Plot Synopsis

Narrated by Bryan Cranston and produced in collaboration with the Big History Project, a free online course from Professor David Christian and Bill Gates, BIG HISTORY covers 13.7 billion years, revealing how every aspect of Earth and mankind's history interconnects to create our world today. Each 30-minute episode of BIG HISTORY begins with an iconic topic from the pages of traditional history -- such as the Great Pyramids, The Titanic or the American Revolution -- and then spins into surprising journeys through other fields, weaving together insights and evidence from astronomy, physics, chemistry, biology, anthropology, history and economics. Did Napoleon's invasion of Russia come undone because of tin buttons? Did New York become America's biggest city because of salt? How does the sinking of the Titanic power your cell phone? What's the connection between ancient Egyptian mummies and a modern ham and cheese sandwich? Then, BIG HISTORY ultimately pulls together the pieces from all 16 half-hour episodes into a two-hour finale, creating one grand narrative and revealing the unifying link among all events.