HISTORY has announced a new strand of 100 documentary films, titled ‘HISTORY 100’, covering some of the most compelling historical events of the last 100 years. The films come from acclaimed directors and filmmakers including Academy Award winners Barbara Kopple (American Dream), Daniel Junge (Saving Face) and Charles Ferguson (Inside Job).

The first eight films will focus on significant events and stories in American history, including the Mercury 13 (pictured), a group of women who undertook secret tests at NASA with the hopes of becoming the first female astronauts, sparking public debate on gender equality.

Other subjects covered in HISTORY 100 will include 9/11; the Watergate scandal and how President Richard Nixon was brought to justice; Mikhail Gorbachev and his role in ending the Cold War; and Operation Eagle Claw, the attempted Delta Force mission to end the Iran Hostage Crisis in 1979.