Smithsonian Channel
This Oddly-Shaped Transport Plane Has the Perfect Nickname
- Title
- This Oddly-Shaped Transport Plane Has the Perfect Nickname
- Runtime
- 2:47
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- One look at this aircraft and it’s easy to see how it earned its nickname: the pregnant guppy. But there’s a method to its mad design – it was the only plane with the capacity to carry a NASA rocket.
From the Series: Apollo's Moon Shot: Triumph and Tragedy http://bit.ly/2krSdPN
- Title
- Conversations in Context: Marches
- Runtime
- 10:10
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- On July 28, 1917, about 10,000 Black men, women, and children marched silently down Manhattan's Fifth Avenue in one of the very first civil rights protests. Learn how, through marching for freedom and fairness, African Americans have fought to create a better America for everyone.
#BlackHistoryMatters #ConversationsInContext
From the Series: Conversations in Context: Movements https://bitly.com/2OSUMWT
- Title
- The Amazing Benefits That Hershey Workers Enjoyed
- Runtime
- 1:22
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- Milton S. Hershey believed that if you took care of your people, they took care of you. So he built his workforce their own schools, churches, parks, and hospitals.
From the Series: America in Color: Made in the USA http://bit.ly/35lHdp4
- Title
- Why Did the Fiercest Tribe in Scotland Vanish?
- Runtime
- 4:18
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- Around 2,000 years ago, the Picts were one of the toughest tribes in the northern regions of Britain. Eight hundred years later, they had vanished, leaving almost no trace.
From the Series: Mystic Britain: Lost Tribe of Scotland https://bitly.com/2ZzTO87
- Title
- Conversations in Context: Movements
- Runtime
- 11:43
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- On July 25, 1960, the Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensboro, NC, was desegregated after six months of sit-in protests. Learn more about this key moment in Black history, and how it intersects with social movements today, in this interview between MTV News host Dometi Pongo and Secretary of the Smithsonian Lonnie G. Bunch III.
#BlackHistoryMatters #ConversationsInContext
From the Series: Conversations in Context: Movements https://bitly.com/2OSUMWT
- Title
- Trailer: Conversations in Context
- Runtime
- 0:29
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- What lessons can today’s social movements learn from the past? Tune in to Conversations in Context, a five-part interview with Secretary of the Smithsonian Lonnie G. Bunch III and MTV News host Dometi Pongo. Series premieres July 25 at noon.
#BlackHistoryMatters #ConversationsInContext
- Title
- Big-Game Fishing Is Drawing Sharks Closer to Shore
- Runtime
- 4:19
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- For years, the sharks of Ascension Island stayed away from its coast. But the popularity of big-game fishing has lured them close to shore, where giant, protein-packed rewards abound.
From the Show: Shark Ganglands https://bit.ly/38jlbpu
- Title
- These Mesmerizing Carvings Tell a Mysterious Tribe's Story
- Runtime
- 4:17
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- Clues into the disappearance of the ancient Picts lie in the tiny Scottish village of Aberlemno: 1,700-year-old Pictish stones, marked with some very unusual carvings.
From the Series: Mystic Britain: Lost Tribe of Scotland https://bit.ly/2ZzTO87
- Title
- What Caused These Unusual Shark Attacks?
- Runtime
- 4:03
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- Ascension Island has always lured the Atlantic’s apex predators: from hammerheads to the odd great white. But now, these sharks are being drawn closer to shore, with terrifying results.
From the Show: Shark Ganglands https://bit.ly/38jlbpu
- Title
- Obama's Powerful Tribute to a Defining Civil Rights Moment
- Runtime
- 4:51
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- In 2015, on the 50th anniversary of the march from Selma to Montgomery, the nation's first African American president paid tribute to a defining event in civil rights history.
From the Show: The Obama Years: The Power of Words http://bit.ly/2kjV9NM
- Title
- This Japanese Fighter Plane Led the Attack on Pearl Harbor
- Runtime
- 3:18
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was spearheaded by one of the most dominant fighter planes in the Pacific: the ultra-light, extremely maneuverable Mitsubishi A6M "Zero."
From the Series: Air Warriors: Zero https://bit.ly/38jlbpu
- Title
- This U.S. Spy Satellite Was a Cold War Game Changer
- Runtime
- 3:08
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- In 1963, the CIA debuted the Gambit: an aerial reconnaissance satellite system capable of delivering high-resolution images of ground-based Soviet military targets.
From the Series: Atomic Age Declassified: Spies in Space http://bit.ly/30GbXzd
- Title
- Few Have Ever Seen This Monkey in the Wild
- Runtime
- 2:51
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- The Bioko black colobus monkey is a species so rare, few have ever been spotted in the wild. In addition, these critically-endangered primates cannot be bred in captivity.
From the Series: Monkeys of Bioko https://bitly.com/2DlbNX9
- Title
- Churchill's Love of the Military Began at an Early Age
- Runtime
- 2:26
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- A young Winston Churchill’s passion for the military leads him to Sandhurst Academy, where he finally passes the entrance exam. The military training he receives there will serve him well in the future.
From the Series: Britain in Color: Churchill http://bit.ly/2qlDOrr
- Title
- Vivid Footage of One of the Rarest Primates in the World
- Runtime
- 4:10
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- Roughly 20 miles off the coast of West Africa, the island of Bioko sits alone in the Atlantic Ocean. This rainforest-dominated terrain is home to one of the rarest primates in the world: the drill.
From the Show: Monkeys of Bioko https://bitly.com/2DlbNX9
- Title
- Thomas Edison's Stunning Footage of the Klondike Gold Rush
- Runtime
- 2:15
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- In 1896, Thomas Edison set off to a remote Canadian district near the Alaska border, with cameras in tow. He succeeded in capturing fascinating images of the prospectors brought in by the Gold Rush.
From the Series: America in Color: Alaska http://bit.ly/2r4VJDe
- Title
- Watching an Aye-Aye Hunt at Night Is Somewhat Spooky
- Runtime
- 4:19
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- Aye-ayes are eerie-looking: With large, saucer eyes, a thin, sinister-looking finger, and a haunting cry, it’s no wonder that in Madagascar they are widely believed to be a harbinger of evil.
From the Show: Madagascar: Africa's Galapagos https://bit.ly/2NSCQLp
- Title
- Baby Tenrecs Feast on a Buffet of Worms After a Storm
- Runtime
- 3:56
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- Resembling a combination of a shrew and a hedgehog, tenrecs are native mammals to Madagascar, where 30 different species of them can be found. Here, a group baby tenrecs chow down on worms after a rainstorm.
From the Show: Madagascar: Africa's Galapagos https://bit.ly/2NSCQLp
- Title
- The Firepower on the USS Howard Is Absolutely Frightening
- Runtime
- 4:02
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- On destroyers, such as the USS Howard, the firepower on show is astounding. One pair of rotating cannons, known as CIWS, can fire 20mm shells at a rate of 4,500 rounds a minute.
From the Series: Combat Ships: Destroyers and Cruisers https://bitly.com/38n8VEG
- Title
- African Rock Python Lays Massive Clutch of Eggs
- Runtime
- 3:45
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- The rock python is one of the few snakes that actually care for their eggs. For over 90 days after they’re laid, the mom will stand guard over them and warm them with her body.
From the Show: Queen of the Pythons http://bit.ly/2nbPvik
- Title
- The Many Scenic Delights of Britain's Lake District
- Runtime
- 2:47
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- The Lake District National Park is an enchanting landscape that leaves an indelible print in the mind of visitors. It's packed with rolling hills, serene woodlands as well as Britain's deepest lake: Wast Water.
From the Series: Aerial Britain: Northern England https://bitly.com/2YSNEQ5
- Title
- The HMS Gannet's History of Anti-Slavery Missions
- Runtime
- 4:06
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- The HMS Gannet was a small cruiser that played a large role in enforcing the interests of the British Empire. That meant patrolling the coasts of Africa to stop the slave trade, which was prohibited in England by 1807.
From the Series: Combat Ships: Destroyers and Cruisers https://bitly.com/38n8VEG
- Title
- There's a Limit to the Comfort Level of NASA Space Suits
- Runtime
- 3:43
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- The space suits used by the astronauts on Gemini 7, known as grasshopper suits, were designed for comfort. But after two weeks inside them, that was the last thing on the crew’s minds.
From the Series: Apollo's Moonshot: Triumph and Tragedy http://bit.ly/2krSdPN
- Title
- You Don't Want to Get Close to an Asian Water Monitor
- Runtime
- 3:04
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- The Asian water monitor is the second largest lizard in the world, and a formidable predator. A group of young macaques wisely decide to avoid getting too close - despite being desperate for a drink.
From the Series: Monkey Island: Leaving Home http://bit.ly/2L9H4Qq
- Title
- How Bison Are Helping Cliff Swallows Build Their Nests
- Runtime
- 3:51
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- It's a partnership that's as unlikely as any: herds of bison on the move are kicking up chunks of earth. This, in turn, gives cliff swallows the valuable mud pellets they need to build their nests.
From the Series: Epic Yellowstone: Life on the Wing http://bit.ly/2JIluS5
- Title
- Did "Divine Intervention" Sink 100,000 Mongol Warriors?
- Runtime
- 3:18
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- In 1281, Japan seemed poised to fall, outnumbered by the mighty fleet of Kublai Khan. Then, according to legend, the Japanese Emperor prayed for salvation--and got it in the form of a devastating typhoon.
From the Series: Combat Ships: Doomed Vessels
- Title
- Confessions of An American Aristocrat with Julie Montagu
- Runtime
- 3:27
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- Julie Montagu, host of An American Aristocrat's Guide to Great Estates, shares all the ins and outs of filming the first season of her series exploring the great houses of England.
From the Series: An American Aristocrat's Guide to Great Estates https://bit.ly/2YK7Yn4
- Title
- This Church Has an Eerie Visual Record of the Black Death
- Runtime
- 3:06
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- The Black Death of 1348 was a devastating event, wiping out half the population of Britain. And in churches like this one, drawings on the wall provide a haunting visual record of the scale of the tragedy.
From the Series: Mystic Britain: Witches and Demons http://bit.ly/2LUbNAf
- Title
- American Words That Crucially Mean Something Else in England | American Aristocrat
- Runtime
- 1:35
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- In England, you're strongly advised against using the term "fanny pack" to describe the waist-hugging bag that holds your belongings on a trip. Here are a few other linguistic pointers from Julie Montagu, host of An American Aristocrat's Guide to Great Estates.
From the Series: An American Aristocrat's Guide to Great Estates https://bit.ly/2YK7Yn4
- Title
- History in Context: The Impact of MLK's Assassination
- Runtime
- 1:21
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- Smithsonian Institution Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III, on how MLK's assassination affected all Americans and how the civil rights leader ultimately embodied of the best of our nation.
To learn more about Black Americans' struggles for equality, see our collection of free documentaries here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL--IcfCujHzmLZts9BmnA5xZmLDFBFnAz
- Title
- Why This 17th-Century Warship Was a Disastrous Failure
- Runtime
- 4:06
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- On August 10, 1628, the Swedish warship Vasa, billed as the most advanced warship in the world, set sail on its maiden voyage from Stockholm Harbor. Within a mile, it had sunk to the bottom of the ocean.
From the Series: Combat Ships: Doomed Vessels
- Title
- Julie Montagu Teaches Us British Slang | American Aristocrat
- Runtime
- 2:01
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- Do you know what "chuffed," "torched," or "naff" mean? If you're scratching your head, you may want to brush up on this British slang before heading to the UK. Julie Montagu, host of An American Aristocrat's Guide to Great Estates, is here to help.
From the Series: An American Aristocrat's Guide to Great Estates: https://bit.ly/2YK7Yn4
- Title
- A Young Orangutan Gets Put on a Strict Diet
- Runtime
- 4:03
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- Beni the adolescent orangutan is furry, mischievous and carrying a few extra pounds. An overweight orangutan would struggle in the wild, so his caretakers are limiting his food intake.
From the Series: Orangutan Jungle School: King of the Jungle http://bit.ly/2MJKx7e
- Title
- A Bombing Exposes the Navy’s Need for a New Type of Boat
- Runtime
- 4:05
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- The 2000 terrorist attack on the USS Cole convinced the Navy that it needed smaller high-speed protection boats. After seven years and $22 million, they settled on the Ghost, a stealth boat with an innovative new design.
From the Series: Combat Ships: Stealth https://bit.ly/3fDhDB6
- Title
- How PT Boats Helped General MacArthur Escape Capture
- Runtime
- 3:52
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- In 1942, the Japanese were bearing down on the Philippines, where General Douglas MacArthur was based. To help him escape, the navy relied on a small but heavily armed class of ships: the PT boat.
From the Series: Combat Ships: Stealth https://bitly.com/3fDhDB6
- Title
- Bringing Classified Nuclear Test Footage to the Public
- Runtime
- 1:59
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- Greg Spriggs and Jim Moye are on a mission: to declassify all valuable film footage that exists of every U.S. nuclear test ever conducted.
From the Series: World of Weapons: Civilians on the Battlefield https://bit.ly/35iXoVe
- Title
- How Pygmy Hogs Are Getting a Second Chance at Survival
- Runtime
- 2:16
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- At just eight inches tall in northern India, pygmy hogs are the smallest pigs in the world - as well as critically endangered. But breeding programs have given this diminutive animal a real shot at survival.
From the Show: Amazing Pigs http://bit.ly/2SdAkTM
- Title
- Every Genius Detail That Made Viking Longships Remarkable
- Runtime
- 3:57
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- Vikings were expert shipbuilders, and the longships that survived from the era are a testament to their ingenuity, as well as the strength and durability of their preferred wood type: oak.
From the Series: Combat Ships: Viking Longships https://bitly.com/2NcenjI
- Title
- A Bug Undergoes One of Nature's More Startling Transformations
- Runtime
- 3:30
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- The salmon fly nymph is in a race against time: in order to breathe, it will need to break out of its hardened exoskeleton and complete a fascinating metamorphosis.
From the Series: Epic Yellowstone: Down the River Wild http://bit.ly/2G8wnaX
- Title
- How Conservative Groups Forced an Era of Censorship on Hollywood
- Runtime
- 1:51
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- It's 1933 and Mae West is just arriving at Grauman's Chinese Theater for the premiere of 'I'm No Angel.' It draws fans from all over the country - as well as an organized protest from conservative religious groups.
From the Series: America in Color: Hollywood's Golden Age http://bit.ly/2BSjbpR
- Title
- What Made the Viking Longship So Terrifyingly Effective
- Runtime
- 4:04
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- The Vikings had dreams of exploration and conquest, and the longship was ideal for that purpose. Soon, they were able to venture as far as the Mediterranean and the Middle East.
From the Series: Combat Ships: Viking Longships https://bitly.com/2NcenjI
- Title
- A Royal Family Gathering Ends in an Act of Violence
- Runtime
- 1:44
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- Tensions boiled over at a Spencer family gathering in 1989, as Princess Diana feuded bitterly with her stepmother, Raine. Suddenly, the argument turned physical, with Diana as the aggressor.
From the Show: Princess Diana's "Wicked" Stepmother http://bit.ly/2odkOKM
- Title
- An Infant Orangutan Learns to Drink from an Unlikely Source
- Runtime
- 1:51
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- In a bid to revive a baby orangutan's interest, a caretaker shows Topan another way to drink: from the bowels of a carnivorous pitcher plant.
From the Series: Orangutan Jungle School: Second Chances http://bit.ly/2lYEu3p
- Title
- This British Castle Still has a Functioning Flour Mill | American Aristocrat
- Runtime
- 3:51
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- In the 19th century, there was a watermill almost every mile of the river, such was the huge demand for flour and bread. Today, Eastnor castle’s own mill is still operational – an important piece of local history.
From the Series: An American Aristocrat's Guide to Great Estates: Eastnor Castle https://bitly.com/2XSwqBF
- Title
- Bizarre Questions: Mystic Britain Edition
- Runtime
- 3:47
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- Would Clive Anderson rather be a witch doctor or Roman soldier? What does Mary-Ann Ochota fear more: a revenant or a demon? We test the Mystic Britain hosts' knowledge of each other in this cheeky little game.
From the Series: Mystic Britain http://bit.ly/2LKVaqO
- Title
- How Wild Asses Draw Nutrition From Meager Sources
- Runtime
- 2:53
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- For most grazers, a diet of roots and needlegrass would hold few nutrients to sustain them through winter. Fortunately, Kiangs aka Tibetan wild asses, have a very efficient digestive system.
From the Series: Into the Wild India: Wild Horses of the Himalayas http://bit.ly/2kbJGjN
- Title
- This Island Has the Highest Density of Wildlife on Earth
- Runtime
- 2:51
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- South Georgia Island, made famous by the exploits of Sir Ernest Shackleton, has the greatest density of wildlife in the world. Among its residents, fur seals, gentoo penguins and the massive southern elephant seals.
From the Show: Islands of Fire http://bit.ly/348RqoK
- Title
- This Woman Manages America's Oldest Lighthouse
- Runtime
- 3:09
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- Boston’s iconic lighthouse, the Boston Light, is managed by a single person: Sally Snowman. She is the 70th keeper of the lighthouse since it was built, over 300 years ago.
From the Series: Aerial America: Boston http://bit.ly/2rd1crm
- Title
- This 19th Century Heiress Almost Squandered Her Wealth | American Aristocrat
- Runtime
- 3:59
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- In the 19th century, Lady Henry Somerset was the mistress of Eastnor Castle, and a very wealthy woman. Soon, however, she would embark on a spending spree that would bring her estate to the brink of bankruptcy.
From the Series: An American Aristocrat's Guide to Great Estates: Eastnor Castle https://bitly.com/2XSwqBF
- Title
- This Spitfire Pilot Rams a V1 Rocket with His Plane
- Runtime
- 3:49
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- It’s 1944, and RAF pilot, Ken Collier, has emptied his guns in a desperate attempt to take down a German V1 rocket. Refusing to give up, he flies right up to the rocket, and tries to ram it off course.
From the Series: Air Warriors: Spitfire https://bitly.com/3gUT0RO
