History

As every day of Donald Trump's presidential campaign seemingly generates new headlines, this two-hour special examines the increasingly polarizing candidate's past. Included is rarely seen footage from Trump's interviews with Phil Donahue and his comments about politics from the floor of the 1988 Republican convention. Additionally, celebrities, politicians, and people described as "close to The Donald" weigh in, including former US Senator Al D'Amato (R-N.Y.), former Atlantic City mayor Jim Whelen, boxer Mike Tyson, and notorious "Apprentice" contestant Omarosa.

Traces the long and ferocious rivalry between Coke and Pepsi, centered on the “New Coke” debacle of 1985. For almost a hundred years, Coke had been the undisputed leader in the multibillion dollar global soda industry–stodgy, predictable, but indisputably top dog–while Pepsi had been the upstart No. 2, forever poking at its big brother with cutting edge advertising. But in 1985, in a stranger-than-fiction twist, Coca-Cola’s executives took a step so daring that no one in either company could believe it: they changed the formula of the most popular beverage on the planet.

THE GODFATHER LEGACY goes deep inside Francis Ford Coppola's epic saga about the Corleone crime family and reveals how the Academy Award-winning film and its sequels became one of the most acclaimed franchises in Hollywood history. Featuring iconic scenes from all three films, never before seen home movies and insightful interviews with filmmakers (Francis Ford Coppola, All Ruddy and Peter Bart), actors (Al Pacino, James Caan, Talia Shire, Joe Mantegna, et al.), law enforcement officials and even former Mafia members. This feature length documentary illustrates why The Godfather trilogy continues to entertain and fascinate audiences and how it continues to impact the way society views everything from capitalism to crime.

In this special documentary that inspired a two-season television series, scientists and other experts speculate about what the Earth, animal life, and plant life might be like if, suddenly, humanity no longer existed, as well as the effect humanity's disappearance might have on the artificial aspects of civilization.

Follows the 1936 Berlin Olympics when Black athlete Jesse Owens won 4 golds against the backdrop of Hitler's racist Nazi regime in Germany.

Follows the incredible stories of three 8th Air Force airmen and Stars & Stripes reporter Andy Rooney during the bloody year leading up to D-Day against the most powerful air force in the world, the German Luftwaffe.

On July 14, 1789, a mob of angry Parisians stormed the Bastille and seized the King's military stores. A decade of idealism, war, murder, and carnage followed, bringing about the end of feudalism and the rise of equality and a new world order. The French Revolution is a definitive feature-length documentary that encapsulates this heady (and often headless) period in Western civilization. With dramatic reenactments, illustrations, and paintings from the era, plus revealing accounts from journals and expert commentary from historians, The French Revolution vividly unfurls in a maelstrom of violence, discontent, and fundamental change. King Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, Maximilien Robespierre, and Napoleon Bonaparte lead a cast of thousands in this essential program from THE HISTORY CHANNEL®. Narrated by Edward Herrmann (The Aviator, Gilmore Girls), The French Revolution explores the legacy that--now more than ever--stands as both a warning and a guidepost to a new millennium

This fascinating documentary unfolds in reverse telling the story of Mandela from the old man to the rural child. With contributions from storytellers from every corner of the globe, we gain a unique insight into why Mandela was so loved and revered. Mandela's unique way of handling the challenges of life range from his relationship with the British Royals and the attempted suicide of a South African rugby hero, to epic political strategies that clinched a World Cup, and single-handedly averted civil war. Beyond the media hype was the political genius who could manipulate the press, inspire awe in celebrities, politicians and superstars alike and managed to shape a country from inside a prison cell. For the first time, his genius as a political strategist is laid bare and we discover the seminal moments that transformed a man into a hero.

Emmy Awards nominee for "Outstanding Individual Achievement in a Craft: Research: Multi-faceted portrait of the man who succeeded Lenin as the head of the Soviet Union. With a captivating blend of period documents, newly-released information, newsreel and archival footage and interviews with experts, the program examines his rise to power, deconstructs the cult of personality that helped him maintain an iron grip over his vast empire, and analyzes the policies he introduced, including the deadly expansion of the notorious gulags where he banished so many of his countrymen to certain death.

The story of 9/11 from a unique vantage point: inside Air Force One on its nine-hour journey from Florida, across the country, and finally home to Washington D.C. Featuring interviews with President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Chief of Staff Andy Card, the pilot of Air Force One, Secret Service agents, as well as intelligence and military aides on board.

This captivating documentary from the History Channel recounts the development of iconic physicist Albert Einstein's provocative theory of general relativity. Some 200 years after the introduction of Isaac Newton's law of universal gravitation, Einstein rocked the science community with his theory, which suggests that gravity is a warping of space-time caused by the presence of matter.

Did you know that 1% of the white noise you see on old televisions is background radiation from The Big Bang? That the gold on a wedding ring comes from a star that exploded 5 billion years ago? And, that we're connected to the salt water of the first oceans through the water in our bodies? Our human story is actually 14 billion years old and the clues are all around us. This CGI-driven special will tell the history of our world in two hours, an ambitious story that will give surprising connections to our daily lives. From the formation of the earth and the emergence of life, to the advance of man and the growth of civilization, it’s a rapid-fire view of our unforgettable story.

Detailed and fascinating documentary telling the history of the famous German battleship of World War II. The urgent British hunt and the German ship's efforts to escape are described through vintage film and recollections of both British and German veterans of the battles.

"Explores the 400-year era of the transatlantic slave trade, when millions of Africans were kidnapped and shipped to the Americas. Features interviews with scholars, oral histories and a dramatic recreation of the Middle Passage" (The History Channel).

MIRACLE RISING: SOUTH AFRICA is the epic legacy of South Africa's political transformation that culminated in the first free and fair elections in April 1994. Recounted through the personal accounts of key figures, both local and international, the documentary examines how South Africa avoided a civil war and moved towards, as Archbishop Desmond Tutu coined the phrase, "a rainbow nation." From the evil legacy of apartheid to the triumphant first democratic elections, Miracle Rising: South Africa moves beyond mere chronology and delves into the hearts and minds of the leaders and people of South Africa, culminating in the thrilling behind-the-scenes events of the elections that resulted in the joyful inauguration of President Nelson Mandela. Told through simple, intimate portraits of key players, it weaves a grand story of a nation into an intimate history of men and women determined to change the country for the best of all who live there.

To commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day, this special presents the key events of the Allied invasion of Nazi-held Europe and the subsequent battles that captured the control of the Normandy coast. Some of the last surviving veterans recall in detail the terror, patriotism and drama from the frontlines of war. This special also honors the diverse backgrounds of all who served.

An examination of the Battle of Gettysberg on both the personal and strategic level.

Bettany Hughes goes in search of this lost civilisation, revealing the story of a city founded out of the desert by Alexander the Great in 331 BC to become the world's first global centre of culture. The documentary also looks at the role of astronomer and philosopher Hypatia, and incorporates stunning footage from the feature film 'Agora'.

WWII from Space delivers World War II in a way you've never experienced it before. This HISTORY special uses an all-seeing CGI eye that offers a satellite view of the conflict, allowing you to experience it in a way that puts key events and tipping points in a global perspective. By re-creating groundbreaking moments that could never have been captured on camera, and by illustrating the importance of simultaneity and the hidden effects of crucial incidents, HISTORY presents the war's monumental moments in a never-before-seen context. And with new information brought to the forefront, you'll better understand how a nation ranked 19th in the world's militaries in 1939 emerged six years later as the planet's only atomic superpower.

The true story of the undersized Depression-era racehorse whose victories lifted not only the spirits of the team behind it but also those of their nation. Narrated by William H. Macy, featuring interviews and archive footage in both color and black & white of Tobey Maguire, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jesse Owens, Jeff Bridges, Gary Stevens, Chris McCarron, Emily Kilby, Farrell Jones, Tom Smith, Buck Brannaman, Noble Threewitt, and Chris Howard.