Episodes

Deep in the jungle of Guadalcanal in the South Pacific are the rusting remains of a World War II-era fighter plane. Research confirms that the plane is the doomed Wildcat flown by James "Pug" Southerland in WWII. Now, examine every dramatic moment of the legendary showdown between 30-year-old Southerland in his Wildcat, and Saburo Sakai, 25, in his Mitsubishi Zero.

Today, the ubiquitous Bible is largely taken for granted. But for the original English translators of the religious text, their work was a dangerous pursuit involving subversion, intrigue, imprisonment, and death.

In 79 AD, the people of Herculaneum, a seaside town in Italy's Bay of Naples, watched in horror as Mt. Vesuvius erupted, hurling a boiling, churning column of gas and ash 10 miles into the sky toward the neighboring city of Pompeii. It was only a matter of time before Vesuvius would unleash its fury on Herculaneum, killing its citizens in an even more spectacular and gruesome way.

In the back garden of a house in York, England, more than 45 decapitated, Roman-era skeletons are unearthed. Are these men savagely murdered pagan prisoners? Are they soldiers who were killed in battle or executed for crimes against Rome? Modern forensics, archeological sleuthing, and historical records point to a surprising answer.

A plea is smuggled to a New York reporter from within Western Australia's Fremantle Prison. This letter launched an American whaler that stood its ground against an armed British steamer for freedom and independence. The whaler was the Catalpa, its captain was George Anthony and its human cargo consisted of six Irish political prisoners, who had suffered at the Fremantle prison for a decade.