Recalling Doolittle's Raid on Tokyo in 1942, when a squadron of B-25 bombers made a retaliatory attack headed by Lt. Col. James Doolittle.
This episode chronicles the story of Francis Gary Powers and his fateful flight over the Soviet Union, and the disastrous consequences the shoot down had on nuclear non-proliferation talks between the Soviet Union and the United States. The MAN is pilot Francis Gary Powers, the MOMENT is the targeting and destruction of his plane by a newly developed Soviet Surface to Air missile, the MACHINE is the revolutionary U2 Spyplane.
An episode dealing with the African American Inventor Garrett Morgan and his patented Morgan Safety Mask. His invention rose to prominence in 1916, when it was used to rescue 32 men in a collapsed tunnel underneath Lake Erie, and eventually became the basis for Air Rescue and Safety Masks used by the Military and Civilians alike.
Wernher von Braun develops a supersonic rocket-powered delivery system.
This episode explores the intersection between the invention of the electric chair, its significant moment in history, and its inventor Thomas Edison.
Howard Hughes takes on the challenge to build an enormous flying boat capable of airlifting 750 troops and war materiel as heavy as tanks across the Atlantic Ocean in support of the Allied war effort, thus avoiding the threat of German U-boats. The project becomes the focus of Hughes OCD. Even after the project is canceled by the military his company successfully builds and Hughes personally flies the prototype dubbed by its detractors as the spruce goose.
George S. Patton realizes his dream of leading an army in a desperate battle when he confronts the German army at Bastogne in the Battle of the Bulge.
An episode dealing with the famous military leader, Alexander the Great and his long siege against the city of Tyre in 332 BC. With the help of his Persian allies, Alexander should be able to smash Tyre, but he is thwarted multiple times. The Man is Alexander. The Moment is his decision to use a new version of a military device to defeat the Tyrians. The Machine is a massive and mobile siege catapult with multiple launchers that enables Alexander to win the battle.
Passage of the 18th Amendment suddenly provides a lucrative business for gangsters. High profits lead to fierce competition which the ruthless operators escalate into violence. The Thompson sub-machine gun, designed for but rejected by the military, is easily portable, extremely powerful and legal. This weapon in the hands of the gangsters escalates the violence to new heights. Inevitably, a few audacious, bloody murders, such as the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, garner nation-wide attention to the gangsters, particularly Al Capone.
Abraham Lincoln, a self taught President, uses new technology to help win the Civil War. He uses the hot air balloon, high above the battle fields, to relay information back to the troops on the ground. Giving the Union the advantage and shaping the outcome of the Civil War.
An episode dealing with the MAN, famed artist and inventor Leonardo DaVinci, whose constant mechanical sketches for fantastic inventions leads to the weapons milestone of the enclosed "Wheel lock" pistol. The MOMENT is his inspiration to design an completely enclosed firing device, which was much easier to load and fire than the existing "Match lock" firearms. The MACHINE is the eventual development of this weapon and the influence it had in the creation of following generations of firearms.
It is the April 1917, known to the British as Bloody April, when their pilot losses were large. German Air Ace Baron Manfred Von Richthofen, aka the Red Baron is the top pilot of World War One, however the British are introducing new planes with new technology to combat the Baron and his Albatross plane. Enter the advent of the Sopwith Triplane, which then led to the introduction of the Sopwith Camel.
An episode dealing with Saddam's use of chemical WMDs against his enemies, most specifically against the Kurds in the years just prior to the first Gulf War.
The role and effectiveness of the RF-8 Crusader reconnaissance units in the Cuban Missile Crisis and the difficult decision to deploy them are explained.
