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American Experience
A Ring-Side View of the Heavens
Radioing he had "a ring-side view of the heavens" Air Force officer David G. Simons made history in 1957 high aboard his Manhigh II balloon. He rose 101,500 feet above Earth, writing later he could barely comprehend the beauty of the sky. He was celebrated by The New York Times as "The First Space Man." "Space Men" premieres March 1 at 9/8c on PBS American Experience.
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The Eugenics Crusade tells the story of the campaign to breed a “better” American race,
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The woman whose groundbreaking books revolutionized our relationship to the natural world.
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After attempting to commit the perfect crime, would two boys get the death penalty?
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The Stonewall riots marked a major turning point in the modern gay civil rights movement.
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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.
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The final months of WWII from the vantage points of both the Japanese and the Americans.
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Ronald Reagan left the White House one of the most popular presidents of the 20th century.
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A biography from American Experience's collection of presidential portraits.