On May 28, 1972, five burglars largely composed of many of them ex-CIA agents broke in to the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex Hotel in Washington, D.C. to plant listening devises. It was the beginning of a political scandal that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. The Final Report peels back the layers of the Nixon Administrations two-year struggle to contain the Scandal at any cost. The show also reveals how Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, two young and tenacious Washington Post reporters unraveled the tangled trail of illegal tactics. First person insight from G. Gordon Liddy, who oversaw the burglary; former Washington Post editor reporters, Ben Bradlee, and CBS News reporter Leslie Stahl; and former members of the Nixon Administration.
Retrace each step of the Washington, D.C. snipers as they stalked their prey, toyed with police and sent waves of fear through the community. Deconstruct the events of those frightful weeks and the intense police struggle to stop the killers.
When John Gotti emerged as head of the Gambino crime family, the media took notice of this charismatic new boss who was tried several times but never convicted. NGC revisits Gotti's rise to power and why it took the feds so long to bring him down.
At the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran, on November 4, 1979, 66 Americans are taken hostage and held captive for 444 days. The U.S. makes several unsuccessful attempts to secure the release of the hostages, including, imposing harsh economic sanctions, breaking diplomatic relations with Iran, and planning a military rescue mission. Finally, in January 1981, Algerian diplomats mediate an agreement between the U.S. and Iran, securing the freedom of the hostages.
Riots erupt in Los Angeles after four white police officers are acquitted of beating black motorist Rodney King. Why wasn't the city prepared? How did the LAPD lose control of the streets? Where was the National Guard?
After the September 11 attacks on America, President Bush said he wanted Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." Find out how the infamous terrorist got away at Tora Bora and why he remains a moving target.
Jonestown looks at the tragic death of 913 men, women and children who lived in a religious compound in the jungles of Guyana, South America, and investigates leader Jim Jones and his message of brotherhood and social justice.
Find out what really happened when heavily-armed militia in war-torn Somalia shot down two U.S. Black Hawk helicopters in one of the bloodiest firefights since Vietnam.
Pan Am Flight 103 explodes over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing everyone on board. Follow the miniscule pieces of evidence that lead detectives to the African nation of Libya.
April 20, 1999. Littleton, Colorado. Two students go on a murderous rampage at Columbine High School, killing 12 students and one teacher, before committing suicide. Go behind the scenes to see how and why this tragedy unfolded.
Find out how U.S. military strategy in the First Gulf War helped shape the situation in Iraq today. What factors influenced the decision to halt the fighting, allowing Saddam Hussein to remain in power?
NGC looks back at the O.J. Simpson murder trial, from the night Simpson's ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman were murdered to the criminal trial and acquittal of the football legend.
On a remote ridge in northern Idaho, a surveillance operation leads to a military-like siege on the home of Randy Weaver. After an 11-day standoff, three people are dead: a federal agent, Weaver's wife and 14-year-old son.
The Final Report explores the scandal that threatened to bring down President William Jefferson Clinton. In 1998, Clinton was accused of lying in federal court about a sexual relationship with a 22-year-old White House intern. An investigation by the Office of the Independent Counsel and a bitter partisan fight followed. Clinton was charged with perjury and obstruction of justice, becaming the second president in American history to be impeached. The Final Report investigates this historic impeachment, revealing how Clinton remained in office and assessing the aftermath of the protracted political battle.
Get the inside story of the government's assault on the Branch Davidian compound, including the cult's armed stand-off and personal crusade against the U.S. government. Why did this religious sect have hundreds of unregistered fully automatic weapons?
The Final Report: Battle of Fallujah examines and answers key questions central to the ambush on four American contractors in Fallujah, Iraq and the subsequent US military assaults on the city. The program documents how the initial attempt to destroy the insurgency in Fallujah only results in increasing chaos. Using compelling images and interviews with soldiers and leadership on the ground, National Geographic details how many pivotal events in Iraq the beheading of Nicholas Berg, the hunt for al-Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and the transition to an Iraqi-led government directly influence how military leaders handle operations in Fallujah.
"Heavens Gate" examines and answers questions central to the 1997 mass suicide of 39 members of the Heavens Gate cult - the largest committed on U.S. soil. The cult began in the mid-1970s under Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles, who mixed Christian theology with a belief in UFOs and extraterrestrials. The hundreds of members who joined over the years abandoned their family, friends, and former lives in search of spiritual fulfillment. They believed they would achieve this on the so-called "Next Level." a physical heaven to which they would travel in a spaceship. National Geographic dissects how one cult succeeded in disconnecting its followers from the bonds of life on earth.
The Final Report looks back at the notorious 1971 revolt in New York States Attica Prison, where 1,200 inmates took 39 hostages during a four-day standoff. How did these events result in the death of 29 inmates and 10 hostages?
Revisit the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill that dumped 11 million gallons of oil into Prince William Sound with significant impact on the Alaskan environment and economy. Follow the massive cleanup and see the outcome of the most studied spill in history.
In the 1980s, police found the bodies of dozens of young women near the banks of the Green River and throughout the Seattle areas forests. But it wasnt until 2001 that DNA evidence allowed authorities to link Gary Ridgway to the slayings. After pleading guilty, he supplied the names and locations of other victims as part of a plea bargain to avoid the death penalty. He is now serving 48 consecutive life sentences without any chance of parole. The Final Report: Green River Killer uses interviews with authorities involved to analyze the investigation and exposes rarely-seen confession tapes to reveal the motivation behind the most prolific serial killer in U.S history.
The Final Report: The Commission will examine and answer key questions in the case against the countrys most powerful mob organization in the 1980s, The Commission. The program will look at how investigators uncovered this shadowy association comprised of New Yorks toughest crime bosses, and ultimately loosened its deadly grip on the nation.
On a spring morning in Oklahoma City, Timothy McVeigh parked a Ryder truck outside the Alfred P. Murrah federal building. Moments later the truck exploded. Follow the planning and execution of this American tragedy.
What caused TWA Flight 800 to explode in midair off the coast of Long Island, killing all 230 passengers? Was it mechanical error -- or terrorism?
From hot dog-eating contests to oyster-gulping gorge fests, competitive eating is made for the oversized appetite. But how do speed eaters hold such immense amounts of food, and what happens to their bodies when they do? Now, NGC bites into the gut-wrenching world of competitive eating as doctors examine a competitive eater?s stomach. Follow along with three of the world?s top competitors as they devour their way through the professional speed eating circuit.
Survivors of a tragic mission in Mogadishu are interviewed.
Riots and violence break out in Los Angeles after the verdict is delivered in the Rodney King case in 1992.
