Modern Marvels

Season 1

6 episodes · Dec 10, 1993

0/6 watched

Swipe a row to mark watched · long-press to mark up to there

  • Grand Coulee Dam
    S1E1

    Grand Coulee Dam

    Dec 10, 199344m

    The world’s largest concrete dam–and the largest concrete structure in the world–lies on the Columbia River in the State of Washington. B uilt in 1931, it is also one of the largest hydroelectric power plants in the world.

    Reviews
  • The Empire State Building
    S1E2

    The Empire State Building

    Jan 21, 199444m

    The remarkable story of how the landmark New York City skyscraper was constructed during the depths of the Depression. Requiring 10 million bricks and 60,000 tons of steel beams and using a revolutionary technique to hold the steel girders in place–hot rivets–the world’s tallest building was completed four months ahead of schedule.

    Reviews
  • The Panama Canal
    S1E3

    The Panama Canal

    Mar 4, 199444m

    Chronicles one of the most incredible engineering feats of all time: construction of the 51-mile canal that took 10 years to build and employed over 40,000 workers, 6,000 of whom died of yellow fever, malaria, and other horrors. An earlier, 9-year attempt by the French ended in failure and cost 20,000 lives.

    Reviews
  • S1E4

    Cruise Ships

    Mar 20, 199444m

    A large machine turned water city, cruise ships are exciting and new.

    Reviews
  • Transatlantic Cable
    S1E5

    Transatlantic Cable

    Mar 27, 199444m

    Looks at how one man’s vision and the cooperation between the U.S. and England resulted in an instant, reliable transcontinental mode of communication in the mid-1800s. See how wealthy 33-year-old Cyrus West Field endured many failures and lost millions in his attempt to close the communication gap between the Old and New Worlds.

    Reviews
  • Mt. Rushmore.
    S1E6

    Mt. Rushmore.

    Mar 13, 199444m

    The incredible tale of how Gutzon Borglum created the world's largest sculpture by carving the faces of four US presidents (George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln) into the Black Hills of South Dakota. The four figures carved in stone pay tribute to the first 150 years of American history. The hour chronicles the "swiveled pointer" that Borglum put in each president's "head", and how workmen hung like spiders 6,000 feet above the ground to blast away 450,000 tons of rock.

    Reviews