SEASON 4 - 2006

History Detectives aired 11 episodes in Season 4.

See the previews below to find out more about each story.

Or if you're looking for an older story, browse the Archive featuring details you won't have seen on TV and full transcripts of each story.

 

EPISODE 11 - September 4, 2006

Superman Sketch

Is this a WWII sketch from the early days of this comic icon?...More

Lost Musical Treasure

Does this pair of metal record “masters” represent surviving fragments of American musical history?....More

Rebel Whisky Flask

Is this glass whiskey flask a relic from the historic Whiskey Rebellion of 1794?....More

 

EPISODE 10 - August 28, 2006

Lou Gehrig Autograph

Could this baseball ticket dated 4th July 1939 have been signed by legendary star Loud Gehrig or was it an imposter?...More

Cleveland Electric Car

Was the replacement of the Cleveland electric streetcars a natural progression or could this conspiracy theory be correct?...More

Philadelphia Freedom Paper

What did this offical document mean for one Virginia slave?...More

 

EPISODE 9 - August 21, 2006

Grace Kelly Car

Is this the car driven by an actress turned princess, which would give it a place in cinematic history?...More

Harley-Davidson Motorcycle

Where did this 1914 Harley-Davidson ride into battle? Was it war-torn Europe or closer to home?...More

Civil War POW Photos

Were these pictures made in a Civil War prison with a home-made camera? ..More

 

EPISODE 8 - August 7, 2006

Black Star Line

A woman recently found two Black Star Line stock certificates, which had been purchased by her great grandfather in 1919. ...More

Doc Holliday's Watch

Four years ago, a pawn store clerk in Tulsa, Oklahoma, met a customer claiming to be a descendant of John Henry "Doc" Holliday....More

Calf Creek Arrow

An Oklahoma resident discovered an unusual bison skull while fossil hunting in a dry riverbed....More

 

EPISODE 7 - JUly 31, 2006

Survivor Camera

Did this antique camera save a Polish Jew during the Holocaust? ...More

Mystery Crystal Cross

A crystal cross is discovered at an archeological dig of an old Spanish mission and the chief of the Apalachee Tribe wants to know if it could have been made centuries ago by his own ancestors...More

Alcoholics Anonymous Letter

Is this letter from the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous proof of one man's contribution to this secretive society?...More

 

EPISODE 6 - JUly 24, 2006

Silent Film Reel

Is this silent film reel a lost piece of film history and will it ever screen again? ...More

Chinese Opium Scale

Is this a scale used by Chinese immigrants to measure opium during the 1800s? ...More

Goering Gun

Was this shotgun snatched from Hermann Goering's castle during the dying days of WWII? ...More

 

EPISODE 5 - JUly 17, 2006

U.S.S. Indianapolis

Could these souvenirs be remnants of one of Japan’s famous kamikaze attacks? ...More

Highlander Badge

Could an amateur treasure diver really have turned up a possible Revolutionary War artifact? ...More

Lindbergh Engine

Could a 24-year-old have built the engine for Lindbergh's plane single-handedly?...More

 

EPISODE 4 - JUly 10, 2006

Car Tape Deck

A man thinks he may have inherited the first commercially produced automobile tape player in the U.S...More

Calhoun Books

Do these books shed light on the thinking of one of the most powerful politicians in 19th-century America? ...More

Mouse Toy

Popular history has it that Mickey Mouse was born from a drawing sketched on a napkin by Walt Disney during a train ride from New York to Los Angeles in 1928...More

 

EPISODE 3 - JUly 3, 2006

Coca-Cola Trade Card

Could this 1886 card which advertises a strange-sounding beverage be a unique piece of early Coca-Cola advertising? ...More

Lawrence Billy Club

Could this billy club with the words “Lawrence Strike” and the date 12/1/1912 really have been used in the famous Bread and Roses labor strike?...More

Vicksburg Map

The Battle of Vicksburg was vital to the north’s command and ultimate success in the the Civil War. Could this map have been used during the seige?...More

EPISODE 2 - JUNE 26, 2006

Confederate Eyeglass

A contributor in Terre Haute, Indiana has a tiny brass eyeglass that, when peered through, reveals an image of Confederate president Jefferson Davis...More

Howard Hughes' Invention

A man in San Jose, California has a letter that he believes will prove his grandfather deserves credit for the Howard Hughes' drill bit invention. ...More

Wartime Baseball

A Seattle man has a baseball given to him by his father that is autographed by baseball icon Dizzy Dean. ...More

EPISODE 1 - JUNE 19, 2006

Chisholm Trail

In the small town of Donna, Texas, near the Mexican border, a historic marker declares that the famous trail ran through this area...More

Houdini Poster

A Chicago man replacing roof insulation in his home realized that the old material contained scores of old posters for a Harry Houdini magic show. ...More

McKinley Casket Flag

A Battle Ground, WA man has a flag which he claims once draped the casket of U.S. President William McKinley...More

Don’t forget you can watch a video preview of the new series, here. [Requires free Real Player]

Or you can view more video from Season 4.