Across the globe lie a number of little-known, breathtaking natural settings. Get acquainted with these areas of outstanding natural beauty, their native wildlife, and the unique historical forces that shape them.
In 90 A.D., ancient Rome played host to a sporting spectacle that attracted crowds three times the size of the Colosseum?s gladiator games: chariot racing. Every week, 150,000 fans packed the massive Circus Maximus, not just to cheer on the speed, fury, and danger of the races, but to witness the champion charioteer, Flavius Scorpus. Examine his improbable rise from young slave to arguably the most successful competitor in the sport?s history.
With their distinctive appearance, trademark bounce, and babies in pouches, kangaroos are Australia's most iconic marsupial. But kangaroo life isn't without its challenges: Predators like the dingo or goanna are always looking for dinner, and evading them is life's number one priority. Take a closer look at the up-and-down life of an Australian icon.
The stories of the men and women who made America's mission to the Moon possible are told through archival film, oral histories taken directly from the astronauts and Apollo artifacts, such as John Glenn's camera and Apollo 11's command module.
In the heart of Beijing lies the largest palace in the world, The Forbidden City. For five hundred years, it served as the home of the almighty Emperors of China along with their wives, concubines, and entourages of tens of thousands of eunuchs and civil servants. But the Forbidden City is more than an imperial residence; it is the center of the universe, a unique complex of structures revealing a hierarchy of power both imperial and divine.
Embark on a journey into the world's most unforgiving arctic zones, where land and ice are inseparably joined. Swim through the mammoth Mackenzie Delta, or explore the great tundra of Nunavik. These hostile regions yield little for the hardy wildlife and local Inuit tribes that wait patiently for an all-too-brief summer.
How did the world we call home come to be? Combining the latest scientific discoveries and theories with CGI, we journey through eons of fire and ice to detail how Earth evolved into a habitable planet and how humanity's success is putting us and our environment in peril.
The parched and barren landscape of the Arabian Peninsula offers a vivid backdrop for life in the harsh desert. Water is scarce and death due to the extreme heat is common, yet a natural world continues to flourish. Follow some of the desert's most iconic creatures and learn the unique ways in which they've adapted to the stark conditions around them.
The narrow coast that runs along the southern tip of Africa is home to an abundance of vibrant wildlife, thanks to the two ocean currents that wash up along its opposite shores. Explore the vast ecosystems that make it a haven for biodiversity.
Fifteen miles south of Cairo lies the site of a royal graveyard...and an ancient crime scene. When archaeologists discovered a 4,000-year-old burial chamber there, still sealed with a 10-ton capstone, they hoped to uncover a preserved body and perhaps even treasure. Instead, they found the tomb had been robbed. Now, experts must find out how the seemingly unopened chamber was disturbed and reveal the identity of the royal figure buried there.
The ocean floor is home to centuries' worth of sunken vessels integrated into marine habitats. Explore extraordinary wrecks around the world and learn how these artificial structures have become a part of the ecosystem--and in some cases, a vital tool in reversing the effects of human impact.
A deep dive into the underbelly of the Prohibition era, which was characterized as much by jazz, illegal booze and female liberation as it was by gangsters and brutality.
Meet five inventive, courageous, and hardworking entrepreneurs, who led the charge during one of the most exciting eras in economic history. Levi Strauss, Henry E. Steinway, William E. Boeing, John Jacob Astor and Henry J. Heinz changed the way the world eats, dresses, plays and travels. They each left Germany hoping to find a better life in America and they succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. Relive the tragedies and the triumphs that made them millions while leaving a major imprint on American culture.
Behind many million-dollar inventions are priceless stories of inspiration, controversy, triumph, and tragedy. Explore inventions large and small, lifesaving and life-taking, scary and playful, and meet the men and women who dedicated, and often risked, their lives to follow their vision and ultimately change the world.
Tasmanian devils are the bruisers of the animal kingdom: feisty, fearless, and always up for a fight. But despite being at the top of the food chain, these marsupials face extinction due to a deadly disease they pass on to one another through biting. Join conservationists as they step into the turf of this brawling ball of ferocity, in a bid to rescue them from themselves.