My Million Dollar Invention - Season 1

What was Edison's controversial role in the invention of the electric chair? We explore chilling inventions, and reveal the stories of the inventors whose million-dollar ideas shook the world and created legacies still with us today.

See how an office worker's arthritis led to the photocopier. Follow the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope into orbit. Meet the rally driver who gave us the speed camera, and watch the story of the inventor of television. Their innovations would change the way we looked at the world and the universe beyond it.

How did one man's invention to save soldiers' lives set off an American crime wave? And what's the connection between burglar alarms and the literary team of Holmes and Watson? We explore the origins of inventions with criminal ties and meet the brilliant minds willing to do anything to bring their innovations to the world.

They are the inventors who made lives safer, surgery more comfortable, and dreams of flying a reality. But before their revolutionary ideas of lightweight body armor, firefighter masks, modern anesthesia, and the wingsuit could be approved, they needed to be put to a life-and-death field test. Meet the men who set out to get rich or die trying.

Unlikely inspirations, fortunate accidents, and unwavering dedication highlight the stories of four innovations that transformed transportation and ushered in the modern age. We reveal what brought these amazing ideas to life, and made billions...though not always for the inventor himself.

Did one of the greatest medical innovations of the 20th century come from a simple radio enthusiast? And can you believe the futuristic 3D printer is actually 30 years old? We reveal the true stories behind inventions that made history, made millions for their creators, and impacted humanity for good and bad.

What 400-year-old secret is the cymbal hiding? What is the untold story of the creation of Monopoly? We explore multimillion-dollar inventions, and meet the people who changed the world with the barrel of a gun, an ancient riddle, selfless customer service, and a lucky roll of the dice.

They were little guys with big ideas, who started out with nothing, gave everything, and created something that changed the world. These incredible tales involve a child of slaves who defied prejudice, an engineer who fought a 30-year legal battle against the automotive industry, a designer who created a cultural icon for a $45 paycheck, and more.