Days That Shook the World Pilot and Season 1

The events that shaped our world: from the tragedies of history to the triumphs of scientific development. There are landmarks of our time that, when linked together, provide a distillation of the 20th Century's defining experiences: on each of these two days the lives of millions were changed for ever. Incredible breakthroughs; acts of shocking brutality; icons for change in a callous world; and stories underlined by hope all form the themes of these compelling programmes. Moments such as the liberation of Nelson Mandela, the assassination of MLK, the first transatlantic radio message, the breaking of the sound barrier, the first nuclear reaction and the moon landings, are examined through dramatic reconstruction, eye-witness accounts and archive footage.