Modern Marvels

The remarkable story of how the landmark New York City skyscraper was constructed during the depths of the Depression.

Chronicles one of the most incredible engineering feats of all time--the construction of the 51-mile canal that took 10 years to build and employed over 40,000 workers--6,000 of whom died of yellow fever, malaria, and other horrors.

The incredible story of how Gutzon Borglum created the world's largest sculpture by carving the faces of four US Presidents into the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Under the bustling metropolis of Athens a unique engineering project is transforming the city, building a new underground Metro system to meet the needs of its modern inhabitants, while uncovering the secrets of its people of the past.

It started as an idea at a French dinner party and became the very symbol of the free world. The story of France's gift to the US reveals a 20-year struggle to design and build the world's largest monument--using paper-thin copper sheets.

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

A remarkable account of how engineers, inspired by the humble shelters of early man, built some of the most massive structures on earth.

With technological advances, our ancient struggle against the sea has turned into a luxurious holiday. Program offers a peek at the elegant life aboard "floating resorts".

It was an engineering feat of almost miraculous proportions and a design of spectacular elegance. Rare photographs and behind-the-scenes stories recall the politics, the struggles and the tragedies that made possible "the Eighth Wonder of the World.

Winding 6,000 kilometers through undulating mountains, it is said to be visible with the naked eye from the moon. But who called for the Great Wall's construction and how was it accomplished?

When completed, China's Three Gorges Dam will tower 607 feet in the air and 40 Great Pyramids. Other than China's Great Wall, it will be the only man-made object visible from the moon.

The Pentagon - the name alone conjurs up an imposing image of American power. Completed in 1943, this five-sided nerve center for the nation's armed services is the largest office building in the world.

There are over 100 pyramids in Egypt. Built during a span of well over 1,000 years, they stand as cultural and engineering marvels of staggering proportions. They were constructed as tombs for the pharaohs of ancient Egypt.

As mankind's greatest achievement of the 20th century, Apollo 11 stood as the pinnacle of science, exploration, flight and especially technological prowess. Today the exploration of the moon is a distant memory.

More than 50 years after its construction, the Golden Gate is still regarded as one of the world's great engineering marvels. It took 25 million man-hours and 80,000 miles of cable to complete. But the cost in human life was even greater.