The remarkable and tragic story of one of the 20th century's most important people. Alan Turing set in motion the computer age and his World War II codebreaking helped turn the tide of the Second World War. Instead of receiving accolades, he faced terrible persecution. In 1952, the British Government forced him to undergo chemical castration as punishment for his homosexuality. In despair, Turing committed suicide. He was only 41 years old.

From his days at Oxford to the revelation and trial that led to his incarceration in the Reading Jail, Biography traces the life of the legendary writer and wit, Oscar Wilde.

Samuel Clemens rose from a hardscrabble boyhood in the backwoods of Missouri to become, as Mark Twain, America's best-known and best-loved author. Considered in his time as the funniest man on earth, Twain was also an unflinching critic of human nature who used his humor to attack hypocrisy, greed and racism. He created some of the world's most memorable characters as well as its most quoted sayings. And, in his often-misunderstood novel "Huckleberry...

Director R.J. Cutler takes a revealing look at the brilliant life of comedic legend John Belushi. Known for his iconic characters and sketches on both stage and screen, few people knew his personal side, until now. Never-before-seen photos, letters and home-movies from the Belushi family archive give intimate access to the world-famous superstar. Family and friends who knew him best share intimate memories, including Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, Chevy...

The author of such innovative works as "The Iceman Cometh" and "Long Day's Journey Into Night", Eugene O'Neill wrote twenty plays in fewer than 25 years. This production, by award-winning director Ric Burns, tells O'Neill's turbulent story from his childhood to his painful death at the age of 65.

This course is a series of biographic portraits from Augustus, Julius Caesar's grandnephew, to Constantine.

Filmmaker Ken Burns traces the life and career of one of America's best known painters.

Flannery O'Connor's distinctive Southern Gothic style influenced a generation of artists and activists. Winner of the first-ever Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film, O'Connor includes conversations with Mary Karr, Hilton Als and others. Through never-before-seen archival footage, examine the life and legacy of an American literary icon.

One of the most popular presidents ever, Ronald Wilson Reagan served two terms in office and left with his reputation intact as a charismatic, charming leader who managed to avoid many of the major pitfalls of the leaders before him. A one-time actor, he became an ideologue who preached a simple gospel of optimism, lower taxes, less government and anti-communism. Often underestimated, his successes surprised many of his greatest detractors.

The story of a man who was an American newspaper editor and publisher who helped establish the pattern of the modern newspaper. In his time he was one of the most powerful journalists in the United States.