SMITHSONIAN CHANNEL™ CELEBRATES WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH WITH

WOMEN IN HISTORY

AND

VIKING WOMEN: THE REAL VALKYRIES

BOTH PROJECTS TO LAUNCH ON MARCH 1 AND 2 EXCLUSIVELY ON SMITHSONIAN CHANNEL PLATFORMS

NEW YORK – February 24, 2020 – Smithsonian Channel is set to kick off Women’s History Month with two exciting new projects – first, the second annual WOMEN IN HISTORY social video initiative on March 1, and the following day, the premiere of VIKING WOMEN: THE REAL VALKYRIES.

Each aims to shine a light on incredible, pioneering women that may not have gotten their fair due in history books.

Connect with Smithsonian Channel on Twitter (@SmithsonianChan), Facebook (Smithsonian Channel) and Instagram (@Smithsonian_Channel) to catch all of the WOMEN IN HISTORY videos beginning March 1, and tune-in to Smithsonian Channel on March 2 at 8 p.m. ET/PT for the premiere of VIKING WOMEN: THE REAL VALKYRIES.

Together in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution, Smithsonian Channel will rollout a new series of videos throughout the month of March, each spotlighting a different woman who has made a profound impact in the worlds of art, science, history, culture and more under the hashtag #BecauseOfHerStory.

From the trailblazing leader of the Women Airforce Service Pilots, Jacqueline Cochran, to pop culture icon Dolly Parton and Hawaiian Queen Liliʻuokalani, each video will feature the story of a different extraordinary woman during Women’s History Month. Produced alongside various Smithsonian Institution museums, galleries and exhibits, this social media campaign is set to highlight the stories of women throughout American history that deserve celebration and recognition, told through personalized illustrations, historical artifacts and their own words. To learn more, click here.

For centuries, historians believed all Viking warriors were men. They were wrong. VIKING WOMEN: THE REAL VALKYRIES uncovers startling new research that proves that the armor-covered skeleton in a 1,000-year-old Viking grave was actually a woman. This discovery, backed by cutting-edge genetic research, challenges centuries of presumptions about gender roles in the ancient world. The special explores this new archaeological discovery and its implications while bringing the viewer into the world of the Birka Viking warrior woman in cinematic detail. Viewers follow a young Viking woman on raids deep into the heartland of Eastern Europe as she learns the techniques of a fighter and develops the skills of a chieftain.

Viking Women: The Real Valkyries - Women In History - Smithsonian Channel 2020 — The Legend of Signe Began with the Murder of her Father… — Photo Courtesy of Smithsonian Channel

VIKING WOMEN: THE REAL VALKYRIES is produced by Sebastian Peiter and Richard Melman of Urban Canyons Ltd. for Smithsonian Networks, SVT, ORF and ZDF. Tim Evans and David Royle serve as executive producers for Smithsonian Channel.

About Smithsonian Channel

Smithsonian Channel™, a ViacomCBS Inc. network, is where curiosity lives, inspiration strikes and wonders never cease. This is the place for awe-inspiring stories, powerful documentaries and amazing factual entertainment, available in HD and 4K Ultra HD across multiple platforms.

Smithsonian Channel, winner of Emmy® and Peabody awards for its programming, is the home of popular genres such as air and space, travel, history, science, nature and pop culture. Among the network’s offerings are hit series including Aerial America, America in Color, America’s Hidden Stories, Apollo’s Moon Shot, The Pacific War in Color and Air Disasters, as well as critically-acclaimed specials that include The Green Book: Guide to Freedom, Black Hole Hunters and Princess Diana’s Wicked Stepmother. Smithsonian Networks also operates Smithsonian Channel Plus™, a subscription video streaming service delivering over a thousand hours of the Channel’s stunning and diverse library of documentaries and series in HD and 4K Ultra HD.

Smithsonian Channel is also available internationally in Canada, Singapore, Latin America, the UK and Ireland. To learn more, go to smithsonianchannel.com, or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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