Modern Marvels

12,64

1993

8 / 10

Episodes

EP 1: Poison

Since ancient times, man has tried to control the "devil's bounty"–deadly substances found throughout nature. Paradoxically, some ...

EP 2: Car Tech of the Future

Engage the satellite navigation, fire-up the fuel cell, and activate the radar-guided cruise control! You’re in for the joyride of...

EP 3: The Arch

Join us as we explore the vast and varied world of the arch, one of the strongest and most versatile structures made by man. Decep...

EP 4: More Nature's Engineers

Think man is unique within the animal kingdom? You might not after this hour that features an amazing collection of earth's non-hu...

EP 5: World's Biggest Machines 3

Giant robots on the factory floor and in outer space. A floating fortress that's home to 6,000 military personnel, which is almost...

EP 6: Blackbird Stealth

Designed in the late 1950s by aeronautical genius Kelly Johnson at the mysterious Skunkworks, the SR-71 Blackbird was the world’s ...

EP 7: The Butcher

In a carnivorous world, a butcher is a necessary link in the food chain, carving a carcass of unsavory flesh into mouthwatering cu...

EP 8: George Washington Carver Tech

One of the 20th century’s greatest scientists, George Washington Carver’s influence is still felt. Rising from slavery to become o...

EP 9: Firefighting!: Extreme Conditions

This episode of Modern Marvels examines the most extreme raging fires and the firefighters who tame them. The program features int...

EP 10: Desert Tech

It’s hot, dry, deadly, and hard to ignore with close to 40% of Earth classified as desert. But in this scorching hour, the desert ...

EP 11: Sub Zero

Come in from the cold while we explore some of Earth's most frigid places and examine how man copes with sub-zero climates. With t...

EP 12: The Great Bridge: 8 Miles of Steel

The Oakland Bay Bridge in San Francisco boasts more superlatives than any bridge on earth. Bridge builders of the depression era ...

EP 13: Howard Hughes Tech

An in-depth look at the technology conceived or developed by America’s first billionaire. A passionate aviator, Howard Hughes buil...

EP 14: Edwards Air Force Base

Examine the colorful history of the premier flight test center, and America’s most important aviation facility for more than 60 ye...

EP 15: Taxidermy

It began as a tool used by prehistoric man to attract animals to the hunt. Over time it became an invaluable study aid for the nat...

EP 16: SWAT

...

EP 17: Deadliest Weapons

In this fiery hour, we profile five of man's deadliest weapons, focusing on the inventors, battles, and dark technology behind the...

EP 18: The Doomsday Clock

Developed in 1947 as an image to symbolize urgency in the Cold War and the threat of nuclear disaster, the mission of the Doomsday...

EP 19: The Basement

Venture down that creaky staircase to explore the most misunderstood room in the house! From Pompeii to Pittsburgh, the dark, cool...

EP 20: Paint

From the Impressionist canvas to the Space Shuttle…from customized hotrods to the brilliant orange hue of the Golden Gate Bridge o...

EP 21: Mega Movers

...

EP 22: Punishment

...

EP 23: Bricks

The history of civilization has been built on the back of brick, and it’s been said that “architecture itself began when two brick...

EP 24: Glue

It’s Super! It’s Krazy! And it can be found in everything from carpet to computers, books to boats, shoes to the Space Shuttle. It...

EP 25: F/A-22 Raptor

Built around “first look, first shot, first kill” design, the F/A-22 Raptor, the most advanced aircraft of its breed, is set to be...

EP 26: Civil War Tech

America protects its homeland with the most technologically advanced military force ever conceived. Although they fight 21st-centu...

EP 27: Machines of D-Day

June 6, 1944–the greatest machine of World War Two springs into action. It is made up of thousands of ships and aircraft, tens of ...

EP 28: John Hancock Center

A steel giant standing 1,107 feet high on broad shoulders, this vertical city houses 1,200 people. Join us as we explore how a you...

EP 29: The Cape Cod Canal

In a battle against the ferocious Atlantic or safe passage through waters where ships wrecked and lives were lost, it was an engin...

EP 30: Secret Japanese Aircraft of World War II

In the 1930s, Japanese designers created a range of warplanes, culminating in the legendary Ki-43 Oscar and the A6M Zero. As the w...

EP 31: Future Tech

A paper-thin, wall-sized holographic television…a car that runs on processed seawater…an army of robotic killing machines…outer-sp...

EP 32: Edison Tech

He was the father of the future…electric lights, power systems, motion pictures, recorded sound–even the tattoo pen. Life as we kn...

EP 33: Secrets of Soviet Space Disasters

SECRETS OF SOVIET SPACE DISASTERS is one of our century’s most shocking hidden stories. Since the end of communism much has come t...

EP 34: Mountain Roads

Join our journey along monumental feats of engineering that preserved America's natural wonders while paving the way towards her f...

EP 35: Route 66

Route 66, encompassing eight states from Illinois to California and 2,400 miles, represented an American myth–that something bette...

EP 36: Cowboy Tech

Today’s cowboy plants one boot firmly in the traditions of the Old West and the other in the world of modern technology. Beginning...

EP 37: Sewers

A simple flush and it’s forgotten. But haven’t you secretly wondered where it all goes when we go? Join us as we explore this less...

EP 38: Challenger Tank

When this 60 tons of high-tech military hardware rumbles onto the battlefield at nearly 40 mph, there's nowhere for the enemy to h...

EP 39: World's Biggest Machines 4

An enormous hydraulic machine press that stamps out a pickup truck's doors in seconds... Rock crushers that pulverize 8000 tons of...

EP 40: Dredging

They dig, scoop, suck, and spew an ocean of silt and sediment. Dredgers are the mechanical beasts that fuel the world's economic e...

EP 41: Lube Job

From chariot wheels of ancient Egypt to hard disks in a computer to the wheels on a Mars rover, machinery can’t function without l...

EP 42: Secret Luftwaffe Aircraft of World War II

German military aircraft designs were decades ahead of their Allied counterparts. To insure the Luftwaffe’s air superiority, Germa...

EP 43: The World's Fastest

Perhaps no field has experienced the revolution in velocity more acutely than transportation. We look at five blazingly fast techn...

EP 44: The B-2 Stealth Bomber

In any battle, the key to victory is the ability to strike the enemy without them knowing what hit them. Within the US arsenal one...

EP 45: High Risk: Helicopter Lineman

...

EP 46: Wiring America

We begin with electrical linemen perched precariously out a helicopter door, repairing 345,000-volt high-tension power lines. They...

EP 47: Nature Tech: Lightning

Since time immemorial, flashes of light have startled our senses and piqued our imagination. But it’s only in recent years that we...

EP 48: HMS Victory

The HMS Victory would play a crucial role in the foremost naval engagement in 19th century maritime history, the battle of Trafalg...

EP 49: Engineering an Empire: Rome

...

EP 50: Coffee

Traces the origins of this tasty drink from Ethiopia over 1,000 years ago to the espresso-fueled explosion of specialty coffee sto...

EP 51: Sugar

The sugar industry came of age on the backs of slaves toiling in Caribbean fields, and British desire to control production of sug...

EP 52: Cereal: History in a Bowl

Move over pancakes, step aside bacon! Cereal is arguably the true breakfast king, a $9-billion industry with an indisputable place...

EP 53: F-117 Nighthawk Stealth

The project was surrounded by secrecy and dogged by controversy from the very beginning. Starting in the late '70s, engineers at L...

EP 54: German Small Arms of World War II

...

EP 55: The Auto Store

Need a car part or an accessory to give it personality? Since 1903, when Sears dedicated a portion of its catalog, the automotive ...

EP 56: Secret Allied Aircraft of World War II

At WWII’s outset, US and UK military aircraft designs were woefully behind Germany’s and Japan’s technologically superior planes. ...

EP 57: Engineering Disasters 17

It’s another chapter of complex, deadly and controversial engineering failures, using 3-D animation, forensic engineering experts,...

EP 58: Brewing

It's one of the world's oldest and most beloved beverages–revered by Pharaohs and brewed by America's Founding Fathers. Today, bre...

EP 59: The Lumberyard

At the center of the American Dream is the home–and at the center of its creation or renovation is the lumberyard. We'll explore t...

EP 60: Da Vinci Tech

Nearly 500 years after his death, Leonardo da Vinci still intrigues us. Most people think of him as a great artist, but he was als...

EP 61: Custom Cars

For most of us, cars are an ordinary fixture of daily life. But then there are custom cars–literal labors of love. Supercharged ho...

EP 62: More Hardware

The hardware store is the epicenter of the construction world for both the weekend handyman and professional builder. Many of the ...

EP 63: Weird Weapons: The Allies

...

EP 65: Walt Disney World

Journey underground and backstage at the technological marvel that is Walt Disney World. Enter a make-believe world spanning some ...

EP 66: Nature Tech: Hurricanes

They’re nature on a rampage. The size and intensity of hurricanes make them the most feared and destructive of all storms. Explore...

EP 70: Private Collections

Priceless collections. Compilations devoted to with such passion, entire lives have been spent perfecting them. From rescued trash...

Overview

HISTORY’s longest-running series moves to H2. Modern Marvels celebrates the ingenuity, invention and imagination found in the world around us. From commonplace items like ink and coffee to architectural masterpieces and engineering disasters, the hit series goes beyond the basics to provide insight and history into things we wonder about and that impact our lives. This series tells fascinating stories of the doers, the dreamers and sometime-schemers that create everyday items, technological breakthroughs and manmade wonders. The hit series goes deep to explore the leading edge of human inspiration and ambition.

  • en
  • Documentary,

Episodes >>

Poison

Episode 1

Since ancient times, man has tried to control the "devil's bounty"–deadly substa...

Car Tech of the Future

Episode 2

Engage the satellite navigation, fire-up the fuel cell, and activate the radar-g...

The Arch

Episode 3

Join us as we explore the vast and varied world of the arch, one of the stronges...

More Nature's Engineers

Episode 4

Think man is unique within the animal kingdom? You might not after this hour tha...

World's Biggest Machines 3

Episode 5

Giant robots on the factory floor and in outer space. A floating fortress that's...

Blackbird Stealth

Episode 6

Designed in the late 1950s by aeronautical genius Kelly Johnson at the mysteriou...

The Butcher

Episode 7

In a carnivorous world, a butcher is a necessary link in the food chain, carving...

George Washington Carver Tech

Episode 8

One of the 20th century’s greatest scientists, George Washington Carver’s influe...

Firefighting!: Extreme Conditions

Episode 9

This episode of Modern Marvels examines the most extreme raging fires and the fi...

Desert Tech

Episode 10

It’s hot, dry, deadly, and hard to ignore with close to 40% of Earth classified ...

Sub Zero

Episode 11

Come in from the cold while we explore some of Earth's most frigid places and ex...

The Great Bridge: 8 Miles of Steel

Episode 12

The Oakland Bay Bridge in San Francisco boasts more superlatives than any bridge...

Howard Hughes Tech

Episode 13

An in-depth look at the technology conceived or developed by America’s first bil...

Edwards Air Force Base

Episode 14

Examine the colorful history of the premier flight test center, and America’s mo...

Taxidermy

Episode 15

It began as a tool used by prehistoric man to attract animals to the hunt. Over ...

SWAT

Episode 16

...

Deadliest Weapons

Episode 17

In this fiery hour, we profile five of man's deadliest weapons, focusing on the ...

The Doomsday Clock

Episode 18

Developed in 1947 as an image to symbolize urgency in the Cold War and the threa...

The Basement

Episode 19

Venture down that creaky staircase to explore the most misunderstood room in the...

Paint

Episode 20

From the Impressionist canvas to the Space Shuttle…from customized hotrods to th...

Mega Movers

Episode 21

...

Punishment

Episode 22

...

Bricks

Episode 23

The history of civilization has been built on the back of brick, and it’s been s...

Glue

Episode 24

It’s Super! It’s Krazy! And it can be found in everything from carpet to compute...

F/A-22 Raptor

Episode 25

Built around “first look, first shot, first kill” design, the F/A-22 Raptor, the...

Civil War Tech

Episode 26

America protects its homeland with the most technologically advanced military fo...

Machines of D-Day

Episode 27

June 6, 1944–the greatest machine of World War Two springs into action. It is ma...

John Hancock Center

Episode 28

A steel giant standing 1,107 feet high on broad shoulders, this vertical city ho...

The Cape Cod Canal

Episode 29

In a battle against the ferocious Atlantic or safe passage through waters where ...

Secret Japanese Aircraft of World War II

Episode 30

In the 1930s, Japanese designers created a range of warplanes, culminating in th...

Future Tech

Episode 31

A paper-thin, wall-sized holographic television…a car that runs on processed sea...

Edison Tech

Episode 32

He was the father of the future…electric lights, power systems, motion pictures,...

Secrets of Soviet Space Disasters

Episode 33

SECRETS OF SOVIET SPACE DISASTERS is one of our century’s most shocking hidden s...

Mountain Roads

Episode 34

Join our journey along monumental feats of engineering that preserved America's ...

Route 66

Episode 35

Route 66, encompassing eight states from Illinois to California and 2,400 miles,...

Cowboy Tech

Episode 36

Today’s cowboy plants one boot firmly in the traditions of the Old West and the ...

Sewers

Episode 37

A simple flush and it’s forgotten. But haven’t you secretly wondered where it al...

Challenger Tank

Episode 38

When this 60 tons of high-tech military hardware rumbles onto the battlefield at...

World's Biggest Machines 4

Episode 39

An enormous hydraulic machine press that stamps out a pickup truck's doors in se...

Dredging

Episode 40

They dig, scoop, suck, and spew an ocean of silt and sediment. Dredgers are the ...

Lube Job

Episode 41

From chariot wheels of ancient Egypt to hard disks in a computer to the wheels o...

Secret Luftwaffe Aircraft of World War II

Episode 42

German military aircraft designs were decades ahead of their Allied counterparts...

The World's Fastest

Episode 43

Perhaps no field has experienced the revolution in velocity more acutely than tr...

The B-2 Stealth Bomber

Episode 44

In any battle, the key to victory is the ability to strike the enemy without the...

High Risk: Helicopter Lineman

Episode 45

...

Wiring America

Episode 46

We begin with electrical linemen perched precariously out a helicopter door, rep...

Nature Tech: Lightning

Episode 47

Since time immemorial, flashes of light have startled our senses and piqued our ...

HMS Victory

Episode 48

The HMS Victory would play a crucial role in the foremost naval engagement in 19...

Engineering an Empire: Rome

Episode 49

...

Coffee

Episode 50

Traces the origins of this tasty drink from Ethiopia over 1,000 years ago to the...

Sugar

Episode 51

The sugar industry came of age on the backs of slaves toiling in Caribbean field...

Cereal: History in a Bowl

Episode 52

Move over pancakes, step aside bacon! Cereal is arguably the true breakfast king...

F-117 Nighthawk Stealth

Episode 53

The project was surrounded by secrecy and dogged by controversy from the very be...

German Small Arms of World War II

Episode 54

...

The Auto Store

Episode 55

Need a car part or an accessory to give it personality? Since 1903, when Sears d...

Secret Allied Aircraft of World War II

Episode 56

At WWII’s outset, US and UK military aircraft designs were woefully behind Germa...

Engineering Disasters 17

Episode 57

It’s another chapter of complex, deadly and controversial engineering failures, ...

Brewing

Episode 58

It's one of the world's oldest and most beloved beverages–revered by Pharaohs an...

The Lumberyard

Episode 59

At the center of the American Dream is the home–and at the center of its creatio...

Da Vinci Tech

Episode 60

Nearly 500 years after his death, Leonardo da Vinci still intrigues us. Most peo...

Custom Cars

Episode 61

For most of us, cars are an ordinary fixture of daily life. But then there are c...

More Hardware

Episode 62

The hardware store is the epicenter of the construction world for both the weeke...

Weird Weapons: The Allies

Episode 63

...

More Snack Food Tech

Episode 64

now-playing-animation

Walt Disney World

Episode 65

Journey underground and backstage at the technological marvel that is Walt Disne...

Nature Tech: Hurricanes

Episode 66

They’re nature on a rampage. The size and intensity of hurricanes make them the ...

Private Collections

Episode 70

Priceless collections. Compilations devoted to with such passion, entire lives h...