Documentary / Biography

The saga surrounding Louis XIV's blue diamond is a web of intrigue, betrayal and a bizarre curse, spanning three centuries. First brought back from India, it was then stolen during the French Revolution. Later, in London, another diamond appeared -- slightly smaller but equally...

National Geographic journeys a thousand feet beneath the sea, to a world hidden from human eyes, to watch the earth's largest predator pursue its prey. Using the most sophisticated "animal camera" yet devised, National Geographic tracks the sperm whale and its prey the deep-sea...

The gender of a newborn child is not always clearly male or female. For parents of gender variant children, the decisions they face have lifelong and sometimes horribly conflicting consequences. National Geographic investigates the science behind gender, how doctors and parents approach gender decisions,...

From out of the dusk and darkness of the night come more than half of all living things. Perceived as mysterious and supernatural, night creatures are masterpieces of adaptation... guided by their superior sense of sight, sound, and smell. Watch as National Geographic cameras...

Power lines down, amazingly high speed winds, and deadly cold temperatures raged through the eastern United States with one violent bang. Storm of the Century presents an up close and personal look into the terrifying effects of these acts of nature. National Geographic has...

Plunge into the ocean depths with renowned filmmaker and shark expert Michael deGruy as he takes you to the underwater realm of sharks! You'll swim terrifyingly close to see these efficient predators in action, and watch in fear as deGruy re-enacts a shark attack...

Around the globe, over 200 million children are engaged in child labor, often, doing the most brutal or degrading of jobs. Girls are especially vulnerable. Even in countries as wealthy as the United States, girls face harsh lives as victims of sex trafficking or...

Sparkling diamonds. Exquisite emeralds. Brilliant rubies. Shimmering pearls. For centuries, these precious gems have captured humankind, leading men and women to give up fortunes - even their lives - to posses them. Join National Geographic on a journey around the globe to discover the...

Do we really know who our co-workers, loved ones and friends are? Maybe not as well as we think. Each hour-long episode of Taboo examines a topic from a variety of cultures and perspectives, venturing into closed worlds rarely seen.

Three undercover police officers in New York City are tasked with solving a 1985 multimillion-dollar jewelry heist. At first they think it's little more than an inside job, but as they go undercover to follow the trail of clues, they encounter a world of...

A 9/11 survivor, an astronaut, and a blue hole diver all survived dramatically different traumatic events only to tell strikingly similar stories: each felt a mysterious presence that guided them to safety in their time of greatest peril. But what were these strange presences?...

A woman who lives at home with 400 pigs. A 15-year-old in rehab for playing video games. A grown man who enjoys dressing up as a baby. A criminal so in love, he gets married over a radio show. And a man who would...

Eight years after 9/11, the Taliban remains a formidable enemy, maintaining a shadow government that straddles Afghanistan and Pakistan in an area dubbed "Talibanistan." National Geographic takes you inside the forbidden zone to provide first-person coverage of the fight on the ground and in...

Join Cara as she leaves her family's nest for a trip across the Atlantic! Cara must outwit a hungry shark, find just the right food, and get the perfect place to nap. Then one day, Cara's instincts tell her she must return home. Learn...

Tasha and her brother Lars are growing up, and it's time for their mom to give them lessons on living by themselves. Tasha and Lars learn to hunt, hop ice floes, and avoid the mean-tempered bears. Then Tasha is left to face the brutal...

Venture beyond the dense green curtain into a pristine rain forest that thrives in splendid isolation on a Panamanian island, sustained by the complex partnership of plant and animal. Climb a colossal tree, from shadowy forest floor to leafy canopy, marvel at the exotic...

When it sank in the deep Atlantic during World War II, the Japanese submarine I-52 went to the bottom with over 100 lives and cargo that included two tons of gold. Now, a military veteran-turned-adventurer bucks the odds on a long-shot mission to solve...

They swim with sharks, confront venomous snakes, and stalk hungry lions. They're National Geographic filmmakers, and for these remarkable adventurers, capturing unforgettable footage in the wild is not just a job, it's a way of life. Join a cinematographer in the rain forest canopy...

How could a tiny Tyrannosaurus rex baby grow into a six-ton super carnivore? Dinosaur builder Hall Train and renowned paleoartist Jason Brougham team up with top scientists to uncover the truth about this fascinating creature and to create the world's most accurate, fully skinned,...

National Geographic gets to the science behind what makes a man manly his Testosterone Factor. It's one of the most important and powerful hormones in a man's body, but how does testosterone really impact his strength, status, success and even commitment?

What really happens when 30 million volts of electricity charges through your body and you survive being struck by lightning? Now, meet survivors who live to tell their tale of being hit by a force that is faster than a speeding bullet and five...

The USS Eisenhower is the pinnacle of aircraft carrier technology. The 97,000-ton steel monster boasts next-generation radar and combat capabilities and is run by 6,000 personnel. See it in action during her final trials before combat.

National Geographic examines the incredible size, speed and strength of some of the world's biggest bears the polar bear, brown bear and black bear. All native to North America, these formidable creatures can weigh more than 1,000 pounds, outrun an Olympic sprinter and take...

Up to 30 feet long, today's giant snakes are as big as they've ever been and their appetites may have never been bigger. Over 100 teeth, 300 vertebrae, 600 ribs, and 10,000 muscles work together to form nature's most elegant predator. Now, National Geographic...

Is marijuana the next big emerging industry? Despite the fact that it remains illegal under federal law and in 35 states, the new generation of "ganja-preneurs" are no longer hiding in the shadows.

Violent, secretive, and packed full of knowledge, Medieval Fight Book uncovers the real story of Europe in the Middle Ages. Using historical recreations, amazing CGI and leading historians, Medieval Fight Book reveals that medieval society was far more sophisticated and peculiar than we realized....

For the first time, the Catholic Church is allowing scientific experts and historians to openly test the veracity of the remains of reported saints. National Geographic has exclusive access to the forensic investigation. Deep in the crypt below the Cathedral of Reggio Emilia lie...

For a century National Geographic has participated in and chronicled many of the world's greatest explorations unlocking the secrets of the oceans, lifting men into the stratosphere, and mapping the very boundaries of the earth, sea, and sky. Now you can relive some of...

Mysteries of the Bible travels back in time to the Holy Land to investigate the Bible's most fascinating mysteries. Lost Cities of the Bible: National Geographic examines evidence to shed new light on cities said to have been destroyed by the hand of God....

The Mississippi River is one of the most important waterways on earth. For nearly a century man has tried to tame it. Measuring 2,300 miles from start to end, the great river requires skill and endurance to navigate in its entirety, an accomplishment few...

Are they ancient road maps or messages for visiting aliens? Lying at the foothill of Peru's Andes Mountains is the site of one of the world's greatest mysteries. Etched, as if by giants, onto its arid, moonscape plains are immense lines that stretch for...

It's a raging drug war that has turned Phoenix, Arizona into the second kidnapping capital of the world. National Geographic correspondent Lisa Ling embeds with the Phoenix Police Department as they investigate the latest drug-related kidnapping, uncover a cache of $3 million worth of...

Joseph Mengele -- the escaped Nazi war criminal and SS physician known as the "Angel of Death" -- spent years doing bizarre medical experiments on twins at Auschwitz, working to determine if twins held the key to building a blonde-haired, blue-eyed master race for...

Seven times over a period of about a year, a human foot in a sneaker washed ashore in British Columbia and Washington State. Theories of serial killers, plane crashes, and tsunami victims became tabloid fodder. With all the twists and turns of a crime-scene...

National Geographic goes inside the cannabis industry with Lisa Ling, reporting from secret farms and not-so-secret grow houses of marijuana cultivators -- into a world where marijuana is not just a drug but a way of life. Learn what's behind the increased potency of...

Death: it fascinates, it frightens, and those who face it and survive often look at life in a whole different way. National Geographic's Moment of Death looks at what happens to us when we die, why dead isn't always dead, and how mind and...

Across the moors of Northern Europe, peat-cutters have unearthed hundreds of well-preserved mummies. But what was most baffling was the mummies' disturbing injuries: slit throats, decapitation, disembowelment, smashed bones and stab marks. Who were these people, mistaken for the recent dead, but preserved for...

Grab your flashlight and lace up your hiking boots for a visit to a fantastic unchartered universe-- the world of caves. Deep inside Kentucky's "Underground Everest," the world's longest cave, explore miles of passages and discover fossil remains of humans who braved the darkness...

True stories from those lost at sea. Get a riveting look at triumph and tragedy on storm-tossed seas as brave individuals offer an insider's view of one of the most hazardous occupations on Earth. Hear survivors recount harrowing escapes from the brink of death,...

According to Snake Hunter and Herpetologist Zoltan Takacs "There isn't another country in the world where snakes and humans get so close as in Vietnam" and he and Environmental Anthropologist and Cave Diver Kenny Broad are out to prove it.

Italian Cruise Ship Disaster: The Untold Stories weaves together in-depth stories from passengers and staff on board as well as Coast Guard rescuers with stunning home video and CGI to reconstruct the sinking of the Costa Concordia as it happened. Working to understand this...

Led by reigning world champion Charlie Andrews, these guys are made of "hard steel and sex appeal," weighing in at over 200lbs each. They've dedicated their lives to the sport and seeing it through to the professional arena. Leaving their families and fear behind,...

Known Universe Season 1 explores some of the most fascinating mysteries of our universe. From the search for alien life and killer asteroids to sun storms and massive volcanoes, Known Universe illuminates the latest research with computer animations and dramatic time-lapse sequences. Episodes include...

It's the ocean like you've never seen it before. Using data from scientists around the globe, combined with specially developed computer animation software, Earth's ocean waters are turned crystal clear.

The Templars were considered the pope's private army, protecting Jerusalem for more than 50 years. But their legacy came to a sudden end casting them from the heights of wealth and power to the dark corners of history. Now, on the ruins of a...

Known Universe explores some of the most fascinating mysteries of our universe. From the search for alien life and killer asteroids to sun storms and massive volcanoes, Known Universe illuminates the latest research with "you are there" computer animations and dramatic time-lapse sequences. Episodes...

Jerusalem's Old City is a tiny enclave where some of history's greatest dramas have been enacted. Busy and colorful, it is the fountainhead of three major religions, the site of many of the world's most venerated shrines, and home to 26,000 people of profoundly...

Was Abraham Lincoln dying of cancer when he was killed? National Geographic is on the front lines as scientists attempt to solve a genetic mystery-using a piece of fabric stained with the president's blood to run DNA analysis. The final year of Lincoln's life...

Ghosts Countless people claim to have seen ghosts but have they genuinely glimpsed the supernatural, or are they merely suffering from over-active imaginations? National Geographic joins scientists and paranormal detectives investigating the haunting world of phantom images, disembodied voices, and things that go bump...

With unprecedented access, National Geographic chronicles the 166 day psychological chess match between prisoner Saddam Hussein and his interrogator, FBI Agent George Piro. While Hussein was held prisoner, it was the mission of junior FBI Agent George Piro to get the notorious dictator to...