Modern Marvels

13,1

1993

8 / 10

Episodes

EP 2: Fire

Out of control it’s a monster with a voracious appetite. Properly harnessed it’s a force that has shaped our world. We’ve learned ...

EP 3: Cotton

Tune in as Modern Marvels looks into the history of cotton, a product used in hundreds of different products, from clothing to lip...

EP 4: Engineering Disasters 18

Modern Marvels shows more of the world's biggest engineering disasters. We look at faults in the U.S. Army's Stryker Light Armored...

EP 5: Candy

It pulls, stretches, bubbles, hardens, crunches, and melts! We eat about 7-billion tons of it yearly. We’re talking about Candy–lo...

EP 6: Weird Weapons: The Axis

Examining unusual World War II weapons that were in the planning or testing stages for use by the Axis powers. Included: an assaul...

EP 7: Nature Tech: Avalanches

Examining unusual World War II weapons that were in the planning or testing stages for use by the Allies. Included: floating tanks...

EP 8: Engineering Disasters: New Orleans

Modern Marvels examines the destruction Hurricane Katrina caused in New Orleans....

EP 9: Leather

Made by the tanning of animal hides, leather has proven to be a versatile and important material. Without it, the Pilgrims may not...

EP 10: Engineering Disasters 19

More engineering disasters are profiled, including the sinking of SS Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975 in Lake Superior; two Boeing 737 cr...

EP 11: Insulation

Although quite simple in nature, insulation is a very important component in keeping our homes a comfortable temperature. In this ...

EP 12: Hi-Tech Hitler

This is the true story of the scientific feats and failures of Hitler's Nazi Germany....

EP 13: Shovels

Man has always had a need to move large amounts of earth. In this episode, we profile the technological advances which have allowe...

EP 14: Drilling

The program features the quest to drill the deepest hole ever and the scientific drill ship expected to perform the feat, and also...

EP 15: 80s Tech

Remember “brick” cell phones, Pac-Man, Rubik’s Cube, Sony Walkman, and the first music CDs? Remember all the new and exciting gadg...

EP 16: Ben Franklin Tech

One of the most prodigious American inventors, Ben Franklin is credited for creating things like the lightning rod, the armonica, ...

EP 17: Copper Kings

More than a century ago two men controlled nearly all of U.S. copper production, transforming Butte, Montana from a washed-up gold...

EP 18: Heavy Metals

They are elements that occupy a select portion of the periodic table and are so essential to America's economic and military might...

EP 19: Money

Visit the United States Mint and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing for an inside look into the government facilities where U.S....

EP 20: BBQ Tech

An old-fashioned style of cooking, barbecue has evolved into a modern food craze and spawned a multi-billion dollar industry. We d...

EP 21: American Eats Special

...

EP 22: High Explosives

Since the creation of black powder in China centuries ago, explosives have been decisive on the battlefield. Follow their incendia...

EP 23: Pirate Tech

Bold, cunning, and audacious, pirates are a breed of fighting men and women who have terrorized the high seas since before recorde...

EP 24: Boneyard: Where Machines End Their Lives

Where do machines go when they die? From B-52 Bombers to massive aircraft carriers, from passenger cars to Cold War cruise missile...

EP 25: World's Biggest Machines 5

Join us for another look at big machines. At NASA's Ames Research Center, we visit the world's biggest wind tunnel, part of the Na...

EP 26: Super Tools: Skyscraper

Skyscrapers are an extraordinary feat of human engineering: exposing millions of pounds of concrete and steel to the enemy forces ...

EP 27: The AK-47

The development of the deadly Avtomat Kalashnikova, 1947, known as the AK-47, is discussed by its inventor, Mikhail Kalashnikov, w...

EP 28: Nuts

Pintsized as a pea or big as a bowling ball, nutritional, durable, and versatile, nuts have been a staple of the human diet since ...

EP 29: Classic Cars

...

EP 30: Making Medieval Armor

...

EP 31: Rube Goldberg

...

EP 32: Batteries

Mixtures of metals and caustic chemicals that make our tech, tools and toys surge with energy....

EP 33: Mummy Tech

After thousands of years, Egyptian mummies are speaking from the grave. With the use of state-of-the-art computer tomography scann...

EP 34: Levees

From collapsing floodwalls in New Orleans to high-tech mechanical storm surge barriers in Europe, we'll explore the 2,500-year his...

EP 35: Water

Water, the most needed substance for life, so powerful it can carve our landscape, yet so nurturing it can spawn life and support ...

EP 36: The Cola Wars

Coke vs Pepsi for world supremacy. Each year, Americans consume more soft drinks than tap water. Available in nearly 200 countries...

EP 37: Copper

It transports electricity, water, and heat. It brings music to our ears and beauty to our eyes. Copper--its impressive traits, lon...

EP 38: Shotguns

The first specialized gun, the British upper-class used it to shoot birds and small game for sport. The shotgun took on a variety ...

EP 39: Building In The Name Of God

The greatest religious structures are marvels of engineering, technology, and invention, representing not only the glory of God, b...

EP 40: Horsepower

Buckle up for a rip-roaring ride through the world of extreme horsepower. Experience the fastest accelerating cars on earth. Find ...

EP 41: Renewable Energy

Take an in-depth look at the most proven and reliable sources: solar, wind, geothermal, biofuels, and tidal power. From the experi...

EP 42: Freight Trains

Explore the history of freight transportation from its humble beginnings as tramways in mines to complex system of rails that stre...

EP 43: Cities of the Underworld

Teamed with leading archeologists and experts, peel back the layers of the past--to reveal a hidden history that hasn't seen the l...

EP 44: Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway

The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway is comprised of a system of canals, land cuts, and a series of natural and artificial barrier i...

EP 45: Stealth & Beyond: Air Stealth

They are the swarthy eagles of the sky: Past, present, and future advances in stealth military aircraft....

EP 46: Stealth & Beyond: Sea Stealth

It's one thing to make a 60-foot-long jet aircraft seem invisible, but quite another to hide a 400-foot-long warship from the pryi...

EP 47: Ink

Invented by the Chinese in about 3000BC, it spread the word of God and war. It set us free and spelled out our rights. It tells st...

EP 48: Distilleries 2

It's an art, it's a science and it's a marriage of vapor and water. From the elite to the illegal, the banned, to the celebrated, ...

EP 49: World's Strongest

Strength...a powerful word, but what does it mean? How is it measured? Why are some things simply stronger than others. How strong...

EP 50: Tomcat Sunset

Hosted by Terry Deitz, a former Tomcat pilot, this special explores the legacy of one of the greatest fighter jets ever built. Wit...

EP 51: Tobacco

Discovered around 18,000 years ago, tobacco was first cultivated in the Andes between 5000 and 3000 B.C. At a modern tobacco farm ...

EP 52: The Supermarket

Our basic need and desire for food has made the supermarket one of the great success stories of modern retailing. Making customers...

EP 53: Breakfast Tech

It slices and squeezes, sorts and sizes, mixes and cooks. Every morning we count on it to keep our orange juice fresh, our eggs wh...

EP 54: Wine

A glass a day is said to keep the doctor away. A defeated Napoleon drowned his sorrows in it; Thomas Jefferson became obsessed wit...

EP 55: Harvesting 2

In America's orchards and farm fields, the constant struggle between hand labor and mechanization has produced dozens of efficient...

EP 56: Engineering Disasters 20

In March of 2005, the BP Refinery in Texas City, Texas, suffered a series of explosions that decimated a large portion of the faci...

EP 57: Snow

It is the bane of every suburban parent and the joy to every school kid. Born in a swirling storm cloud through a process called n...

EP 58: Tea

After water, tea is the second most popular drink in the world. It has been around as a drink for 5000 years, and 6 billion pounds...

EP 59: Christmas Tech

Christmas is observed by many people around the world, for both religious reasons and more secular purposes. Trees, lights, orname...

EP 60: Wind

...

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 >>

Containers

Episode 1

now-playing-animation

Fire

Episode 2

Out of control it’s a monster with a voracious appetite. Properly harnessed it’s...

Cotton

Episode 3

Tune in as Modern Marvels looks into the history of cotton, a product used in hu...

Engineering Disasters 18

Episode 4

Modern Marvels shows more of the world's biggest engineering disasters. We look ...

Candy

Episode 5

It pulls, stretches, bubbles, hardens, crunches, and melts! We eat about 7-billi...

Weird Weapons: The Axis

Episode 6

Examining unusual World War II weapons that were in the planning or testing stag...

Nature Tech: Avalanches

Episode 7

Examining unusual World War II weapons that were in the planning or testing stag...

Engineering Disasters: New Orleans

Episode 8

Modern Marvels examines the destruction Hurricane Katrina caused in New Orleans....

Leather

Episode 9

Made by the tanning of animal hides, leather has proven to be a versatile and im...

Engineering Disasters 19

Episode 10

More engineering disasters are profiled, including the sinking of SS Edmund Fitz...

Insulation

Episode 11

Although quite simple in nature, insulation is a very important component in kee...

Hi-Tech Hitler

Episode 12

This is the true story of the scientific feats and failures of Hitler's Nazi Ger...

Shovels

Episode 13

Man has always had a need to move large amounts of earth. In this episode, we pr...

Drilling

Episode 14

The program features the quest to drill the deepest hole ever and the scientific...

80s Tech

Episode 15

Remember “brick” cell phones, Pac-Man, Rubik’s Cube, Sony Walkman, and the first...

Ben Franklin Tech

Episode 16

One of the most prodigious American inventors, Ben Franklin is credited for crea...

Copper Kings

Episode 17

More than a century ago two men controlled nearly all of U.S. copper production,...

Heavy Metals

Episode 18

They are elements that occupy a select portion of the periodic table and are so ...

Money

Episode 19

Visit the United States Mint and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing for an ins...

BBQ Tech

Episode 20

An old-fashioned style of cooking, barbecue has evolved into a modern food craze...

American Eats Special

Episode 21

...

High Explosives

Episode 22

Since the creation of black powder in China centuries ago, explosives have been ...

Pirate Tech

Episode 23

Bold, cunning, and audacious, pirates are a breed of fighting men and women who ...

Boneyard: Where Machines End Their Lives

Episode 24

Where do machines go when they die? From B-52 Bombers to massive aircraft carrie...

World's Biggest Machines 5

Episode 25

Join us for another look at big machines. At NASA's Ames Research Center, we vis...

Super Tools: Skyscraper

Episode 26

Skyscrapers are an extraordinary feat of human engineering: exposing millions of...

The AK-47

Episode 27

The development of the deadly Avtomat Kalashnikova, 1947, known as the AK-47, is...

Nuts

Episode 28

Pintsized as a pea or big as a bowling ball, nutritional, durable, and versatile...

Classic Cars

Episode 29

...

Making Medieval Armor

Episode 30

...

Rube Goldberg

Episode 31

...

Batteries

Episode 32

Mixtures of metals and caustic chemicals that make our tech, tools and toys surg...

Mummy Tech

Episode 33

After thousands of years, Egyptian mummies are speaking from the grave. With the...

Levees

Episode 34

From collapsing floodwalls in New Orleans to high-tech mechanical storm surge ba...

Water

Episode 35

Water, the most needed substance for life, so powerful it can carve our landscap...

The Cola Wars

Episode 36

Coke vs Pepsi for world supremacy. Each year, Americans consume more soft drinks...

Copper

Episode 37

It transports electricity, water, and heat. It brings music to our ears and beau...

Shotguns

Episode 38

The first specialized gun, the British upper-class used it to shoot birds and sm...

Building In The Name Of God

Episode 39

The greatest religious structures are marvels of engineering, technology, and in...

Horsepower

Episode 40

Buckle up for a rip-roaring ride through the world of extreme horsepower. Experi...

Renewable Energy

Episode 41

Take an in-depth look at the most proven and reliable sources: solar, wind, geot...

Freight Trains

Episode 42

Explore the history of freight transportation from its humble beginnings as tram...

Cities of the Underworld

Episode 43

Teamed with leading archeologists and experts, peel back the layers of the past-...

Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway

Episode 44

The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway is comprised of a system of canals, land cuts...

Stealth & Beyond: Air Stealth

Episode 45

They are the swarthy eagles of the sky: Past, present, and future advances in st...

Stealth & Beyond: Sea Stealth

Episode 46

It's one thing to make a 60-foot-long jet aircraft seem invisible, but quite ano...

Ink

Episode 47

Invented by the Chinese in about 3000BC, it spread the word of God and war. It s...

Distilleries 2

Episode 48

It's an art, it's a science and it's a marriage of vapor and water. From the eli...

World's Strongest

Episode 49

Strength...a powerful word, but what does it mean? How is it measured? Why are s...

Tomcat Sunset

Episode 50

Hosted by Terry Deitz, a former Tomcat pilot, this special explores the legacy o...

Tobacco

Episode 51

Discovered around 18,000 years ago, tobacco was first cultivated in the Andes be...

The Supermarket

Episode 52

Our basic need and desire for food has made the supermarket one of the great suc...

Breakfast Tech

Episode 53

It slices and squeezes, sorts and sizes, mixes and cooks. Every morning we count...

Wine

Episode 54

A glass a day is said to keep the doctor away. A defeated Napoleon drowned his s...

Harvesting 2

Episode 55

In America's orchards and farm fields, the constant struggle between hand labor ...

Engineering Disasters 20

Episode 56

In March of 2005, the BP Refinery in Texas City, Texas, suffered a series of exp...

Snow

Episode 57

It is the bane of every suburban parent and the joy to every school kid. Born in...

Tea

Episode 58

After water, tea is the second most popular drink in the world. It has been arou...

Christmas Tech

Episode 59

Christmas is observed by many people around the world, for both religious reason...

Wind

Episode 60

...