The 50 Miles That Changed the World: The Panama Canal

Fifty miles of water that changed the world — and cost an estimated 25,000 lives. The Panama Canal broke the most famous engineer of the 19th century, bankrupted thousands of French investors, created a brand-new country, and forced humanity to win a war against mosquitoes before a single mountain could be moved. This is the story of how it was finally built — and the new threat it faces today. In this video: 🏗️ Why the French attempt under Ferdinand de Lesseps collapsed 🦟 How Dr. William Gorgas defeated yellow fever ⚙️ The brilliant idea behind the canal's locks — powered only by gravity ⛰️ The Culebra Cut, the largest excavation the world had ever seen 🌍 The canal today: expansion, drought and 5% of global trade SOURCES Panama Canal Authority — https://pancanal.com/en/end-of-the-co... Smithsonian Magazine — https://www.smithsonianmag.com/histor... Hektoen International — https://hekint.org/2021/09/17/death-d... Subscribe to Monumental Works for more stories about the greatest things humans have ever built. #PanamaCanal #Megaprojects #EngineeringHistory