Examining the past from a fresh perspective.
True stories behind America's most infamous bad guys.
The myths behind World War II are exposed; exploring the truths that are often forgotten about America's Civil War.
On this special edition of America: Facts vs. Fiction, we explore the myths surrounding our favorite vices, and learn the facts behind some of our favorite holidays.
The myths behind some of history's most defining moments are uncovered; revealing facts behind America's space explorations.
The war waged by America's greatest generation is obscured by myth. Few remember that an American admiral played a pivotal role in showing Japan how to attack Pearl Harbor or that the German army was not the mechanized wonder it's reputed to be.
Much of what we know about the old west is myth, not fact, drawn from movies and TV. Gunfights never started with a quick draw, cowboys weren't all white, and Native Americans feared enemies more menacing than settlers and soldiers.
Myths obscure the real facts about our favorite vices: smoking, drinking and gambling. Discover which nation had the first anti-smoking campaign, what those three X's on a jug of moonshine mean, or where our first slot machines appeared.
Myths taint our knowledge of the 4th of July, St. Patrick's Day, and our favorite mini-holiday, the weekend. We should celebrate Independence Day on July 2nd, St. Patrick wasn't Irish, and the idea of a fun weekend is a recent creation.
Myths and misconceptions surrounding four pivotal historic moments: the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962; the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C.E.; the Boston Tea Party in 1773 and the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.
Revealing the truth about America's infamous secret societies; the Freemasons have no evil agenda; the Mafia took root not in New York, but the South; Harvard's Skull and Bones does not control a sinister shadow government.
Al Capone was a philanthropist as well as a hood; Benedict Arnold was a hero as well as a traitor, Jesse James was no wild west Robin Hood; Billy the Kid's nickname was wrong.
The real facts of the nuclear age are clouded by myth. Manhattan played a major role in the Manhattan Project; there were closer calls to World War III than the Cuban Missile Crisis; America's nuclear security hinges on a football and a biscuit.
Myths distort the stories of two of America's most renowned rivalries. Before their fateful duel, Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr were law partners; and the conflict between the Hatfields and McCoys didn't end in the backwoods, but a courtroom.
Myths cloud the real facts of America's Civil War. The North's biggest city tried to secede; the Union didn't go to war to end slavery; most deaths weren't caused by battle wounds, and Grant and Lee didn't end the conflict; two other generals did.
America's medical history is infected with myths. George Washington's doctors may have inadvertently killed him; Abraham Lincoln used a toxic remedy that warped his mind; and heroin was once a best-selling cough suppressant.
Explore the myths behind extraterrestrial spacecraft and learn the truth of two pioneering flights.
The spotlight is on amusement parks and world's fairs to separate fiction from truth; explore the myths of two of our favorite holidays, Christmas and New Year's Eve.
Dwight Eisenhower uses an alias to hide a secret; Gen. Douglas MacArthur's actions in the Philippines during World War II remain a subject of controversy.
Walt Disney considers St. Louis as a location for his second theme park; world's fairs feature nudity.
Exploring the tall tales and truths surrounding New York City's Empire State Building and Grand Central Terminal.
Pocahontas allegedly saved the life of Englishman John Smith, but did not marry him; recalling the exploits of explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.
Aviator Charles Lindbergh was not the first person to fly across the Atlantic; astronaut John Glenn faces danger on the launchpad.
Investigating the myths surrounding the United States Bullion Depository in Fort Knox and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Black leaders dominated the secret network known as the Underground Railroad; the women's suffrage movement was more violent than most people remember.
The remains of the original White House are buried beneath what is now a baseball field in Virginia; thousands of people get the opportunity to jump over the top of the Washington Monument.
The RMS Titanic avoids an obstacle days before its fateful collision with an iceberg; a technical flaw distorts the radio broadcast of the Hindenburg's destruction.
Exploring myths and facts about San Francisco landmarks Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary and the Golden Gate Bridge.
Three New Yorkers help create the version of Santa Claus people best know today; the annual Times Square Ball drop is linked to a former system of standardizing time.
Little-known but true facts are revealed about the California Gold Rush and the Stock Market Crash of 1929.
The truth behind Davy Crockett's death at the Alamo in 1836; Army officer George Armstrong Custer faces a dilemma he cannot win at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876.
The truth about what pirates really did with their treasure; strange disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle are explained.
Surprising truths about Prohibition and infamous figures of the Roaring Twenties and 1930s, including gangster John Dillinger and outlaw duo Bonnie and Clyde.
The truth about America's greatest generals is obscured by myth. Learn that George Patton's nickname 'Blood and Guts' doesn't mean what you might think and that Ulysses S. Grant's reputation as a drunk and a butcher is undeserved.
Myths and misconceptions surround our most revered patriotic symbols. Learn how the Statue of Liberty was originally intended to stand in Egypt, how the American Flag wasn't designed by Betsy Ross, and that Mount Rushmore is actually uncompleted.
The truth about women during World War II goes way beyond Rosie in the Riveter. In this episode, our stories range from the woman who broke Japan's secret code to the Hollywood sex goddess who invented a remote-controlled torpedo.
Myths about Las Vegas; the first enterprise to contribute to Nevada's economy; the concrete of Hoover Dam.
Pioneering aviators; the myths about the Wright Brothers' airplane; the disappearance of Amelia Earhart.
Uncovering Great feats of engineering that are clouded by myth.
How Apollo 11 made it home because of a pen; Air Force One is a code name.
The Pilgrim Thanksgiving was about fasting; the only witchcraft in Salem was done by young girls.
The origins of Halloween; the truth behind Edgar Allan Poe.
Thomas Edison and the light bulb; Ben Franklin and electricity.
Franklin Roosevelt may not have had polio; Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy don't have much in common.
Christopher Columbus never stepped foot in North America; Hernan Cortes didn't defeat the Aztecs by himself.
A woman is the driving force behind completing the Brooklyn Bridge; Route 66 wasn't built from scratch.