Smithsonian Channel Movies

In 1936, Victor H. Green (1892-1960) published The Negro Motorist Green Book, a book that was both a travel guide and a survival manual, to help...

The sinking of the RMS Titanic remains one of the most enduring and mysterious tragedies of the 20th century. For decades, investigators and amateurs...

Cuba's enforced isolation has resulted in the unlikeliest of marine reserves: a huge, rambling archipelago known as Jardines de la Reina, or "Gardens...

"The World's Loneliest Elephant" Kaavan will finally experience freedom, thanks to his biggest champion, the one & only Cher. We'll follow Cher,...

Over billions of years, planet Earth has become home to an amazing interdependent ecosystem, containing a dizzying variety of animals and plants. But...

On July 16, 1969, hundreds of thousands of spectators and an army of reporters gathered at Cape Kennedy to witness one of the great spectacles of the...

In January 1942, the U.S. military created a new bomber command, the Eighth Air Force, and sent a small contingent of men overseas to loosen the...

A haunting call echoes across the Liuwa Plain. There is no answer, there hasn't been for years. She has no pride, no support - she alone must...

It's death on an unimaginable scale, when a majority of Earth's species quickly die out. It's called "mass extinction," and it's happened at least...

Unlock the secrets of the most celebrated and prized gem in the world. Learn why the Hope Diamond has inspired superstition and passion since its...

Bees are one of the most important species on the planet. A look at the trials and tribulations of two particular honeybees over two years from birth...

A documentary on the dark and brutal side of the Samurai warrior clans featuring the life of peasant Masa who is pressganged into the ruthless world...

The doctor who tried to save him. The Secret Service agent who was seconds too late. The man wrongly accused of his murder. And the woman who...

Chihuly is widely known as the enigmatic figure behind impressive glass sculptures that are both well-integrated yet strikingly imposing as they...

For 20-year-old Madison Stewart, nothing feels safer or more natural than diving straight into shark-infested waters. Since childhood, growing up by...

The story of Hitler’s final hours told by people who were there. This special features exclusive forgotten interviews, believed lost for 65...

In life, Marilyn Monroe captivated millions across the globe. In death, her mesmerizing spell only grew in size and scope. More than half a century...

Huddie Ledbetter was born into poverty, battled racism, and did time, but in spite of his early hardships, or perhaps because of them, he became one...

It's a condition known as "hypertrichosis" or "Ambras Syndrome," but in the 1500s it would transform one man into a national sensation and iconic...

In 1914, the world's first trans-Antarctic expedition came to a cold stop. Trapped in ice just 60 miles from their destination, explorer Ernest...