Smithsonian Channel

Examining some of maritime history's most effective lightning strikes; how the French frigate Nivôse set a trap to lure Somali pirates; how the HMS Illustrious captured a well-defended Mediterranean harbor in WWII; a surprise attack on Tokyo in 1942.

Dictators are characterized as charismatic, narcissistic and sadistic, but most of all by their thirst for power; once in power, holding on to it requires negotiation, coercion and force.

Traveling to New York, Denver and Nice, France to visit Little Island, the Denver Museum of Art and La Tête Carrée; the secrets to how they were built are revealed.

Takes an unprecedented look inside the secret chambers of the Great Pyramid of Giza, the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still standing, and see what they reveal about the pyramid's origins.

Part 2/6. Uncover the secrets of the Old Kingdom ruler who revolutionized architecture alongside his 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.

Traveling to New York, Denver and Nice, France to visit Little Island, the Denver Museum of Art and La Tête Carrée; the secrets to how they were built are revealed.

Takes an unprecedented look inside the secret chambers of the Great Pyramid of Giza, the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still standing, and see what they reveal about the pyramid's origins.

Part 2/6. Uncover the secrets of the Old Kingdom ruler who revolutionized architecture alongside his 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.

Traveling to New York, Denver and Nice, France to visit Little Island, the Denver Museum of Art and La Tête Carrée; the secrets to how they were built are revealed.

Dig into a groundbreaking medieval silver mine revealed by a German sinkhole.

Dive beneath the Bay of Naples to explore Baiae, a submerged playground of the Roman elite; see high-resolution sonar expose sunken imperial villas and ornate baths, revealing a city of scandal and luxury that was engulfed by volcanic fury.

Investigate an abandoned village in the shifting sands on Dubai's outskirts and a collection of inexplicable stone circles in Colombia; a mysterious hilltop tower in Iran and a puzzling purple phenomenon in Chile's Atacama Desert.

Tackling the grade 6 rapids and untamed waters of the Buller River on the west coast of New Zealand's South Island, blessed by a Māori elder of the Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō.

Come across a set of disturbingly familiar stone monoliths in Colombia, then explore a lost city in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta; puzzle over an ancient ruin in Corinth, Greece, and explore an old structure on a Maltese island.

Veteran salvor Paul Hay and his team rescue a clam-dredging crew's harvest lost in a storm off the New Jersey coast; following an annual cleanup operation in New Zealand that salvages fishing equipment gone astray.

Venus offers a complex story with its thick atmosphere and a substantial amount of matter.

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Come across a set of disturbingly familiar stone monoliths in Colombia, then explore a lost city in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta; puzzle over an ancient ruin in Corinth, Greece, and explore an old structure on a Maltese island.

Veteran salvor Paul Hay and his team rescue a clam-dredging crew's harvest lost in a storm off the New Jersey coast; following an annual cleanup operation in New Zealand that salvages fishing equipment gone astray.

Follow the meteoric rise of the Macedonian conqueror who seized Egypt and built an empire that stretched from Europe to Asia; find out how founding the city of Alexandria and becoming a pharaoh transformed Alexander's life before his death at age 32.

Part 2/6. Uncover the secrets of the Old Kingdom ruler who revolutionized architecture alongside his 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.

Traveling to New York, Denver and Nice, France to visit Little Island, the Denver Museum of Art and La Tête Carrée; the secrets to how they were built are revealed.

Takes an unprecedented look inside the secret chambers of the Great Pyramid of Giza, the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still standing, and see what they reveal about the pyramid's origins.

Part 2/6. Uncover the secrets of the Old Kingdom ruler who revolutionized architecture alongside his 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.

Traveling to New York, Denver and Nice, France to visit Little Island, the Denver Museum of Art and La Tête Carrée; the secrets to how they were built are revealed.

Takes an unprecedented look inside the secret chambers of the Great Pyramid of Giza, the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still standing, and see what they reveal about the pyramid's origins.

Part 2/6. Uncover the secrets of the Old Kingdom ruler who revolutionized architecture alongside his 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.

Dig into a groundbreaking medieval silver mine revealed by a German sinkhole.

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.

Dig into a groundbreaking medieval silver mine revealed by a German sinkhole.

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.

Dig into a groundbreaking medieval silver mine revealed by a German sinkhole.

Follow the meteoric rise of the Macedonian conqueror who seized Egypt and built an empire that stretched from Europe to Asia; find out how founding the city of Alexandria and becoming a pharaoh transformed Alexander's life before his death at age 32.

Part 2/6. Uncover the secrets of the Old Kingdom ruler who revolutionized architecture alongside his 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.

Come across a set of disturbingly familiar stone monoliths in Colombia, then explore a lost city in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta; puzzle over an ancient ruin in Corinth, Greece, and explore an old structure on a Maltese island.

The St. Lawrence River is one that forged North America, allowing ships to traverse the continent; the adventure begins in Canada's first capital city of Kingston and near Canada's second-largest city of Montreal.

Unlock an abandoned site on a remote Antarctic isle and check out mysterious shapes in the Finnish snow. Puzzle over an inexplicable monolith in the far reaches of Norway, then get shocked by a blood-red frozen waterfall at the bottom of the world.

Capt. John Ward and his crew are called to raise a sunken houseboat near Pensacola, Fla.; the owner of the boat wants it back, but the current occupiers of the boat living in it don't want John's services; there've been reports of gunfire too.

The St. Lawrence River is one that forged North America, allowing ships to traverse the continent; the adventure begins in Canada's first capital city of Kingston and near Canada's second-largest city of Montreal.

Unlock an abandoned site on a remote Antarctic isle and check out mysterious shapes in the Finnish snow. Puzzle over an inexplicable monolith in the far reaches of Norway, then get shocked by a blood-red frozen waterfall at the bottom of the world.

Capt. John Ward and his crew are called to raise a sunken houseboat near Pensacola, Fla.; the owner of the boat wants it back, but the current occupiers of the boat living in it don't want John's services; there've been reports of gunfire too.

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

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.

Dig into a groundbreaking medieval silver mine revealed by a German sinkhole.

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.

Dig into a groundbreaking medieval silver mine revealed by a German sinkhole.

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.

How Hitler's heavy narcotic use played a role in his murderous regime, as well as fueled an already delusional character.

The Vietnam-era OV-10 Bronco is pulled out of retirement to join the fight against ISIS.

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.

How Hitler's heavy narcotic use played a role in his murderous regime, as well as fueled an already delusional character.

The Vietnam-era OV-10 Bronco is pulled out of retirement to join the fight against ISIS.