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The Man Who Saved the World

Season 12 Episode 1 | 53m 10s

Fifty years ago, in October 1962, the world teetered on the brink of nuclear war. This is the little-known story of how close to nuclear destruction the world really was during those dark October days, and how the heroism of one man saved us all.

Aired: 10/22/12
SECRETS OF THE DEAD is made possible, in part, by public television viewers.
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The chance discovery of a jade artifact unearths an ancient Chinese city.
See how secret letters written by Mary, Queen of Scots, were finally decoded.
After months decoding mysterious letters, codebreakers realize they may belong to Mary Stuart.
An unprecedented discovery could reveal new information about Cleopatra’s reign.
Tiny lead tokens revealed the first clues to Cleopatra’s temple façade in Alexandria.
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