Back to Show
NOVA
Ben Franklin's Balloons Preview
The first stage in human flight didn’t begin with the Wright brothers at Kitty Hawk, but with daring inventors and aeronauts in 18th century Paris. In a period of just 19 months, humanity not only left the ground for the first time but thanks to a handful of brilliant and colorful pioneers, developed all the essential features of today's hot air air and gas balloons.
Support Provided By
53:15
Amazing fossils reveal how mammals took over after an asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs.
Unlock with PBS Passport
53:23
New archeological evidence shows the stunning engineering of the Great Pyramid of Giza.
53:51
Join scientists as they grab light from across the universe to prove quantum entanglement.
Unlock with PBS Passport
53:21
Follow engineers and woodworkers as they rebuild an iconic American covered bridge.
Unlock with PBS Passport
53:34
Follow the harrowing operation to rescue 12 boys stranded in a flooded cave in Thailand.
Unlock with PBS Passport
53:15
How courage and ingenuity saved Allied troops during the epic Dunkirk operation in 1940.
53:26
Take a mind-blowing voyage to the most powerful and mysterious objects in the universe.