As 2024 comes to a close, we want to highlight the most popular MagellanTV documentaries of the year. From advancements in astronomy to archaeological discoveries, these…
Swipe! A match! Get struck by Cupid’s arrow! As with most things in life, dating in the digital age offers opportunities and challenges. One such challenge is conduct. What are…
Once the exclusive domain of college students, Facebook now has billions of users worldwide. But, as younger people flock to newer social media, FB’s demographics are skewing…
We want to be in the public eye; we all want to be heard. We’ve gone from shock-talk shows like “Jerry Springer” to dating shows like “The Bachelor.” Now we’ve added social media.…
Social media have become the go-to means for individuals and groups to organize and connect in the 21st century. So, what is known about who is using which platforms to document…
Among the many things the Roaring ’20s were known for was the rise of organized, violent crime. And there were hardly any mob bosses more notorious than Al “Scarface” Capone.…
It’s been called “The Golden Age of Serial Murder.” What caused the spike in numbers, and why are serial killings now on the decline? Experts propose some answers.
When it comes to true crime, the cliché says ‘it’s always the husband.’ But, like an Agatha Christie novel, the 1988 murder of middle-aged mother Peggy Carr defied all…
The Tylenol Murders of 1982 terrified a nation and forever changed the way we consume medications and other products. But will justice ever be served for the victims and their…
It isn’t certain how huge limestone blocks were transported to the sites of the pyramids nor how they were raised into place. Several recent archaeological discoveries do make a…
For more than 150 years, medieval Christian knights sailed and marched to the Holy Land in hope of wresting control from Muslim rulers. Despite their undeniable zeal, the…
Confucius, Socrates, and Buddha lived in different parts of the world around the same time 2,500 years ago. They are revered for their philosophies, but what did they want us to…
Each of us is a citizen of one country or another. The concept has developed since ancient Athens created the first known democracy. But what does it mean to be a citizen in…
Get Access to Premium Documentaries
Start your 14-day trial of MagellanTV and get access to 2,000+ documentaries, available anywhere, on any device
The dream of automobiles that can lift off and fly above the highways and byways dates back decades. One man’s quest would dispense with the need for roads and drivers altogether.
Historians Guy Walters and Lisa Pine present an engaging overview of the complicated history of Adolph Hitler’s rise to, and consolidation of, power. Follow events from the end of…
Six novice candidates vie for elected positions in government across the U.S. and at all levels. Watch how these newcomers find their voices as they struggle with the day-to-day…
In an era when “swift boating” of veterans aspiring to high political office is common, it is instructive to consider the extraordinary courage and dedication to public service of…
The changing seasons on Earth are nature’s gift that keeps on giving. Not only do they enchant us, but life itself might depend upon their progress year in and year out. And what…
What are the shape and properties of the vast region of space influenced by the Sun? Scientists don’t know, but a thousand of them are working with NASA on a plan to find out.
As long as humankind has looked up at the sky, we’ve questioned whether there are others out there like us. Mathematics enabled us to get into space, but statistics point to a…
Multiple countries plan to return humans to the Moon more than half a century since American astronauts landed there. These plans include intriguing opportunities for advances in…
In the Korean War, an innovative system for treating wounded soldiers in combat got its first trial under fire. Called MASH and using helicopters to transport casualties from the…
Organizers of the 1936 Berlin Summer Games envisioned bringing together a war-torn world in peaceful athletic competition. That happened, but already the winds of war were…
After atomic bombs effectively ended World War II, the next global conflict might have wiped out the planet. U.S. strategic readiness in the air was a big reason why an all-out…
The landing of Canadian troops on Juno Beach went smoothly, with virtually no resistance. But their advance on the German stronghold at Caen tested their mettle and proved their…
What happens when one’s monumental scientific achievement results in cataclysmic death? “Father of the bomb,” Robert Oppenheimer, was deeply troubled about the consequences of his…
Marilyn Monroe, Hollywood icon and sex symbol, captivated everyone from her fans to a president. But beneath her incandescent sparkle lay hidden hurt and trauma. Gay men…
Legend has it that St. Patrick, patron saint of Ireland, banished snakes from the Emerald Isle 1,600 years ago – one of many reasons St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated around the…
Before Marconi brought his inventive genius to the problem, communication over long distances was tethered to wires strung from one point to another. His wireless telegraphy…
Ottoman sultans of the 16th century were supposed to impregnate the concubines in their harem, but a marriage between the two was strictly taboo. See how Suleiman I’s love…
The world runs on debt. Consumer debt is part of daily life in the U.S. In 2023, that debt was just under $5,000,000,000,000 – that’s 5 trillion! Debt is, at a basic level, about…
What do the Salem Witch Trials and the case of mysterious bodily tics in high school cheerleaders have in common? Both originated as instances of mass psychogenic illness.
In 1518, the city of Strasbourg experienced a “dancing plague.” Hundreds of citizens felt a painful and uncontrollable urge to dance, and many couldn’t stop dancing until they…
Shakespeare captures important aspects of the human condition so beautifully that we often mistake others’ beautifully written contributions for his. So, what are some famous…
Provenance and authentication can change an artwork’s value from hundreds of dollars to tens of millions. Needless to say, determining the work’s true artist and rightful owner…
William Shakespeare is known as one of the greatest playwrights in history. Many lines from his works have seeped into our daily lives, but we don’t know their source. Take a tour…
John Lennon faced immense government pushback in the early 1970s for his political activism. The FBI, the CIA, and the INS all teamed up to neutralize his public voice by getting…
Around the globe, hundreds of millions of people live in poverty. In the land of opportunity, the United States, people are not immune to poverty. What does it mean to be poor,…
Paganism is a popular topic during the Halloween season. Around 1.4 million people identify as Pagans in the U.S., and their history and beliefs are far more complex than many…
WWI veterans went to Washington during the Depression to lobby Congress for immediate payment of their war bonuses. After their petitioning was denied, tables turned against the…
The rise of populism in many countries presents historic challenges that must be met if authentic democracy is to survive. How can this political movement be weakened?
Climate change has disrupted weather patterns, causing droughts and high temperatures that lead to severe, long-lasting wildfires. These fires release carbon, worsening the…
“Zombie fires” have become a priority for environmental scientists who study the relationship between wildfires and global warming. So, what are zombie fires, and why are they so…
Since life first appeared on Earth billions of years ago, many species have disappeared into extinction, leaving only fossil traces. A few of them, though, have made a surprising…
Human activities have only recently been considered catalysts of seismic activity. If humans are not careful, our methods of extracting natural resources and our growing…
Fire ants are common in warm, sunny regions around the world. Their stings can be terribly painful and debilitating, and their ravenous behavior often wreaks havoc on agriculture…
Many non-human animals exhibit fascinating behaviors and even striking hallmarks of intelligence. Sure, humans have accomplished a lot, but the rest of the animal kingdom can do…
Sir David Attenborough has spent his life revealing the wonders of nature to millions of television viewers. Now, he has embarked on an urgent mission to help ensure the survival…
Feathers, beaks, and small sizes are all significant adaptations some early dinosaurs developed that allowed those creatures to survive mass extinction events in Earth’s history.…
Perfume is easy to write off as frivolous or overwhelming, calling to mind thoughts of department store counters, surreal ads, or even your grandmother. In fact, both perfumery…
Health insurance is a complicated (and touchy) subject. Lots of people have strong opinions about how healthcare should be covered, but just as many of us don’t know much about…
Lunch hasn’t always been the midday break we know today. While a meal during peak daylight hours is now quite common, the cultural and social weight of lunch has come about…
Sleep is crucial to a healthy lifestyle. But many of us have little understanding of why it’s so important – and even what it is! Here, we investigate the scientific findings that…