These giants of history are iconic...

But what you don't know about them would fill a book!

10 THINGS YOU DON'T KNOW

New series premieres Monday, February 27 at 10pm ET on H2

Wednesday, February 22, 2012 - They are iconic legends: inventors and warriors, leaders and mavericks. They were revered, feared, and immortalized for the mark they made on history. But the full story of history's greatest figures and events are seldom told; we just don't hear about the secrets, the odd habits, the hidden traumas, the skeletons in the closet... until now.

H2 digs deep into the hazy backstories of renowned leaders, famous events, and notorious criminals to reveal startling chapters of history in 10 Things You Don't Know, a new series premiering Monday, February 27 at 10pm on H2. Each episode gives viewers an inside glimpse into the unknown pasts of history-making people and events, from Benjamin Franklin's nefarious habits to Wyatt Earp's role in the flesh trade.

National polls show that while most Americans have a basic textbook knowledge of history, very few know the whole story. "I believe that the things people don't know can have a surprising and big impact on our view of history," said historian and author David Eisenbach, who hosts the series.

For example, most people would be surprised to learn that Ben Franklin's sex drive not only helped win the American Revolution but also helped set the French Revolution in motion. Each program presents 10 staggering facts about a historic figure or event from Abraham Lincoln (who held views considered racist today) to Adolf Hitler (a child of incest) and Pablo Escobar (who helped the U.S. track down Bin Laden).

Other topics include J. Edgar Hoover, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, the OK Corral, Caligula, the Mormons, George S. Patton, and the Rat Pack.

10 Things You Don't Know is produced for H2 by Asylum Entertainment. Carl H. Lindahl is Executive Producer for H2.

Welcome to H2(TM), where information is entertainment, experienced in unexpected and exciting ways. H2 offers a deeper perspective on history from all around the globe. It's more to explore, more to know, more to understand, More 2 HISTORY. H2 is now in 65 million households.