Influenza 1918: The American Experience (1998) Documentary on Free Online Video

Watch this one hour documentary on the devastating 1918 flu pandemic and how it killed over 600,000 Americans. The documentary features interviews with people who were children when the pandemic hit and they describe their memories of living through it. Since film and photography were becoming more widespread in 1918, the documentary also includes great historical footage and photos from the time. From the flu pandemic's believed beginnings in Kansas to its spread throughout the world from troops involved in World War I to its deadliest wave in the fall of 1918, the documentary covers the wide-ranging consequences that the 1918 flu had on American life. Today's viewers will undoubtedly see many parallels to the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 and the ways in which the American public is reacting to this novel and deadly virus. Watch this documentary for free on the PBS website.