Episodes

"You have a gem of a great idea, if you can perfect it," Joseph Henry of the Smithsonian Institute tells Alexander Graham Bell when he presents his theory for the invention of the telephone. When Thomas Watson and Bell begin their work for a multiple telegraph, Bell becomes convinced that he can send the complex sounds of human speech over a wire from its vibrations. Mr. Hubbard, the financier of the telegraph project, laughs when Bell first tells him about the idea for the project and says he will not finance it. Frustrated, Bell and Watson begin to work on the telephone while working on the telegraph without Hubbard knowing it. Bell is constantly inspired by his deaf students and longs to teach them to speak and communicate. His first dedication had always been to be a teacher of the deaf. But, as Bell becomes more and more engrossed in making the telephone invention work, he has little time to work with the students. As the inventors experience triumph in transmitting sound while playing with the telegraph, Bell is distressed to learn of a student, David, who is giving up and going home because he is frustrated with his inability to speak. He meets David at the train as he is leaving to convince him to stay and keep trying, but David refuses. Bell is greatly disappointed in his failure to help the boy and in the unsuccessful attempts to make the telephone work. Bell is frustrated and tired. As he rests on a park bench, his spirit is renewed when a mime communicates with him. He realizes he could never fail if he keeps trying. He and Watson continue working on the telephone with great enthusiasm. Finally, the telephone experimenting works as sound is transmitted through a tube. Watson clearly understands Bell when he says, "Watson, come here. I want you." As they share the joys of success, school begins again. Bell is rewarded by the return of David who has practiced all summer and knows he can succeed, too.

Even as a young boy, Beethoven marched to the beat of a different drummer. Trained in the traditional music methods by his father, Beethoven was an accomplished pianist by the age of 12. But he yearned to try new sounds and persevered until audiences heard his music. By his early twenties, this persistent young man performed for Joseph Haydn, who compared him to the great Mozart. Sadly, Beethoven began to lose his hearing, but he threw himself even more deeply into his music, composing "Fur Elise," "Sonata Pathetique" and the dramatic "Fifth Symphony" years later, audience members heard what he could not and leapt to their feet in ecstatic appreciation for such passionate music. His creativity gave the world then, as it does today, music that stirs the soul. The video begins in 1827 with 30,000 people paying tribute to the great Beethoven in Vienna, Austria. Then the video switches to his life as a child. Beethoven was driven by his father without patience and love to practice playing the music of Mozart and Haydn on the piano; however, Beethoven preferred to improvise and play his own style of music. This enraged his father as it did many symphony patrons later in life. Beethoven was honored to be asked to move to Vienna and have Haydn as his instructor. After years of playing for royalty, Beethoven was frustrated that all the audiences wished only to hear music from Mozart and Haydn. So, Beethoven decided to move to the countryside where he could compose music as he wished. While living in the countryside, Beethoven noticed his hearing loss was getting more severe and feared going deaf. The world was going through a revolution. The America Colonies threw off the British Empire, and common people replaced the King and Queen of France. Beethoven believed that since the world was changing all around him that music should change also. Beethoven's performances were not embraced by the majority because of his visceral style and the war going on around him; however, Beethoven never gave up despite his despair and lack of encouragement. His courage to keep writing from the heart and his desire to play from the heart would eventually be accepted by the world. As a tribute to the soldiers, Beethoven was commissioned to write a symphony in honor of Wellington's victory over Napoleon. "The Wellington's Victory" was a favorite of the people of Vienna even though it was not one of Beethoven's favorites. Tragically, Beethoven's success could not be enjoyed. His health was fading quickly. In his last days, Beethoven finally wrote the symphony that touched his heart. The Ninth Symphony was his final work with the choral music put to Schiller's poem, "Ode to Joy." "Ode to Joy" spoke to the heart with words, and Beethoven's Ninth Symphony spoke to the heart with music. Sadly, Beethoven did not conduct his last piece of work because of his complete hearing loss. The applause was not heard by Beethoven; but the sight of the audience standing and continually applauding was Beethoven's acknowledgment of the appreciation felt by the Vienna people and the world.

Harriet Tubman has never known what it means to be free. Having been born and raised into slavery, she works hard and does as she is told. However, she longs to be free and hopes to escape to the "promise land." After hearing about an "underground railroad" and learning of a Quaker woman up the river who helps slaves "get on," Harriet tells her father she is escaping. He fears for he life and tells her there isn't really an underground railroad, but she is determined to go. Once at the Quaker woman's home, Harriet learns that the Underground Railroad is a route guided by "conductors" to the North. She goes forward and makes it to the main station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Once there, she is surprised to learn of the many different routes slaves are able to take to freedom. Hearing of her sister and family's proceeding sale, Harriet vows she will never be free until her family is free. Against the stationmaster's warnings, she heads South. Harriet continues to go back and forth from the North to the South and becomes known as the "Moses of her people" with a reward posted for her for $40,000. Harriet is able to successfully rescue her entire family, as well as 300 slaves on 17 dangerous missions to the Confederate South.

Two bicycle repairmen embark on their dream to fly. With no formal training as either scientists or engineers, they study Lilienthal's diagrams for his glider and learn from experience the keys to controlled flight. As young boys, Wilbur and Orville Wright are full of ideas, enthusiasm and dreams. Above their bicycle repair shop they discover how birds are able to balance by tilting their wings - wing warping. They want to make a glider to do the same thing. "You have a dream, you should do it," their father encourages them. After writing to the "center of knowledge for flight'" Octave Chanute, they learn the best place to glide is Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. They tell Chanute about wing warping and make him promise not to tell anyone until they can perfect it. Their first attempts are unsuccessful, however, as they realize that Lilienthal's figures were incorrect. Wilbur and Orville begin experimenting with the figures. Meanwhile, others are beginning to take flight, but only in the beginning stages. Finally, Wilbur and Orville manage a controlled flight. All they need to do is add an engine. Chanute lets the wing-warping idea slip when he is challenged, but the Wright brothers are not worried - the rest of the world doesn't know how it works. After a 59 second flight, Wilbur and Orville take Santos-Durmont, the French flyer, up on his challenge to show the world they can fly in France and on August 8,1908 the Wright brothers demonstrate to the world the power of controlled flight.

When Helen Keller was a young child, she contracted a high fever that left her sightless and unable to hear. Being the parents of a non-seeing and non-hearing child was a hardship on two loving parents who did all they could but seemed to do it in the wrong way. Out of desperation, they hired a young educator, Anne Sullivan, to teach and train the young Helen. Much to the parent's dismay, Sullivan was a strict and firm disciplinarian with the young, spoiled Keller girl. Sullivan and Helen Keller moved into a house not far down the lane from the main Keller house. There they began to develop a trust and relationship of love and respect for each other. This soon turned into an atmosphere that was ripe for learning without the interference of the Keller parents. Once Helen Keller began to put meaning with the finger spelling that she was doing, she began to learn many words at a rapid rate. Her world began to open and she was able to complete her education and continue advanced training at the university.

A youthful Leonardo da Vinci studies art under his master, Verrochio in Florence, Italy in 1473. While working as an apprentice under Andrea del Verrocchio, Leonardo learns about color, shading, sculpturing, panel painting and painting of altarpieces. Self-discipline is the key to success in Verrochio's opinion. In 1498, Leonardo is under the service of the Duke and Duchess of Milan. He is commissioned to sculpt a statue of the Duke's father and paint " The Last Supper" for the monks in their dining hall. The Duchess of Milan asks Leonardo to produce a play about stars, planets and space. He is obviously not excited about the project because of the time it will take away from his masterpieces. During the play, Leonardo sees a young boy, Salai, steal some money from the stagehands. Salai tells Leonardo that he is homeless and hopes to become an artist like Leonardo some day. Leonardo invites Salai to live with him and tells him that he will teach him how to paint. The city of Milan erupts into fire while at war. Salai and Leonardo escape with all his sketches and return to Milan. Milan is different from what Leonardo remembers. The apprentice school is no longer being used. Leonardo meets a young Michelangelo. It becomes apparent that Michelangelo and Leonardo's thoughts about training in the arts are very different. Passion and creativity versus discipline and rules. Salai becomes reckless and rebellious. Leonardo strives to keep Salai on the path of righteousness. While trying to develop a method to conserve wall paintings, one of Leonardo's paintings begins to melt off the wall. Leonardo is discouraged and decides to return to Milan. Salai decides to stay in Florence with Michelangelo. Leonardo leaves feeling like a failure. Upon his return to Milan, he visits his painting, "The Last Supper," and sees that young apprentices are using his painting as their study. The young apprentices ask to shake the master's hand, Leonardo da Vinci's hand.

As a young girl, Joan lived in the French countryside. One day, she heard voices from heaven talking to her. The voices told Joan that she was called to help fight for the freedom of France. They also told her that Prince Charles was to be anointed and crowned the rightful king of France. Joan went to see Prince Charles but the Prince said to send her away. The warrior, Le Hire, reminded Charles of a prophesy that said a young maiden would save France. Prince Charles agreed to see Joan but planned to prove that she was a fake. Charles switched clothes with his tailor and hid in the crowd of people when Joan entered the room. He believed if Joan had special powers, she would be able to identify him. Joan was not fooled and she quickly bowed before him. The Prince was convinced so he made her a commander in his army. Under Joan's command new supplies and soldiers made it into Orleans and the English fled. Talbot, the leader of the English military, believed Joan must be a witch because she could not have beat the English in battle without the help of the devil. Joan was captured and tried on the charges of witchcraft and heresy. Cauchon, a bishop of the church, found Joan guilty and sentenced her to death by fire. After Joan's death La Hire and Dunois asked King Charles for control of the army. They wanted to continue what Joan had begun. The war continued for twenty two years before Joan's people were set free. Twenty five years after Joan's death, the trial condemning her was pronounced invalid and her name was cleared.

The time is 1296 in Turkey. Marco Polo, his father and his uncle have just returned after a twenty five-year journey of the East. They tell the Duke of Venice about the riches they have found. The Duke of Venice doubts the stories of riches from China. Not long after he returned a war broke out between the cities of Genoa and Venice. Marco went to fight in a war. He met a sailor named Rusticello. Rusticello was also a writer. Marco and his new friend are captured by the Duke and Duchess of Genoa. The Duchess was impressed with Marco Polo's stories and visits him in prison. Marco tells the Duchess about his adventures in China and Kublai Kahn. During this time, Rusticello continues to write about the adventures of Marco Polo. After spending years in prison, the war is over and Marco is released. Rustincello shows him the book he has written about his adventures. Marco doubts that anyone would believe him and asks Rusticello to share his stories. The Travels of Marco Polo became one of the most influential books of the Middle Ages.

The time is 1589 in Pisa Italy. As a professor in a university classroom, Galileo questions the ideas of Aristotle. Knowing that he could be convicted of heresy, he continues to teach that the sun is the center of the universe and not the earth. He proves his theories by improving a toy called the spyglass. With his new invention of the telescope, he discovers Jupiter has moons revolving around it. This was the proof he needs to show that not everything revolves around the earth. Clavius, a friend of Galileos, convinces him to sign a document that says he will not teach that Aristotle is wrong, so he can continue to share his theories. Pope Urban tells Galileo that he can write a book if he presents both his and Aristotles views fairly. Columbe, being jealous of Galileo, finds the document signed by Galileo promising not to teach that Aristole is wrong. Columbe has a forger add to the document that Galileo also promises never to teach his own theories again. Galileo is found guilty of heresy and is sentenced to house arrest. His faithful servant, Sagredo, is at his side as he dies. Sagredo takes the writings of Galileo and smuggles them into Holland where they can be printed.

As a young girl, Marie learns things quickly and her family knows she is very bright. Her country, Poland, is ruled by Russia and everyone has to learn Russian in order to attend the university, Marie watches her sister, Bronya, struggle to learn Russian, but for Marie learning the language is easy. The time has come for Bronya to go to the university. Marie accompanies her father and sister to the University of Warsaw. It is there they learn that all universities in Poland have been closed to women. After Marie graduates at the top of her class, she attends a secret university held in a local museum. Marie comes up with a plan that will allow both she and her sister to attend school at the Sorbonne in Paris. Marie works as a governess so she can support Bronya as she goes to school to become a doctor. After working for five years it is Marie's turn to go to Paris to study at the Sorbonne University. She is a top student and earns a masters degree in physics in just two years. The next year Marie earns a masters degree in mathematics. While in Paris, Marie meets and marries Pierre Curie. When Pierre is approached by Professor Lippman and Professor Bouty about becoming a professor at Sorbonne, he declines and says Marie is the best choice for the position. Pierre tells the professors of Marie's many accomplishments, including the discovery of radium. He tells how she demonstrated her love for science and mankind by giving away the secret of radium instead of selling it and becoming wealthy. Pierre tells how Marie is the first woman to receive her doctorate and the Nobel Prize. Because there has never been a woman professor at the Sorbonne, Professor Lippman and Professor Bouty will only allow Marie to work as a chief assistant to Pierre. Marie is thrilled to work with her husband at the university. Two years later, Pierre Curie is killed in an accident with a horse drawn wagon. With a new year about to begin at the Sorbonne, Professor Lippman and Professor Bouty ask Marie to join the school as a Professor of Physics. At first, Marie declines but then remembers a promise she made to Pierre - if one of us dies, the other must go on. Marie accepts the job and becomes the first woman professor at the Sorbonne.