Special Features
- General Article: Searching for Cures
- Timeline: Influenza Across America in 1918
- General Article: City Snapshots: Philadelphia
- Bonus Video: Author Interview: Dr. Alfred Crosby
- Photo Gallery: Medical Investigation of Influenza
- Interview: Alfred Crosby
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?
Secrets of a Master Builder
Engineer James Eads tamed the mighty Mississippi, turning New Orleans into the second largest port in the nation.
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Alone on the Ice
In 1934, American polar explorer Richard Byrd became the first to experience winter in Antarctica's interior.
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Wildcatter - A Story of Texas Oil
The tale of oil-seeking mavericks whose risk-taking, sweat and dreams changed an American industry.
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Grand Coulee Dam
The contradictory history of a dam that became a statement of American power and prestige.
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The Great Air Race of 1924
The first around-the-world air race was sponsored to prove that the airplane had a commercial future.
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Transcontinental Railroad
The remarkable story of how a railroad was built connecting California to the East.
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Big Dream, Small Screen
A Utah farm boy builds a prototype for a television, but is thwarted by movie studio executives wanting to control the technology.
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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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