Special Features
- Interview: Alfred Crosby
- Bonus Video: Original Interview: Dr. Shirley Fannin
- Timeline: Influenza Across America in 1918
- General Article: Flu Trackers
- General Article: City Snapshots: Boston
- Further Reading: Related Books and Websites
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 Polio Crusade
The story of the polio crusade pays tribute to a time when Americans banded together to conquer a terrible disease.
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Coney Island
The internationally famous carnival of delights in New York was the birthplace of the hot dog and the roller coaster.
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Troublesome Creek: A Midwestern
A personal story of one family's dramatic effort to hold onto their family farm in Iowa as massive foreclosures sweep the nation in the 1990s.
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The Iron Road
Begun during the Civil War, the transcontinental railroad employed 20,000 men, mostly immigrants, who built the iron road with their bare hands.
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The Satellite Sky
A uniquely impressionistic history of the early years of the Space Race.
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The Trials of J. Robert Oppenheimer
A brilliant scientist, Oppenheimer was tasked with the development of the atomic bomb during World War II.
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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.
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Hoover Dam
During the Great Depression, Americans built the Hoover Dam, one of the greatest engineering works in history.
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