In 1788, a British mariner passed by the majestic, snow-covered mountains of northwest Washington - the peaks seemed the perfect dwelling place for Greek gods, so he named them the Olympic Mountains.

How the Olympic Mountains Got Their Name (1:42)

On September 8th, 1974, famous daredevil Evel Knievel climbed into a steam-powered rocket and attempted to blast across Idaho's Snake River Canyon.

Evel Knievel's Famous Snake River Canyon Jump (2:35)

In 1861, Mexico refused to pay back the sizable debt it owed to countries like France. It was a decision that would prompt France, under Napoleon III, to launch a full-scale invasion.

This Is Why France Invaded Mexico (4:02)

A Japanese torpedo attack against the USS Indianapolis leaves the men with no time to launch lifeboats. For four grueling days, the survivors float helplessly in the Pacific Ocean.

USS Indianapolis Crew Battled Sharks and Hallucinations (4:04)

During the Civil War, the North imposed a suffocating blockade of a number of key Confederate ports. The South, hoping to break this blockade, turned to an imperfect new invention: the submarine.

Civil War Submarine Battles Were Often Suicide Missions (3:14)

On March 27, 1977, at Los Rodeos airport in Tenerife, Pan Am Flight 1736 was sitting on the taxiway waiting to take off. A thick fog obscured the approach of KLM 4805, as it bore directly towards them.

This 1977 Plane Crash Occurred Right on the Runway (3:14)

In 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. and Ralph Abernathy led a march through the streets of Birmingham, Alabama. Both were arrested and placed in solitary confinement. There, MLK penned his famously stirring letter defending African-American resistance.

The March That Led to MLK's Arrest and Famous Letter (1:54)

By 1965, the U.S. initiated a military deployment, Operation Rolling Thunder, to help South Vietnam defend its independence. But a bombing campaign that was supposed to last just a few weeks would stretch into years.

This Major Military Operation Ignited the Vietnam War (2:29)

On May 4, 1961, a bus carrying black and white anti-segregation activists called the Freedom Riders rolled into Alabama and was immediately attacked by members of the KKK. This event was captured in a series of jarring images by photographer Joe Postiglione.

The Heinous 1961 KKK Attack on the Freedom Riders (3:26)

Without Nicholas Straussler, D-Day wouldn't have been possible. He came up with the design for the Duplex Drives tanks - a key part of the initial invasion at Normandy.

This Inventor Made the Famed D-Day Swimming Tanks (2:47)

It's January 19, 1988, and Trans-Colorado Flight 2286 is attempting to land at Durango La Plata Airport. Poor visibility and even worse weather means it is a trickier approach than usual.

A 1988 Flight From Denver Crashes in Bad Weather (3:23)

In 1066, the English king Edward the Confessor lay dying in his bed. Three powerful men had strong claims to succeed him, but only Harold Godwinson was close enough to grab power.

How Edward the Confessor's Advisor Seized Power (2:44)

Arriving in the Chesapeake Bay, the early American inhabitants' first order of business would have been to craft weapons to defend themselves. They would need them, with terrifying predators like the short-faced bear on the prowl.

Terrifying Mammals That May Have Greeted Early Humans in America (2:32)

On an island off the east coast of Maryland, a stone spearpoint sticking out of a coastal cliff stuns archaeologists. It asks a big question: Could humans have arrived in America 5,000 years earlier than we thought?

The Startling Alternative Theory of How Humans Arrived in America (2:51)

The 1066 battle of Stamford Bridge between Viking warlord Harald Hardrada and King Harold of England was said to be so violent that a giant mountain of bones remained a half century later.

The Violent 1066 Battle of Stamford Bridge (1:51)

It's 1066 and William of Normandy and his massive army of 14,000 men are preparing to cross the English Channel and invade England. But bad weather conditions force them to wait.

How Bad Weather Delayed the Norman Invasion of England (3:10)

The economic and infrastructure rebuilding of postwar Tokyo was nothing short of a miracle. It culminated with being selected to host the 1964 Olympic Games becoming the first Asian country to win the rights to the prestigious sporting event.

The 1964 Olympics Was Pivotal to Postwar Tokyo (2:55)

In 1932, nine days after his inauguration, President Roosevelt signed an order authorizing the sale of beer. It would soon be followed by the 21st amendment: the full repeal of Prohibition.

How FDR Took the First Steps Towards Ending Prohibition (2:32)

Until recently, Britain's Stonehenge was thought to be the world's oldest set of stone monuments. But a recent discovery in the Turkish region of Göbekli Tepe has been estimated to be over 6,000 years older.

This Mysterious Stone Structure Is Older Than Stonehenge (4:19)

It's 1942 and the USS Silversides, a U.S. submarine submerged in the Pacific, is frantically trying to dodge depth charges dropped by a Japanese warship. Even a near miss could be catastrophic.

Why Depth Charges Don't Have to Touch a Submarine to Sink It (3:52)