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The Maya

1511. Spanish explorers become some of the first Europeans to make contact with the Maya.

• 51 mins

Chichén Itza

Explore the rise, influence, and mysterious abandonment of Chichén Itza, a Maya marvel.

• 51 mins

Alcatraz

Cloaked in secrecy, Alcatraz is the most feared institution in the American penal system.

• 54 mins

Buckingham Palace

How did Buckingham Palace become such an iconic part of Britain’s landscape?

• 53 mins

Rosa Parks

A defiant act catapults Rosa Parks to the forefront of the battle for racial equality.

• 56 mins

The Panama Canal

The Panama Canal: arguably the greatest infrastructure project the world has ever seen

• 52 mins

The Gunpowder Plot

The Gunpowder Plot is an epic tale of adventure and revenge but who was really behind it?

• 57 mins

Beatrix Potter

How did Beatrix Potter - a shy, sheltered Victorian girl - become a literary phenomenon?

• 48 mins

The Samurai

Were the Samurai elite martial artists or a self-important militia of romanticised thugs?

• 51 mins

William Wallace

Known as Braveheart, William Wallace is synonymous with the battle for Scottish freedom.

• 41 mins

Pyramids

The Pyramids have become a symbol of Egypt, but what mysteries might still remain inside?

• 52 mins

John F Kennedy

In 1961,JFK became President of the USA. What challenges did he overcome to reach office?

• 54 mins

The Pirate Queen

Who was Zheng I Sao, and how did she become one of the most successful pirates ever?

• 43 mins

Emperor Nero

Nero is one of the most infamous leaders of Rome, but was he as bad as history suggests?

• 50 mins

The Roman Republic

How did Rome go from a small, almost insignificant settlement to a superpower?

• 55 mins

Bob Marley

How did Bob Marley rise from Kingston’s most impoverished area to become a global star?

• 52 mins

Ernest Shackleton

Shackleton’s 1915 expedition is one of history’s greatest tales of human endurance.

• 55 mins

The Australian Gold Rush

In 1851, gold was discovered in Australia. How did the gold rush shape the country?

• 52 mins

Bonnie and Clyde

Forged by the Great Depression, Bonnie and Clyde became icons of lawlessness.

• 56 mins

Nelson Mandela

What drove Nelson Mandela to become an activist against South Africa’s apartheid regime?

• 52 mins

Apollo 13

An explosion on board Apollo 13 threatens the lives of the crew 200,000 miles from Earth.

• 51 mins

Butch Cassidy

What's the real story behind Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch?

• 50 mins

The Underground Railroad

The Underground Railroad helped up to 100,000 enslaved people to freedom.

• 55 mins

Pablo Picasso

Pablo Picasso was one of the most celebrated and radical artists of the 20th century.

• 53 mins

The Ottoman Empire

The story of the Ottomans is full of alliances, enemies, trade, war and progress.

• 56 mins

The Battle of Stalingrad

The Battle of Stalingrad is one of the bloodiest battles in the history of warfare.

• 54 mins

The Berlin Wall

Starting out as a barbed wire fence, the Berlin Wall became a symbol of the Cold War.

• 47 mins

The Forbidden City

The Forbidden City is the largest palace complex anywhere in the world.

• 57 mins

The Suffragettes

Refused the right to vote, the Suffragettes refused to take no for an answer.

• 49 mins

Ludwig Van Beethoven

One of the world's most influential composers, what's the story of Beethoven?

• 50 mins