History Detectives

A Hero in Hawaii, Civil War Cannon & Stuntman Pioneer

In this episode, mysterious airplane engine parts lead Eduardo Pagan to a heroic story on a forbidden Hawaiian island. Then, Elyse Luray tries to match metal shavings to the right Civil War cannon and Wes Cowan connects a rodeo saddle to a star who changed Hollywood movie-making.

A Hero in Hawaii, Civil War Cannon & Stuntman Pioneer

55m 9s

In this episode, mysterious airplane engine parts lead Eduardo Pagan to a heroic story on a forbidden Hawaiian island. Then, Elyse Luray tries to match metal shavings to the right Civil War cannon and Wes Cowan connects a rodeo saddle to a star who changed Hollywood movie-making.

Previews + Extras

  • The Hero of Ni'ihau, Hawaii: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    The Hero of Ni'ihau, Hawaii

    S9 E1 - 18m 18s

    Mysterious airplane engine parts lead Eduardo Pagan to a forbidden Hawaii island where he finds a heroic story often overshadowed by the raid on Pearl Harbor. Join Eduardo's quest to confirm whether these engine parts belong to a Japanese Zero that took part in that raid.

  • The Saddle That Invented the Stuntman: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    The Saddle That Invented the Stuntman

    S9 E1 - 14m 17s

    A veteran collector of cowboy gear thinks he may have a saddle that once belonged to rodeo champion and Hollywood legend, Yakima Canutt. Canutt dominated the rodeo circuit until launching his acting career, appearing in silent movies and doubled as a stuntman for some of Hollywood's biggest names. Watch as Wes Cowan investigates whether the saddle actually belonged to the Hollywood cowboy.

  • First Cannon Fire of Civil War Secession: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    First Cannon Fire of Civil War Secession

    S9 E1 - 18m 3s

    A Charleston, SC antique dealer discovered what appear to be metal filings along with a note that suggests they were from a Charleston cannon that fired the shot that began the Civil War. Could these shavings come from the cannon that sounded the first volley in the fight for southern secession? Follow Elyse Luray to Ft. Sumter as she tries to match metal shavings to the right Civil War cannon.

  • Moon Museum Update: Searching for John F.: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Moon Museum Update: Searching for John F.

    S9 E1 - 1m 29s

    Who was John F? That was the question we asked viewers to help us solve at the end of our Moon Museum investigation. John F. was the name on the telegram confirming that a tiny piece of Andy Warhol's artwork had made it to the moon. But what was the true identity of John F? Wes Cowan gives an update on the investigation.

  • Yak Canutt: Devil Horse Clip: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Yak Canutt: Devil Horse Clip

    S9 E1 - 2m 27s

    In this clip from Devil Horse, stuntman Yak Canutt can be seen riding a horse. In his autobiography Yak recalled "Devil Horse" in detail, saying "I thought that my time had come, when, in 1926, I was loaned to Hal Roach to play the leading role in "The Devil Horse"... This picture was the biggest and best of the films in which I played the leading role."

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