featured human catapults and clever disguises; meet the pilots who staged the famed Great Escape from a Polish stalag; see how 32 POWs pulled off the Warburg Wire Job in just one minute.

The most-produced bomber in US history, used during World War II by every branch of the American military, as well as by the Royal Air Force.

Uncover the sinister ways that dictators convince their followers to worship them as heroes; watch how they weave mythical narratives around their abilities, selling themselves as saviors who should hold absolute power over the people.

A fleet of spacecraft orbits, and sometimes lands on the surface of, Mars.

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune all have exotic atmospheres, liquid interiors and rings.

A journey on Scotland's River Spey, traveling from its source in the Highlands, winding by boat through the mountains to where the river meets the North Sea.

Strange aquatic mammals populating a river in Columbia; a ship marooned in a sea of sand along Namibia's notorious Skeleton Coast; a Boeing 727 jetliner hidden in a pine forest; an unusual pattern is discovered in the Nevada desert.

A fleet of spacecraft orbits, and sometimes lands on the surface of, Mars.

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune all have exotic atmospheres, liquid interiors and rings.

A journey along the geological marvel that is the Bay of Fundy coastline.

Strange aquatic mammals populating a river in Columbia; a ship marooned in a sea of sand along Namibia's notorious Skeleton Coast; a Boeing 727 jetliner hidden in a pine forest; an unusual pattern is discovered in the Nevada desert.

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.

By the spring of 1945, the United States begins to take back the Philippines; on Borneo, the Australians invade Labuan; when the United States invades Okinawa, Japan makes a strong stand and launches the biggest kamikaze attacks of the war.

President Harry Truman decides to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki; Emperor Hirohito surrenders, and Gen. Douglas MacArthur arrives to oversee the country's occupation; mortal enemies must now become partners in Japan's rebirth.

A look at life in the Pacific before, during, and after the attack on Pearl Harbor, presented through home movies and combat footage.

Months after the Pearl Harbor attack, shock waves reverberate in every corner of the Pacific; Americans deploy to stem the enemy's advance; after culture clashes, Allied forces later bond over efforts to thwart Japan's move to control New Guinea.

Revisit Colditz Castle, a Nazi fortress where breakouts featured human catapults and clever disguises; meet the pilots who staged the famed Great Escape from a Polish stalag; see how 32 POWs pulled off the Warburg Wire Job in just one minute.

The most-produced bomber in US history, used during World War II by every branch of the American military, as well as by the Royal Air Force.

Tease out the common denominators that lead to tyranny; map the rise of some of the 20th century's dictators and discover how they seized power, exploited governing systems and gutted existing power structures to gain total control.

Cameras roll as Nazi Germany launches an all-out assault on the Soviet Union.

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.

[EPG Series] A look at how technological advances over the centuries have led to bigger and faster combat ships and transformed maritime warfare.

Cameras roll as Nazi Germany launches an all-out assault on the Soviet Union.

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.