Smithsonian Channel - My Million Dollar Invention Series 1 (2015) Part 8 The Little Guy

My Million Dollar Invention

What was Edison's questionable role in the development of the electric chair? Which household utensil came from the mind of a prisoner? How was the Maclaren baby buggy inspired by a fighter plane? Behind many million-dollar inventions are priceless stories of inspiration, controversy, triumph, and tragedy. Explore inventions large and small, lifesaving and life-taking, scary and playful, and meet the men and women who dedicated, and often risked, their lives to follow their vision and ultimately change the world.

Part 8 The Little Guy

They were little guys with big ideas, who started out with nothing, gave everything, and created something that changed the world, and their lives, forever. Discover the stories behind the inventions of the Lego brick, the intermittent windshield wiper, Madam C.J. Walker's hair supplies, and the smiley face. 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.

Smithsonian Channel

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