The History® Channel (Firm)

The domed structure is one of the earliest forms of shelter--from African mud huts to frozen igloos to holy shrines and cathedrals. As a design concept, the shape represents the community under the canopy of heaven; as a technological device, the dome is the most efficient way of controlling an internal environment. And today, as we see here, engineers have enlarged and transformed the ancient concept to build some of the world's most spectacular...

The boys crack open a 40-year-old can of iconic "chips". Then, they head to Michigan to meet a couple with a huge collection of memorabilia from one of America's biggest and most nostalgic brands. To wash it all down, they sip a soda that was one of the most famous flops of all time.

Offshore oil drilling is one of mankind's greatest technological feats. From the beginning of oil discovery, the oceans' vast reserves have been the ultimate frontier. See how these superstructures revolutionized the search for crude oil.

From colossal devices designed to save the world to mind-expanding, world-shrinking machines, we trace the evolution of mice and menus. Learn about the world's most powerful computer, IBM's ASCI White, that operates at 12-trillion calculations a second. See how the first room-sized computers, such as ENIAC, changed the world. Bite into Apple's history, the machine that made computers a household appliance. And peer through a microscope to see the...

Rising from a stretch of desert with nothing but remoteness to recommend it, Las Vegas became a glittering wonderland for dreamers. We'll take a look at the forces that made Las Vegas a place unlike any on earth.

Strap on a parachute and soar through the saga of jet propulsion which radically transformed our world since inception of World War II - from the Nazi's first jet-powered aircraft to the U.S. F-22 jet fighter, from the Concorde to tomorrow's scram-jet, a hypersonic transport plane that switches to rocket power outside the earth's atmosphere.

Feel the earth move under your feet and dig into the fascinating story of earthmoving equipment--from the simple spade to today's powerful steam shovels. Meet legendary giants like John Deere, Jerome Case, and the founders of Caterpillar, who helped forge America's monolithic construction industry. Ride on specialized behemoth dump trucks, delve below sea level to view dredging equipment, and leave the planet altogether to explore earthmoving space...

From the earliest known lighthouses, such as the Pharos of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, to modern-day automated buoys and solar-powered lantern rooms, this history of lighthouses is rich with personal stories of lighthouse keepers, daring construction efforts, and ingenious optical discoveries. Today, as lighthouses are usurped by more efficient aids to navigation, these elegant structures are being converted to bed-and-breakfast...

For nearly 200 years, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, has trained students in the art of war. Located 50 miles north of New York City, its 25 buildings overlook the Hudson River on a 16,000-acre government reserve. During the Revolutionary War, West Point stood guard over the river, protecting it with artillery and a 136-ton chain! From humble beginnings, the academy grew with the nation, as each war forced changes to keep pace...

We explore the exciting world of the mythic beasts called "MONSTER TRUCKS". Weighing 10,000 pounds, these mammoth vehicles entertain and enthrall with their sheer power. We travel behind the scenes to meet the men who race these mechanical mammoths.