America: Facts vs. Fiction Season 5
S05 E01
Jan 21, 2017
World War 2 Jan 21, 2017 The war waged by America's greatest generation is obscured by myth. Few remember that an American admiral played a pivotal role in showing Japan how to attack Pearl Harbor or that the German army was not the mechanized wonder it's reputed to be.
S05 E02
Jan 21, 2017Smoking, Drinking and Gambling Jan 21, 2017 Myths obscure the real facts about our favorite vices: smoking, drinking and gambling. You won't believe which nation had the first anti-smoking campaign, what those three X's on a jug of moonshine mean, or where our first slot machines appeared.
S05 E03
Jan 28, 2017Liberty, Leprechauns and Lounging Jan 28, 2017 Myths taint our knowledge of the 4th of July, St. Patrick's Day, and our favorite mini-holiday, the weekend. We should celebrate Independence Day on July 2nd, St. Patrick wasn't Irish, and the idea of a fun weekend is a recent creation.
S05 E04
Jan 28, 2017The Real West Jan 28, 2017 Much of what we know about the old west is myth, not fact, drawn from movies and TV. Gunfights never started with a quick draw, cowboys weren't all white, and Native Americans feared enemies more menacing than settlers and soldiers.
S05 E05
Feb 4, 2017Secret Societies Feb 4, 2017 Much of what we know about America's secret societies is myth, not truth. The Freemasons have no evil agenda, the Mafia took root not in New York, but the South, and Harvard's Skull and Bones does not control a sinister shadow government.
S05 E06
Feb 4, 2017Space: The Final Frontier Feb 4, 2017 Myths eclipse the real facts about NASA's dramatic rescue of three astronauts aboard the crippled Apollo 13 spacecraft; and Hollywood movies have a hit-and-miss track record of depicting the realties of interstellar exploration.
S05 E07
Feb 11, 2017The Atomic Age Feb 11, 2017 The real facts of the nuclear age are clouded by myth. Manhattan played a major role in the Manhattan Project; there were closer calls to World War III than the Cuban Missile Crisis; America's nuclear security hinges on a football and a biscuit.
S05 E08
Feb 11, 2017American Villains Feb 11, 2017 Myths litter the stories of America's most infamous bad guys. Al Capone was a philanthropist as well as a hood; Benedict Arnold was a hero as well as a traitor, Jesse James was no wild west Robin Hood; and we've got Billy the Kid's nickname wrong.
S05 E09
Feb 18, 2017Famous Feuds Feb 18, 2017 Myths distort the stories of two of America's most renowned rivalries. Before their fateful duel, Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr were law partners; and the conflict between the Hatfields and McCoys didn't end in the backwoods, but a courtroom.
S05 E10
Mar 4, 2017The Civil War Mar 4, 2017 Myths cloud the real facts of America's Civil War. The North's biggest city tried to secede; the Union didn't go to war to end slavery; most deaths weren't caused by battle wounds, and Grant and Lee didn't end the conflict; two other generals did.
S05 E11
Mar 11, 2017Bad Medicine Mar 11, 2017 America's medical history is infected with myths. George Washington's doctors may have inadvertently killed him; Abraham Lincoln used a toxic remedy that warped his mind; and heroin was once a best-selling cough suppressant.
S05 E12
Mar 18, 2017Moments That Changed History Mar 18, 2017 Myths and misconceptions surround four pivotal historic moments: the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C., the Boston Tea Party in 1773, and the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.
S05 E13
Jan 28, 2017Bonus Round: Fire in the Sky Jan 28, 2017 On this special edition of America: Facts vs. Fiction, we explore the myths behind extraterrestrial spacecraft and we learn the truth of two pioneering flights.
S05 E14
Feb 19, 2017Famous Feuds Feb 19, 2017 Myths distort the stories of two of America's most renowned rivalries. Before their fateful duel, Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr were law partners; and the conflict between the Hatfields and McCoys didn't end in the backwoods, but a courtroom.
S05 E15
Feb 21, 2017Bonus Round: Patriots and Presidents Feb 21, 2017 The birth of America and the powerful people behind it are featured.
S05 E16
Feb 26, 2017Moments That Changed History Feb 26, 2017 Myths and misconceptions surrounding four pivotal historic moments: the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962; the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC; the Boston Tea Party in 1773 and the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.
S05 E17
Mar 5, 2017The Civil War Mar 5, 2017 Myths cloud the real facts of America's Civil War. The North's biggest city tried to secede; the Union didn't go to war to end slavery; most deaths weren't caused by battle wounds, and Grant and Lee didn't end the conflict; two other generals did.
S05 E18
Mar 12, 2017Bad Medicine Mar 12, 2017 America's medical history is infected with myths. George Washington's doctors may have inadvertently killed him; Abraham Lincoln used a toxic remedy that warped his mind; and heroin was once a best-selling cough suppressant.
S05 E19
Jul 30, 2017Bonus Round: Cowboys vs. Hollywood Jul 30, 2017 Hollywood's vision of the old west is explored. Included: the truth behind some of America's renowned rivalries.
S05 E20
Aug 6, 2017Bonus Round: No Liars Allowed Aug 6, 2017 The true stories behind America's most infamous bad guys; and the truths behind America's notorious secret societies are investigated.
S05 E21
Aug 13, 2017Bonus Round: Yankees, Rebels and World War II Aug 13, 2017 The myths behind World War II are exposed. Delves into the truths that are often forgotten when it comes to America's Civil War.
S05 E22
Aug 20, 2017Bonus Round: Vices and Vacations Aug 20, 2017 The myths surrounding popular favorite vices and the facts behind the most-liked holidays are explored.
S05 E23
Oct 13, 2017Bonus Round: Monumental Realities Oct 13, 2017 The myths behind some of history's most defining moments are uncovered, as well as revealing facts behind America's space explorations.
S05 E24
Oct 20, 2017Bonus Round: Science or Sci-Fi? Oct 20, 2017 The science in America's history is examined, including its medical history and its nuclear age.