Special Features
- Photo Gallery: Medical Investigation of Influenza
- Biography: Rupert Blue
- Interview: Alfred Crosby
- General Article: Flu Trackers
- General Article: City Snapshots: Boston
- General Article: City Snapshots: San Francisco
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 Boy in the Bubble
The unusual life of David Vetter, who lived permanently inside a germ-free environment due to severe combined immunodeficiency.
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The Pill
The story behind the development of the oral contraceptive that put women in control of birth control.
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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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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.
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The World That Moses Built
Robert Moses fueled some of the most ambitious -- and controversial -- public works projects ever conceived.
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Spy in the Sky
In 1960, Francis Gary Powers' U-2 spy plane was shot down over the Soviet Union.
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Transcontinental Railroad
The remarkable story of how a railroad was built connecting California to the East.
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