X

Join or Sign In

Sign in to customize your TV listings

Continue with Facebook Continue with email

By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy.

Inventions That Shook the World

Go on a decade-by-decade voyage of discovery through life-changing inventions, like the radio that made the world smaller, the machine gun that made it more dangerous, or the parking meter that made it more expensive. Witness the discovery and creation of billion-dollar inventions and financial disasters - all players in the most innovative century the world has ever known.

Loading. Please wait...

Content not available in your region? ExpressVPN can help you stay connected wherever you are. Get 4 extra months FREE with TV Guide's exclusive offer.

Cast & Crew See All

Mark DeNicola
Fessenden's Assistant
Steve Herringer
Narrator
Christopher O'Neill
Officer John Larson

Season 1 Episode Guide See All

Episode 1

1900s

46 mins

The first decade of the 1900s ushers in crucial inventions that will help shape the rest of the century. Communication gets a boost as a voice is transmitted wirelessly by radio for the first time. Shaving gets a new edge with the appearance of the safety razor blade. The first air conditioner takes the misery out of extreme heat and humidity. The vacuum cleaner stops rugs and carpets from taking a beating, and two brothers, the Wright Borthers, apply their skills as bicycle mechanics to build and fly the world's first airplane.

Where to Watch
Inventions That Shook the World, Season 1 Episode 1 image

Awards

  • 2013 - Canadian Screen Award - Best Production Design or Art Direction in a Non-Fiction Program or Series - winner
  • 2013 - Canadian Screen Award - Barbara Sears Award for Best Visual Research - nominated

You May Also Like See All

Blue Planet II
The Office
D-Day: The Unheard Tapes
Planet Earth II

Popular Shows See all shows

Green Paradise

3 Seasons
Explore the Earth and the most beautiful natural paradises in the world. These stunning locales are preserved thanks to the dedication of local populations. Meet the inhabitants of these lands who have developed small businesses to welcome visitors in their environment, and helped create a new form of travel: sustainable tourism. Shot in stunning high definition, Green Paradise tells the stories of these magical places, the inhabitants who cherish the land, and those visitors who come to experience its splendors.
2011 Documentary

Air Wars

1 Season
This is the story of the legendary planes of World War II and the fighter aces that flew them. These fighter aircraft exemplified the need at the time for rapid innovation as harrowing battles took place high in the world's skies.
2000 Documentary, Action & Adventure

Legendary Motorcar

5 Seasons
Legendary Motorcars returns as the team takes on the dramatic restorations, appraisals, and sales of high-end and exotic vehicles. This season Pete and Gary take a trip to Kuwait to attend the Concours D'Elegance, but are also eager to talk to the average car guy to learn the similarities between the West and the Middle East.
2012 Documentary

Backroads USA

1 Season
Many believe that the true roots of America can best be experienced by traveling along the country's older trails, paths, and roadways, many of which eventually paved the way for the modern transportation network. Leave the main roads behind for those less traveled and witness how the back roads can leave a lasting impression on you that a trip down the interstate just cannot match.
2015 Documentary

My Trans Journey

1 Season
Dr. Carys Massarella's patients work to overcome personal challenges and thrive in their transitions. They reach major turning points in their lives, and each of their journeys culminates in a large celebration with friends and families.
2020 Documentary

How the Nazis Lost the War

1 Season
Told through the lens of the bumbling generals and paranoid Fuhrer who had hit the big time by tragic accident. Hitler's war machine was feared and ruthless - at least for a time. It cut a swathe through Europe and North Africa and threatened to overrun Russia. From 1939 into the early 1940s Hitler's dream of a Third Reich and dominance over all of Europe was a distinct possibility. But then cracks appeared. The war machine became vulnerable. The history of WWII is usually told through the eyes of the victors - but How the Nazis Lost the War is told through the lens of the bumbling generals and paranoid Fuhrer who had hit the big time by tragic accident. For the first time, How the Nazis Lost the War tells the decline of Hitler's empire from the inside out - showing how a dysfunctional, bloated, poorly led gang of thugs managed to fool Germany, then take Europe by surprise.
2021 Documentary, Action & Adventure