Special Features
- Photo Gallery: Medical Investigation of Influenza
- General Article: Flu Trackers
- General Article: Scientific Investigation of the 1918 Flu
- Interview: Alfred Crosby
- General Article: City Snapshots: San Francisco
- General Article: Searching for Cures
The worst epidemic in American history killed over 600,000 Americans during World War I. Nicknamed "Spanish influenza," it died out quickly the following winter.
My American Experience
Share Your Story
Tell us what you think of the flu — do you think there is a significant threat of a major outbreak today like there was in 1918?
The Great Transatlantic Cable
The remarkable story of mid-19th century ingenuity and perseverance during the laying of the transatlantic telegraph cable between North America and Europe.
Watch Trailer
New York Underground
Engineered by William Barclay Parsons, the 21-mile, four-track route of the New York City Subway was the largest public works project in history.
Film Details
The Polio Crusade
The story of the polio crusade pays tribute to a time when Americans banded together to conquer a terrible disease.
Watch Preview
The Wright Stuff
Brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright built a flying machine that made its first flight in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina in 1903.
Film Details
Fly Girls
During World War II, more than a thousand women signed up to fly with the U.S. military as WASPS.
Film Details
Radio Bikini
While the U.N. debated strategies for control of atomic energy, the U.S. Navy was preparing for nuclear tests on Bikini Island.
Film Details
