History's Greatest Mysteries

will investigate a wide range of historically compelling topics and the mysteries surrounding each including the Titanic, D.B. Cooper, Roswell, John Wilkes Booth, and more. Each program within the franchise will showcase fresh, new evidence and perspectives including never-before-released documents to the general public, personal diaries and DNA evidence to unearth brand-new information about these infamous and enigmatic chapters in history.

In 1914, Sir Ernest Shackleton led an expedition to Antarctica but soon after arrival, Shackletons ship--The Endurance--was destroyed by shifting glaciers, and he was tasked with leading his 27 men across the tundra, on an epic struggle for survival. Shackletons battle against the odds and his unfailing commitment to bring all his men out alive turned him into a legend. The ships final resting ground remains one of the greatest polar mysteries. Led by maritime archeologist and shipwreck expert, Mensun Bound, follow a new ground-breaking expedition heading back into the frozen seas to hunt down Shackletons lost ship.

A cryptic journal sparks an unprecedented investigation into whether a UFO crashed at Roswell, NM in 1947. Major Jesse Marcel, the first government official on the scene, believed to his dying day that an extraterrestrial spaceship plummeted to earth and the U.S. government covered it up. Now, the Marcel family has come forward with a journal found among Marcels possessions. The journal may contain coded-clues to the truth behind Roswell. Former CIA operative Ben Smith embarks on a new investigation that includes a cryptographic analysis of the journal, a high tech geological study of the crash site, and interviews with witnesses who have never spoken publicly. What really crashed in Roswell? The US government claimed it was a weather balloon and then changed its story. Others spoke of alien bodies, and extreme government intimidation.

Investigator Ben Smith travels to Jesse Marcels hometown on Louisianas Gulf Coast to speak with family members who reveal information that supports Marcels story of a government coverup. Smith speaks with Leslie Kean, the investigative journalist who broke The New York Times story about a clandestine U.S. government program to investigate UFOs. Smith also digs deeper into the mystery of the journal as he studies writing samples to determine if the journal might have been written by one of Marcels fellow officers who later claimed he was ordered to oversee the militarys coverup. Back in Marcels hometown, Smith meets with a man who swears Marcel confided in him about alien bodies-- something Marcel had never mentioned to the press or family. As the results come back from soil, metal and forensic handwriting analysis, Smith shares his findings with the Marcel grandchildren.

An investigation into the unshakable claims of Roger Miklos, one of Americas most eccentric, controversial, and accomplished treasure hunters. Decades before his death in 2018, Roger believed he discovered a modified Nazi U-boat loaded with a fortune in artwork, antiquities, and gold off the coast of Turks and Caicos. Before he passed, Roger gave an exclusive interview that revealed clues about the possible position of the U-boat and left behind a trove of documents, maps, and photographs. Now, armed with this evidence, celebrated diver Mike Fletcher and his team will take to the high seas in search of the special U-boat.

Harry Houdini left behind a diary that had been kept from the public, held under lock and key by a wealthy New York City Family. Now, magician and Houdini expert Bill Kalush has finally secured access to these pages. A team of experts will begin to unveil the diary, using new information gleaned from these personal accounts to form new insights into this enigmatic mans life. But Houdinis humble rise to fame eventually turns into a dark web of mysteries shrouding the truth behind this legends end. From vindictive competitors to a man driven to failure by his own ambitions, the cause of Houdinis sudden death has remained unsolved, until now.

A powerful union activist disappears from a Detroit suburb; 45 years later, it remains one of the most notorious missing person cases of all time; the mystery of Jimmy Hoffas disappearance features more twists and turns than a Hollywood movie.

As the Cold War ramps up, a well-dressed man is found dead within miles of a nuclear testing site on a tranquil Australian beach. There are no clues to his identity, or what could have happened. Its a case thats obsessed an army of sleuths for over 70 years: Who is the Somerton Beach man, and how did he die?

Its a treasure coveted by everyone from Roman Emperors to Adolf Hitler--a sacred object said to hold incredible powers of healing, resurrection and immortality. It may be the worlds most sought-after relic, but what is the Holy Grail? And if it exists, can it ever be found?

It might be the worlds most mysterious book: a medieval manuscript filled with unidentifiable drawings, written in a secret language so complex that even the worlds best code breakers cant crack it. Its obsessed everyone from scholars to conspiracy theorists. What is the Voynich Manuscript? And who wrote it?

When the infant son of an aviation legend is snatched from his crib at home, it ignites a media firestorm; after a nationwide manhunt, the supposed culprit is brought to justice, but questions pop up on the investigation.

Despite centuries of sightings and searches, one of the most infamous deep-sea monsters remains unidentified. As evidence continues to mount, the mystery endures: does the Loch Ness Monster really exist? And if so, what could it be?

On November 22, 1963, President John F Kennedy is assassinated, shaking the nation to its core; while an initial suspect is captured, many believe theres more to the story; investigators and amateur sleuths alike have been searching for answers.

In 1997, thousands of people in Phoenix witnessed strange lights; this could be an UFO sighting.

In 1930, a New York Supreme Court justice with close ties to Tammany Hall, and future president Franklin Delano Roosevelt, steps out of a steakhouse and disappears. For decades, the politically charged case dominates mainstream media and remains unsolved nearly 100 years later. But could a deathbed confession finally tell us what really happened to the notorious Judge Joseph Crater?

An ancient mechanical device found on a 2,000-year-old shipwreck has become known as the worlds first computer. The machine is centuries more advanced than historians thought possible, but its origin and true purpose are shrouded in secrecy. Can modern technology finally unveil what the mysterious Antikythera Mechanism actually is?

During World War Two, the Nazis stole vast amounts of art, gold, silver and currency, and stashed it across Europe; while some of the plunder has been recovered, much more is still missing nearly 80 years later.

Its one of the most famous stories from the Bible; for thousands of years the tale of Noahs Ark is shared, but little is known about what happened to the ark.

Thousands of people swear theyve encountered the legendary North American creature Bigfoot, but Bigfoot has never been officially identified; as evidence continues to mount, and photos are scrutinized, the mystery endures.

It is a legendary ancient city, said to be overflowing with gold. For centuries, explorers put their lives on the line searching for it. As the endless quest to uncover this infamous city continues, will anyone ever find it?

Theyve been called the worlds greatest archaeological enigma. 2,000-year-old geoglyphs made in the Peruvian desert that span over 50 miles. The drawings are so massive, they can only be seen from the air. Can new research finally unravel their secrets? What is the true purpose of the incredible Nazca Lines?

In July 1996, one of the worst aviation disasters in American history leaves 230 people dead and countless questions unanswered; its a tragedy that changes the aviation industry forever.

During World War II, Japan plunders a fortune worth hundreds of billions of dollars from occupied countries, but to this day its whereabouts are unknown.

In a perfectly planned robbery, thieves steal half a billion dollars in masterpieces from the Gardner Museum in Boston; its been three decades since the brazen heist, and an exhaustive search has failed to recover the stolen goods.

Most people know it as the biblical birthplace of man -- the Garden of Eden; investigating if the Garden of Eden was just a story to explain human creation or if it was a real place.

The haunting image of the Shroud of Turin has captivated millions around the world; scientists and theologians are trying to figure out if the Shroud of Turin truly is an image of Jesus or something very different.

A perfectly masterminded plot leads to one of the most brazen prison breaks in American history. With only a handful of clues left behind, the search for the infamous Alcatraz escapees continues to this day. But is it really possible they survived -- and if so, where did they go?

With 500-year-old secrets hidden in skeletons and stone, Machu Picchu is one of the most puzzling archaeological sites on earth. Its among the ancient worlds most enduring riddles: Who built this astonishing complex, and why?

For decades, experts believed they knew what caused the Hindenburg disaster that leaking hydrogen and ignited, causing the airship to burst into flames. But there may be more to this story. Whatever triggered the explosion, it didnt just spell doom for the Hindenburg but for the entire rigid airship industry. What caused the Hindenburg Disaster?

The Titanics tragic story captures the imagination of the public and experts of all kinds, who--decades after the ships demise--still seek answers. Can new evidence reveal more about how--and why--the Titanic sank?

Five years after John F. Kennedy is killed by gunshot, his brother Robert meets the same fate. An assassins bullet again changes the course of history, and the latest clues in the case are riddled with inconsistencies. Who is really behind the killing of Robert Kennedy, and why?

Its one of Americas most mythic UFO incidents. A 200 yard swath of debris that landed near Roswell, New Mexico. Some believe it was an alien craft, others that it was a secret government experiment. The deeper researchers dig, the more perplexing the story gets. Its a mystery thats endured for nearly 80 years. So what really crashed in Roswell in 1947?

On February 14th 1929, one of the most shocking murders in mob history goes down in Chicago and becomes known as the Valentines Day Massacre. The 20s and 30s are full of gangland murders, but the Valentines Day Massacre is considered the most brutal and the toughest to solve. So who carried out the Valentines Day Massacre and why?

Pablo Escobar, the notorious narco trafficker who single handedly supplied most of Americas cocaine in the 1980s, had billions of dollars in cash and hid stacks of it all over the country. By the time he was gunned down in 1993, its believed he was worth over $50 billion in todays money. To some, he was a Robin Hood. To others, he was pure evil. Who killed Pablo Escobar and where did all his money go?

A surreal event outside a U.S. Air Force base near the Rendlesham Forest in England, becomes an international legend and one of historys strangest unidentified encounters. For more than 40 years, the question has endured... What was really out there in the Rendlesham Forest and what were the Rendlesham lights?

Its historys most famous lost city... Atlantis, the island kingdom thats baffled explorers for centuries. Some say Atlantis is a myth, while others insist it was a very real place wiped out thousands of years ago. Finding Atlantis would not only be the archaeological coup of this century, but perhaps for all time. Is Atlantis a a real place, and if so, where could it be?

The legendary ancient ruler who amassed a fortune estimated to be worth 120 trillion in todays dollars, Genghis Khan, hid his riches so well that to this day, no one has unearthed them. 800 years later, the fate of his treasure remains a mystery. Where are Genghis Khans buried riches?

This is the most mysterious of the Dead Sea Scrolls. An ancient treasure map, recorded on a rare Copper Scroll, could lead to billions of dollars of buried treasure in gold, in silver, in jewels, hidden away thousands of years ago from Roman invaders. The most mysterious of the Dead Sea Scrolls; The clues listed on the Copper Scroll could lead to this vast fortune. Where is the secret treasure of the Copper Scroll?