History & Exploration

More has been learned in the last 10 years about how we became human than in the previous 50 years. Through elaborate recreations and computer animation along with expedition footage, National Geographic explores fascinating new discoveries including a hobbit size human and an ancient super hominid that help shed new light on the mysteries of our origins.

Meet the scientists of SETI, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, who monitor the radio waves of deep space for signs of intelligent life. Discover why scientists agree that life as we know it can exist in many places throughout the universe.

It's a story of bubonic plague, starvation, espionage and cannibalism -- and the founding of America's first colony. In 1607, a handful of English adventurers set sail across the Atlantic, expecting a paradise teeming with gold and riches.

Once thundering trains bridged all the world's continents... helping to settle new lands and unite distant cultures.

In the past, monarchs have ruled almost every culture, but recent history has not been kind to royalty. Democracy and revolution have stripped them of their power and scandals have given rise to debates about their futures.

Follow Lisa Ling and a National Geographic film crew through the wreckage of post-invasion Iraq as they search for the Treasure of Nimrud - one of the world's most spectacular caches of golden jewels and dazzling crowns. Discovered in the late 1980s and then hidden away in 1990, many featured this collection was lost forever along with countless other important artifacts from Iraq's National Museum until it was finally located in the flooded vaults and burned out wreckage of Iraq's Central Bank.

Step inside the imposing gates of the White House for a revealing visit to the most famous, yet mysterious building in America. Discover the human side of this legendary house in candid interviews with Presidents and First Ladies, and peek inside the families' rarely-seen private living quarters.

National Geographic was given unprecedented access for this project, and in this film, their team provides a rare glimpse inside the secret archives and private chapels of the Vatican. Privileged accounts from Vatican officials, historians, and devoted individuals who work closely with Pope John Paul II provide insight into the remarkable history of this holy city and its unique traditions, some of which have survived for nearly 2000 years.

Even though they are frequently seen flanking presidential convoys in their trademark dark suits and sunglasses, little is truly known about the insulated world of the United States Secret Service. National Geographic's "Inside" series delves deep into the inner workings of the secretive organization for an unprecedented behind-the-scenes look at the upper echelons of national security.

National Geographic gives you ''Top Secret'' access to the nerve center of the U.S. Military. From its frenzied construction during the height of World War II to the terrorist attacks of September 11 and the ensuing war on terrorism, get an intimate view of the history and intrigue of the headquarters for the United States Military. Inside the Pentagon is a fascinating, intimate view of the Pentagon's triumphs, defeats, and challenges.

This story presents the most intimate and three-dimensional documentation of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca and sheds light on the universal principles of Islam during the days of the Hajj. Learn the historical significance of the city to Muslim and non-Muslim populations alike.

Two-thousand years ago, a series of events changed history and gave birth to Christianity. According to the Gospels, was crucified, resurrected and ascended into heaven.

Join National Geographic on a journey on one of the world's largest railways. Since 1853, India's railway has been a unifying force.

After decades of pursuing mobsters and drug kingpins, the FBI is struggling to broaden its mission in the aftermath of September 11 attacks. Now, enter the inner sanctum today's FBI with unprecedented access granted to National Geographic.

Cross the threshold of the final frontier as mankind embarks on the greatest adventure of all time: space travel. From heroic space pioneers to modern-day cliff-hanger missions, it's a thrilling look at humanity's quest to conquer space.

Deep within the dark recesses of the Atlantic Ocean rest the remains of the celebrated steamship S.S.

Long a symbol of love, affection, and faithfulness, the diamond is now increasingly linked with war, blood and brutality. In the diamondrich West African nation of Sierra Leone, rebels used the precious gems to bankroll a violent tenyear insurrection, leaving a terrorized population and a ravaged landscape in its wake.

Travel to Bali, a tiny enchanting island in the Indonesian archipelago that many revere as Heaven on Earth. Born of fiery volcanic eruptions, this isolated paradise is made up of two thousand square miles of spectacular mountains, enticing beaches and flourishing rice terraces.

In a spectacularly beautiful and remote corner of northern Australia, a handful of people are living in the twilight of their culture. After 40,000 years, the Gandiu Aborigines are transferring the knowledge of their mysterious culture to what may be their last generation.

National Geographic goes behind the scenes with three of America's diplomats at work in three remarkably different countries: Japan, Pakistan and Guatemala. Journey behind embassy walls and closed doors to learn what drives these ambassadors to a life of conquest and compromise, danger and even deception.

National Geographic takes you on an exclusive tour inside Air Force One, part luxury hotel, part supersecret military command post. From its beginnings with President Roosevelt making a secret wartime flight in 1943, to the historic flight that returned President Kennedy's body to Washington after his assassination, to the closing months of the Clinton administration, Air Force One takes you through the history of the world's most powerful plane.

Climb into the cockpit of an exact replica of the fabled Spirit of St. Louis to experience a riveting, hourbyhour reenactment of the danger, doubts, and fatigue endured by the young Charles Lindbergh on his record-shattering flights across the Atlantic.