Season 5
24 episodes · 2017
1World War 2
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.
2Smoking, Drinking and Gambling
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.
3Liberty, Leprechauns and Lounging
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.
4The Real West
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.
5Secret Societies
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.
6Space: The Final Frontier
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.
7The Atomic Age
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.
8American Villains
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.
9Famous Feuds
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.
10Moments That Changed History
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.
11The Civil War
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.
12Bad Medicine
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.
13Bonus Round: Vote for the Truthfinale
Profiles of U.S. generals, including Dwight Eisenhower and Douglas MacArthur. Also: a look at Washington, D.C., landmarks.
14Bonus Round: Fire in the Sky
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.
15Bonus Round: Secret Vaults and Final Journeys
Investigating the nation's most secret vaults to separate fiction from fact.
16Bonus Round: The Truth Will Set You Free
Profiles of Lewis and Clark; and Pocahontas. Also: a look at the women's suffrage movement.
17Bonus Round: America Celebrates
The spotlight is on amusement parks and world's fairs to separate fiction from truth; explore the myths of two of our favorite holidays, Christmas and New Year's Eve.
18Bonus Round: Patriots and Presidents
The birth of America and the powerful people behind it are featured.
19Bonus Round: Cowboys vs. Hollywood
Hollywood's vision of the old west is explored. Included: the truth behind some of America's renowned rivalries.
20Bonus Round: No Liars Allowed
The true stories behind America's most infamous bad guys; and the truths behind America's notorious secret societies are investigated.
21Bonus Round: Yankees, Rebels and World War II
The myths behind World War II are exposed. Delves into the truths that are often forgotten when it comes to America's Civil War.
22Bonus Round: Vices and Vacations
The myths surrounding popular favorite vices and the facts behind the most-liked holidays are explored.
23Bonus Round: Monumental Realities
The myths behind some of history's most defining moments are uncovered, as well as revealing facts behind America's space explorations.
24Bonus Round: Science or Sci-Fi?
The science in America's history is examined, including its medical history and its nuclear age.
