20th Century with Mike Wallace Season 2, Episode 14: Life or Death: The Battle Over Capital Punishment

1

The FBI: Life Without Hoover

Recent events such as Ruby Ridge and the Centennial Olympic Park bombing in Atlanta have tarnished the FBI's once-sterling image.

45 min

2

Detectives of Death

Modern forensics helps solve crimes; O.J. Simpson's attorney Peter Neufeld.

45 min

3

Crisis in Space: The Real Story of Apollo 13

In 1970, an oxygen tank ruptured on the Apollo 13 command module, leaving three astronauts struggling to return to Earth.

45 min

4

Riot!

Police brutality in the Rodney King case and the riot following the verdict.

45 min

5

Terror in the Sky: KAL 007; The Lockerbie Bombing

A Soviet military plane shoots down one civilian jet, and a bomb planted by terrorists explodes another.

45 min

6

The Televangelists

Popularity and political power of televangelists; Jerry Falwell; Pat Robertson; Jimmy Swaggart and Oral Roberts.

45 min

7

The Raging Inferno of Volcanoes

Interviews and underwater footage of volcanic eruptions help explain the role volcanoes play in building continents.

45 min

8

A Few Good Women

The role of women in the military, including their history and their recent struggles within the male-oriented institution.

45 min

9

Underwater: The Flood of '93

News anchors and correspondents look back at the devastating 1993 flood of the Mississippi River and its tributaries.

45 min

10

Massacre!

Footage helps chronicle mass murders committed since 1966 and profiles those who were responsible.

45 min

11

Crooked Cops

A history of corruption in police work that includes profiles of several rogue officers who have committed heinous crimes.

45 min

12

Hurricanes: Natural Born Killers

Edward R. Murrow flies into the eye of a 1954 storm; hurricanes Hugo, Andrew; tracking hurricanes.

45 min

13

Falsely Accused

People who have been found guilty and imprisoned for crimes they didn't commit.

45 min

14

Life or Death: The Battle Over Capital Punishment

The debate surrounding capital punishment has become a metaphor for crime and violence in the United States.

45 min

15

Uprising at Attica

The bloody inmate uprising at Attica State Prison that ended in the deaths of 47 prisoners and guards.

45 min

16

The CIA: 50 Years of Spying

Host Mike Wallace chronicles the history of the Central Intelligence Agency, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1996.

45 min

17

Gambling Mania: The Winners and the Losers

The history of legal gaming, including the 18th-century scandals that brought it to an abrupt end and its resurgence in today's society.

45 min

18

Outbreak! The New Plagues

Despite advances in modern medicine, viral infections continue to be a potent threat to society.

45 min

19

Washington Scandals: Sex, Money, Power

Political scandals include Wilbur Mills, Gary Hart, Bernard Goldfine and Bobby Baker.

45 min

20

Korea: The Forgotten War

An account of the 1950 U.N. peacekeeping mission in Korea, which escalated into a bloody war that claimed 54,000 American lives.

45 min

21

Crashes Without Cause: The Case of the 737

Top investigators explain the search for answers that followed the crashes of two 737s.

45 min

22

Cry of the Wild: Wolves, Fires and the Fight for Yellowstone

How the controversy between man and nature could affect America's national parks.

45 min

23

Capers: The Men, The Gambles, The Heists

The Brink's heist, the D.B. Cooper case and other famous cases highlight an exploration of modern capers and how they are evolving.

45 min

24

Violence in the Media

The influence of TV violence; developing a TV ratings system.

45 min

25

Born to Kill: Jeffrey Dahmer and Ted Bundy

Original news footage recounts the stories of Jeffrey Dahmer and Ted Bundy, two of the most notorious serial killers of the 20th century.

45 min

26

Kid Crime: Violent Crime and Children

Criminologist James Fox analyzes the rise in youth crime.

45 min

27

Vietnam: A Soldier's Diary

How one American soldier's attitudes evolved with the changing U.S. policy in Vietnam.

45 min