July 29, 2010                         ON NOW:Turning Points of History    NEXT:Finding the Fallen                             


7:00 PM ET/PT
Ice Road Truckers
Accident Alley (CC)  

8:00 PM ET/PT
Beast Legends
Winged Lion ()  

9:00 PM ET/PT
JURASSIC FIGHT CLUB
Biggest Killers (CC)  


today in history

HISTOR!CA
  • July 29, 1874

    Politician James Woodsworth, who was first leader of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, was born at Etobicoke, Ont.

  • July 29, 1898

    The last spike was driven on the White Pass and Yukon Railway, from Skagway to Whitehorse.

Since the first patent was issued over 500 years ago, inventors from around the world have been trying to build the next big thing. But for every brilliant creation, there are thousands that never get off the drawing board. 

This series proves that not all failed inventions are failures. Re-Inventors Matt Hunter and Jeremy MacPherson dig up original patent designs to build and test inventions from the past like the Gun Helmet, the Head Parachute and the Suitcase Suit. Some designs crash and burn, but others actually prove brilliant when given a chance.  

Whitehorse-born Macpherson is an amateur historian and special effects artist who has worked on films like X-Men and Chicago.Toronto's Hunter is a skilled carpenter and backyard inventor.  Armed with blow torches and history books, they journey through the strange and entertaining world of invention, proving human beings will try to build just about anything.