Back to Show
American Experience
Edison
Season 27
Episode 3
By the time he died in 1931, Thomas Edison was one of the most famous men in the world. The holder of more patents than any other inventor in history, Edison had amassed a fortune and achieved glory as the genius behind such revolutionary inventions as sound recording, motion pictures, and electric light.
Support Provided By
Season
Women's History Month
52:54
The untold story of the people who fought tirelessly to save women from cervical cancer.
1:52:39
The lively but neglected history of the women who changed the world while flying it.
52:32
The story of the German American Bund, a pro-Nazi group active across the US in the 1930s.
Unlock with PBS Passport
51:27
Explore the culture war that erupted over the spectacular rise of disco music.
1:47:21
The story of a Mississippi town’s effort to integrate its public schools in 1970.
1:52:40
Revisit 1970s Boston, when court-mandated school integration unleashed racial unrest.
Unlock with PBS Passport
1:36:51
Casa Susanna was a refuge for transgender women and cross-dressing men in the 1950s-60s.
52:22
Unsung scientist Mária Telkes dedicated her career to harnessing the power of the sun.
Unlock with PBS Passport
1:22:29
Discover the story of the 1969 showdown between President Nixon and the antiwar movement.
Unlock with PBS Passport
52:17
Discover the unexpected history behind Monopoly, America’s favorite board game.
1:52:24
The influential author and anthropologist whose work reclaimed and honored Black life.
Unlock with PBS Passport
52:35
The story of the polygraph, the controversial device that transformed modern justice.