Every decade has its share of important events. But in this completely engrossing series we bring you only the best, the most far-reaching, the most worldly, and the most consequential. You will see a unique clarity of history through the "most privy" in insider accounts and expert witnesses. Events include: Adolf Eichmann, The Berlin Wall, The Cuban Missile Crisis, The Assassination Of U.S. President Kennedy, The "Loudmouth": Cassius Clay, A Royal...

The historic town of Mostar, spanning a deep valley of the Neretva River, developed in the 15th and 16th centuries as an Ottoman frontier town and during the Austro-Hungarian period in the 19th and 20th centuries. Mostar has long been known for its old Turkish houses and Old Bridge, Stari Most, after which it is named. In the 1990 conflict, however, most of the historic town and the Old Bridge, designed by the renowned architect Sinan, were destroyed....

Alex is digging for buried treasure, when Timeblazers Jen and Sam tell him that his pirate's map is a fake. To help him better understand fact from fiction, they head back to ancient Greece and Plato, who made up the story of the mythical island Atlantis. Next Alex learns that the story of King Arthur and the Round Table is just a good story, written by Geoffrey of Monmouth; also that the Sword Excalibur and Merlin come from Celtic myths and legends....

Why were the years between the two world wars marked by some of the most brutal and politically radical dictatorships in history? This program examines the economic, political, and social climate in the aftermath of World War I, which gave rise to a number of dictatorships whose methods of acquiring and maintaining power were horribly similar despite differing ideologies. It is an excellent resource for students of modern world history and geopolitics....

The political and economic turmoil of Europe drove millions to leave their countries of origin and emigrate to the U.S. where a lady held a welcoming lamp "beside the Golden Door." This ABC News program anchored by Peter Jennings tells the dramatic story of the transformation of America into a truly multicultural nation, from the teeming ethnic neighborhoods of New York to the black migration to northern cities during the Great Depression. Also discussed...

April 1453. The Ottomans, led by Sultan Mehmed II, lay siege to the city of Constantinople. They intend to seize the city and unify their Sultanate, which was cut into two by the Byzantine Empire. In the defense of his capital, Byzantine Emperor Constantine XI can count upon his citizens, and also upon Genoese and Venetian soldiers. The reinforcements expected by the Byzantines are late in arriving, but the besieged city holds firm under the command...

During the Medieval period, trial by ordeal was not uncommon. The accused was tied up and tossed in the water; if they floated they were guilty, but if they drowned they were innocent. Justice was not exactly being served! However, it wasn’t all doom and gloom. After the Norman invasion, Parliament was the highest court in England, and Edward the First introduced more statutes than any other Medieval king.

Cartography may have a basis in science, but even in the hands of experts and authorities, it hasn't always resulted in balanced representations of the world. This program focuses on the map as a product of the fears, dogmas, or prejudices of its age. In one segment, an antiquated map designed to help Jewish immigrants in London ironically conveys anti-Semitism. Medieval maps created out of spiritual passion show the way to heaven, the route to Jerusalem,...

What were the last days in Pompeii like before the eruption of Mount Vesuvius 2,000 years ago? In 2021, for the first time, an ornate four-wheeled ceremonial chariot was discovered in the ruins of Pompeii, offering new insights into the lives of wealthy, high-ranking landowners who lived in villas on rich farmland outside the city.