History Detectives
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History Detectives | Space Boot | PBS (#801)
What does this odd-looking boot have to do with America's first steps in space? 16:00
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History Detectives | Satelloon | PBS (#801)
Could this square of metallic material be part of America's first satellite program? 18:15
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History Detectives | Season 8: Episode 1 | PBS (#801)
Full Program: Space Boot; Satelloon; Moon Museum 55:10
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History Detectives | Interview with Alan Bean... (#801)
Watch Gwen's exclusive interview about Alan Bean's journey from astronaut to artist. 02:40
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History Detectives | Archive: Echo Satellite | PBS (#801)
Watch the Echo inflation tests on May 4, 1960. 02:16
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Information For Teachers
- Grade Levels
- 9-12
- Curricular Areas
- Social Studies
- Series Length
- 128 episodes
- Average Episode Length
- 56 minutes
- Record Rights
- Record and retain for 1 year from each broadcast. No duplication allowed.
- Visit the Website for Teacher Resources
- http://www.pbs.org/opb/history...
Visit the IPTV Education website to access timely, relevant resources for your classroom.
News & Announcements
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Iowan Tim Schmitt on national "History Detectives" August 16
Iowa resident featured on August 16 "History Detectives" episode. Tim... more » -
History Detectives from Iowa June 28!
On Monday, June 28 the PBS series History Detectives will feature a segment from Iowa. Host Wes... more »
Series Description: HISTORY DETECTIVES returns to explore the stories behind historic sites, artifacts and tall tales told in cities across the country, with the help of an inquisitive team of fact-finders with an uncanny talent for uncovering the truth.
All Episodes
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Fire Station, Face Artifact, Pop Lloyd's Baseball Field (#101)
Could a rock found along the Jersey Shore actually be an artifact left by Native Americans? [56 minutes]
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Bonnie & Clyde, Al Ringling Theater, Sears Home (#102)
Ballistic tests could link these bullets to the murderous twosome. Was this the first movie palace? [56 minutes]
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Charles W. Morgan Whaling Ship, Witch's House, Jigsaw Puzzle (#103)
Does this ship hold the secrets to the Underground Railroad? Is this an accused witch's house? [56 minutes]
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Portrait of George Washington, Patty Cannon, Trumpet (#104)
This painting may prove to be a national treasure. This home may be been a slave trade headquarters. [56 minutes]
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Lee's Last Orders, Natchez House, Napoleonic Sword (#105)
A social organization may possess the original copy of the Confederate General's farewell address. [56 minutes]
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John Brown's Letters, Japanese House, Poems (#106)
Delve into letters and a woman's family tree to prove if she is related to the famous abolitionist. [56 minutes]
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The Depot That Made Dallas, Mexican Peso, Pirate Spyglass (#107)
Was this the first railroad station in Dallas and did it turn the city into a bustling metropolis? [56 minutes]
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Ventriloquist Dummy/Home of Lincoln Assassination Plot/34 Star Flag (#108)
Is this where Lincoln's murder was planned? Did this dummy help protest against racial prejudice? [56 minutes]
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Sheridan's House, Mark Twain Watch, Prisoner Poem (#109)
Was this the home of one of the Union Army's great generals? Was this a gift from the great author? [56 minutes]
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The Love Dish, Rebel Gun, Prison Plaque (#110)
Find the facts and fiction behind a racy 18th century gift and a gun thought to be from a bandit. [56 minutes]
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Civil War-Era Submarine/Red Cloud's Pipe/The Edison House (#201)
Discover the murky mystery behind this military vessel. Was this pipe a gift from a famous warrior? [56 minutes]
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Monopoly/Japanese Internment Camp Artwork/The Lewis and Clark Cane (#202)
Is this the earliest version of the board game? Find the artist and story behind these paintings. [56 minutes]
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WWII Land Craft/The Abolitionist Flag/Mail OrderBrides (#203)
Did this vessel play a role on D-Day? Could this sheet have contributed to the end of slavery? [56 minutes]
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The First Movie Studio/Ufa Light/King Kong Camera (#204)
Off to California to see if a neighborhood park was once a movie studio & to investigate a lighter. [56 minutes]
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Dueling Pistols/Evelyn Nesbit Portrait/Little Big Horn Bayonet (#205)
The team takes aim to find if these pistols were used in the last great duel on U.S. soil. [56 minutes]
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Preston Brook's Riding Crop/Home of Lincoln Assassination Plot/Revolutionary War Cannon (#206)
Unravel starling stories of politics involving John Wilkes Booth and a Confederate riding crop. [56 minutes]
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Ventriloquist Dummy/Witch's House/Poems (#207)
Was this dummy meant to protest against racial prejudice? Investigate the Salem Witch trials. [56 minutes]
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Bonnie & Clyde/Revolutionary War Poem/Portrait of George Washington (#208)
Could these bullets have killed the murderous twosome and is this drawing a national treasure? [56 minutes]
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Lost Gold Ship/John Hunt Morgan Saddle/Cesar Chavez Banner (#209)
Is this wreck a legendary steamship? A relic may have been used by a Confederate General. [56 minutes]
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Pretty Boy Floyd Handgun/Paul Cuffee Muster Roll/Pop Lloyd Baseball Field (#210)
Look down the barrel of this mystery to find if this relic belonged to the Depression-era desperado. [56 minutes]
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Charlie Parker Saxophone/Prison Plaque/Koranic School Book (#211)
Did this instrument really belong to the legendary Jazz musician? Explore an abandoned penitentiary. [56 minutes]
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Body in the Basement/Newport U-Boat/Shippen Golf Club (#212)
Can the team dig up enough the details to discover the identity of a 17th century skeleton? [56 minutes]
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The Spirit of St. Louis/Gary Powers' "Suicide Pin"/Image of Apache Warrior Geronimo (#301)
In a quest to find who really built the plane's engine, uncover the history of Linburg's flight. [56 minutes]
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Black Star Line Stock Certificates/Mickey Mouse's Origin/Pro-Nazi Newspaper in Texas (#302)
Could this small figurine be the true origin of the popular cartoon character? [56 minutes]
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Arthur Szyk's Earliest Cartoons/Professor Lowe's Hot Air Balloon/Chemical Warfare Map (#303)
Could these drawings be by one of America's most influential political cartoonist? [56 minutes]
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Cherokee Bible/Slave Banjo/United Empire Loyalists (#304)
A mysterious bible laced with Cherokee writing provides insight to the "Trail of Tears" march. [56 minutes]
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Portrait of George Washington/Revolutionary War Poem/Revolutionary War Cannon (#305)
Could this drawing prove to be a national treasure? How did this poem travel from England to Oregon? [56 minutes]
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Secrets of the Tape/Mountain Mail Bag/Banned Birth Control Box (#306)
Take a great road trip to examine how the U.S. gained the industrial upper hand after World War II. [56 minutes]
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Doc Holliday's Watch/Civil War Female Soldiers/Japanese Internment Camp Artwork (#307)
Learn the truth behind the OK Corral gunfight and the contributions of women during the Civil War. [56 minutes]
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Hermann Goering's Shotgun/Calf Creek Arrow/The Edison House (#308)
Was this gun owned by the head of the German Luftwaffe. Is this skull an incredible discovery? [56 minutes]
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Coney Island Lion/Legacy of a Doll/Ballet Shoes (#309)
Junior super sleuths join the expert hosts to find if zinc claw is from the famed Steeplechase Park. [56 minutes]
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Leisureama Homes/Jim Thorpe Tickets/1667 Land Grant (#310)
Investigate a defining moment in cold war history and the influence of leisure on architecture. [56 minutes]
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Home for Unwed Mothers/Long Expedition Encampment/Evelyn Nesbit Portrait (#311)
A search for a woman's parents stems from a medallion attached to her at adoption. [56 minutes]
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The Chisholm Trail/Harry Houdini Poster/Mckinley Casket Flag (#401)
The team heads to the heart of Texas to learn the true path of a 19th-century cattle drive trail. [56 minutes]
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Wartime Baseball/Confederate Eyeglass/Howard Hughes' Invention (#402)
An autographed ball could be evidence of the influence of America's pastime on racial integration. [56 minutes]
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Coca-Cola Trade Card/Vicksburg Map/Lawrence Strike (#403)
Digging up details on a pocket-sized advertising card, a Civil War map and a historical billy club. [56 minutes]
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Alternative Service Certificates/Carolina Mystery Books/Mickey Mouse's Origin (#404)
Will secrets be revealed behind remarkable wartime memorabilia and a beautiful volume set of books? [56 minutes]
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U.S.S. Indianapolis/Highlander Badge/Spirit of St. Louis (#405)
Highlights inlude a soldiers keepsakes which provide insights on Japanese attacks during WWII. [56 minutes]
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Orphan Film Reel/Chinese Opium Scale/Hermann Goering's Shotgun (#406)
This history detectives research a newly discovered silent film; a Chinese opium scale that may have been used in Montana in the 1800s; and a shotgun that may have belonged to Hermann Goering. [56 minutes]
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Survivor Camera/Alcoholics Anonymous Letter/Tallahassee Mystery Cross (#407)
A mysterious letter sparks an examination into the history of the Alcoholics Anonymous movement. [56 minutes]
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Calf Creek Arrow/Doc Holliday Watch/Black Star Line Certificates (#408)
Could an antique watch be a gift from Wyatt Earp? A skull may be an incredible archeological find. [56 minutes]
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Grace Kelly Automobile/Illicit P.O.W. Photos/Mystery Motorcycle (#409)
Cruise to California to find out if a man's car was used in the Hitchcock film, "To Catch a Thief." [56 minutes]
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Lou Gehrig Autograph/Cleveland Electric Car/Philadelphia Freedom Paper (#410)
Off to Yankee Stadium and the Baseball Hall of Fame to learn if a ticket was signed by the legend. [56 minutes]
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Superman Sketch (#411)
A sketch leads the team to investigate the early days of this comic icon who inspired American GIs. [56 minutes]
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3-D Cuban Missile Crisis/Amos 'n' Andy Record/Women's Suffrage Painting (#501)
A woman in Oregon has a portable projection screen that may have helped save the Free World. [56 minutes]
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Continental Currency/Short-Snorter/Liberty Bell Pin (#502)
Gwen investigates a $6 bill that may represent America's first declaration of its independence. [56 minutes]
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Gar Photograph/Jefferson Pledge/Dempsey Fight Bell (#503)
A vintage photograph sheds light on the first national social group to challenge the color barrier. [56 minutes]
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Atocha Spanish Silver/Lucy Parsons Book/Ernie Pyle's Typewriter (#504)
300-year-old documents are translated to crack a unique code of communication among ship captains. [56 minutes]
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Great Mexican War Posters/Nora Holt Autograph Book/Muhlenberg Robe (#505)
A stash of colorful posters found in a basement reveals a turning point in filmmaking history. [56 minutes]
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Nc-4: First Across The Atlantic/Howard Hughes Crash/Professor Lowe's Hot Air Balloon (#506)
Can this 1940s altimeter be traced back to the fiery plane crash of America's first billionaire? [56 minutes]
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Red Cloud Letter/'32 Ford Roadster/Cast Iron Eagle (#507)
One of the most iconic hot rods is investigated, along with a letter by the creator of Mt. Rushmore. [56 minutes]
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Lincoln Letter/Quaker Map/U.S.S. Indianapolis (#508)
The Detectives head to Illinois to investigate a letter that may have been signed by the president. [56 minutes]
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Bill Pickett Saddle/Mckinley Casket Flag/Hitler Films (#509)
A ranch historian helps the detectives find if a saddle really belonged to the legendary cowboy. [56 minutes]
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Uss Thresher/Pete Gray Cartoon/Manhattan Project Letter (#510)
documents is linked to one of the most secret weapons in the U.S. Cold War arsenal. [56 minutes]
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Episode #601
The detectives try to get a diary written by a World War II pilot returned it to a living relative. [56 minutes]
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Episode #602
A mysterious flag may be linked to an African-American infantry regiment that fought in WW I. [56 minutes]
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Episode #603
A wartime souvenir in Texas may be a missing piece of a secret weapon, the Japanese balloon bomb. [56 minutes]
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Episode #604
A jacket may belong to a soldier who fought in the Philippines during the ramp up to World War II. [56 minutes]
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Episode #605
A palm-sized instrument panel is investigated to find if it is from the horrifying Hindenburg crash. [56 minutes]
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Episode #606
A photo of integrated war veterans and what may be cowboy Bill Pickett's saddle are investigated. [56 minutes]
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Episode #607
A large artillery shell may be from one of the earliest foreign terrorist attacks on American soil. [56 minutes]
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Episode #608
A woman has an18th-century book that contains what appears to be President John Adams' signature. [56 minutes]
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Episode #609
Encrusted objects on the Oregon coast may house cannons from the 1846 shipwreck of the USS Shark. [56 minutes]
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Episode #610
A recording of a promo for a soldier musical from World War II may be a piece of forgotten history. [56 minutes]
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Episode #611
Follow the investigation of a slave songbook and a guitar said to belong to folksinger Josh White. [56 minutes]
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Episode #701
A phonograph is believed to have been made by Thomas Edison to record messages from the afterlife. [56 minutes]
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Episode #702
A plan to hide atomic secrets in plain sight and carved beeswax from a shipwreck are investigated. [56 minutes]
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Episode #703
A shotgun is researched for clues that one of Al Capone's men fired it in a Chicago gang massacre. [56 minutes]
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Episode #704
A photo album of silent movie stars sheds light on an enormous film studio empire in Philadelphia. [56 minutes]
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Episode #705
A recording may hold evidence used in the World War II treason trial of Iva Tugori, aka Tokyo Rose. [56 minutes]
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Episode #706
A souvenir may be a piece of Amelia Earhart's airplane, found before she and the plane disappeared. [56 minutes]
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Episode #707
An instrument panel is investigated to find if it is from the horrifying crash of the Hindenburg. [56 minutes]
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Episode #708
Records and expert opinions may reveal if a dagger belonged to Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. [56 minutes]
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Episode #709
Murals of African Americans from the 1930s and a painting of George Washington are investigated. [56 minutes]
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Episode #710
Discover the fate of a man who sketched a portrait inside a German POW camp during World War II. [56 minutes]
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Episode #711
Evidence of an old bridge abutment in Columbia, South Carolina may redraw the maps of the Civil War. [56 minutes]
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Space Exploration (#801)
A ski boot with a magnetic brick bolted to the bottom may be a prototype for a NASA space boot. [56 minutes]
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Iwo Jima Map, Copperhead Cane, Theremin (#802)
A hand-drawn map taken from the body of a Japanese soldier during World War is investigated. [56 minutes]
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Lauste Film Clip/Baker's Gold/Transatlantic Cable (#803)
A clip might be the first talking picture. Gold Rush sketches of gold nuggets are investigated. [56 minutes]
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Andrew Jackson's Mouth/Barton Letter/Spybook (#804)
Why did Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross, write a letter about a Civil War soldier? [56 minutes]
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Cromwell Dixon, Bartlett Sketchbook, & Duke Ellington Plates (#805)
Metal "Duke Ellington Plates" found in the dumpster may have printed the first copy of a hit song. [56 minutes]
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Korean War Letter, Diana, Lookout Mt. Painting (#806)
A letter by a soldier missing in action and the book "Diana: A Strange Biography" are investigated. [56 minutes]
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St. Valentine's Day Massacre, George Washington Miniature, Stalag 17 (#807)
A miniature painting of George Washington's profile and a shotgun found in Chicago are investigated.. [56 minutes]
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Hot Town Poster, Face Jug, Lost City of Gold (#808)
An inscription on a Phoenix rock may prove Spanish explorers came to America earlier than thought. [56 minutes]
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Jackie Robinson All-Stars, Modoc Basket, Special Agent Five (#809)
The facts are tallied on a 1940s baseball scorecard and a radio drama endorsed by J. Edgar Hoover. [56 minutes]
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Wb Cartoons, Galvez Papers, Mussolini Dagger (#810)
A box of cartoon drawings and cels may reveal an unexpected story about the early days of animation. [56 minutes]
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Chicago Clock, Universal Friends, War Dog Letter (#811)
A woman wonders if her family clock kept time for the entire Midwest during the 19th century. [56 minutes]
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Episode #901
Mysterious airplane engine parts shed light on a heroic story from a forbidden Hawaiian island. [56 minutes]
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Episode #902
Wes Cowan decodes the message and the strategy behind a U.S. World War II propaganda leaflet. [56 minutes]
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Episode #903
A raid on the federal armory in Harpers Ferry and a Ronald McDonald costume are investigated. [56 minutes]
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Episode #904
Fabric from an aircraft that may be linked to Charles Lindbergh and Igor Sikorsky is investigated. [56 minutes]
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Episode #905
A propeller from a World War II drone and a wooden club that may be Teddy Roosevelt's are examined. [56 minutes]
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Episode #906
A carved cane may unlock the mystery of a family's past in a World War II relocation camp. [56 minutes]
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Episode #907
A woodcarving may have been part of the Andrew Jackson figurehead affixed to the USS Constitution. [56 minutes]
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Episode #908
A camera may have been used by the first female White House photographer to shoot President Truman. [56 minutes]
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Episode #909
The notes in a 1775 Almanac could shed light on how the revolution may have strained family ties. [56 minutes]
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Episode #910
A Belgian war medal is investigated. A pennant is traced to the early battle for the women's vote. [56 minutes]
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Episode #911
A Club Continental business card may shed light on California's prohibition-era underground. [56 minutes]
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Episode #912
A photograph of an African American wearing a Confederate uniform is investigated. [56 minutes]
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Episode #1001
A Fender Stratocaster may be the guitar that Bob Dylan plugged in at the '65 Newport Folk Festival. [56 minutes]
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Episode #1002
The identity of a man whose name is engraved on a rare set of Civil War-era pistols is researched. [56 minutes]
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Episode #1003
Country music singer Clint Black's turn-of-the-20th-century book of wanted posters are investigated. [56 minutes]
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Episode #1004
Gwen Wright connects a swatch of tattered red fabric to a pivotal moment in U.S. Civil War history. [56 minutes]
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Episode #1005
Was this picture frame crafted from the staircase banister of the Titanic, Lusitania or neither? [56 minutes]
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Episode #1006
The detectives help return the diary of a fallen North Vietnamese soldier to the veteran's family. [56 minutes]
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Episode #1007
The heroic acts shown in a poster about African-American soldiers in World War I are investigated. [56 minutes]
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Episode #1008
The detectives investigate four stories from the American West, from the rodeo to Hollywood. [56 minutes]
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Episode #1009
A powder horn in Minnesota is traced to a captain in Massachusetts during the American Revolution. [56 minutes]
