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American Experience
Engineering for High Winds
The structures needed not only to support the sheer weight of the 1,360-ft-tall buildings, but to overcome the even greater loads caused by the high winds of New York Harbor pushing against the wide, flat sides of the buildings, especially along their uppermost floors. The solution: a super-strong lattice of exterior steel columns, creating a remarkably stiff "tube" that could resist high winds.
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How a horrific incident of racial violence became catalyst for the civil rights movement.
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Part Two examines the mounting dispute over strategies and reveals the pervasive racism.
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The 1968 My Lai massacre and its subsequent cover-up.
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In the 1950's a Polio outbreak swept the U.S., devastating communities nationwide.
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The man behind the atomic bomb is put on trial for suspected communist ties in 1954.