BBC Radio Podcasts from Witness History: Witness Archive 2015
Gay and lesbian support for the British miners' strike
In 1984 a group of lesbians and gay men organised to support striking coal-miners.
The Millennium Bug
How the world waited for a potential global computer meltdown on New Year's Eve 1999
The Poster Boy for the Communist System
In 1935, Alexei Stakhanov, a coal miner, became a Soviet celebrity.
Rasputin
In 1916, the infamous holy man Grigori Rasputin, was murdered by Russian aristocrats
The Donner Party
In 1846, a group of US pioneers were trapped in the mountains over the winter.
The Beagle 2 Mission to Mars
On Christmas Day 2003, a British space craft was due to land on Mars to look for life
It's a Wonderful Life
A former Hollywood child star remembers filming the classic Christmas movie in 1946.
Michael Jackson's Thriller
In 1982 the world's best selling album was released
Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita
One of the 20th Century's most scandalous books was published in 1955
The Death of General Patton
America's legendary military commander, General George Patton, died in December 1945
India Disability Rights
In 1995 the first disability rights legislation was passed by India's parliament.
Star Wars: C3PO's Story
The actor behind the galaxy's most famous protocol droid remembers the first Star Wars
The Rubik's Cube
In 1974, Ernő Rubik invented the world's best selling puzzle: the Rubik's Cube
A Pakistani View of the Bangladesh War of Independence
The story of a Pakistani soldier caught up in the Bangladesh liberation war.
The 1960 Coup Against Haile Selassie
How Ethiopia's Emperor was almost overthrown in a bloody coup
The Velvet Underground
The seminal alternative rock band play their first gig at a high school in New Jersey.
The KKK and the Killing of Viola Liuzzo
In 1965, three KKK members were convicted of conspiring to kill a civil rights activist
The Battle of Tora Bora
After the Taliban lost control of Afghanistan in 2001 the hunt for Osama bin Laden began.
WW1: The Siege of Kut, Iraq
Thousands of British and Indian troops spent five months trapped in Kut, Iraq in WW1
Cuban Fighters in Angola
Thousands of Cuban troops fought with Angola's Marxist government forces in the civil war
The First Heart Transplant
On 3 December 1967, two brothers carried out the first heart transplant operation
Surviving Pearl Harbor
How one US Navy mechanic made it through the surprise Japanese attack on his Pacific base
The Bari Raid 1943
How a devastating air raid on Bari during WW2 led to the deadly release of mustard gas
Nigeria's "War Against Indiscipline"
In 1984 General Buhari's military regime launched an unusual campaign to clean up Nigeria
Surviving Ravensbruck
The story of a survivor of Ravensbruck, the Nazis' concentration camp for women
Britain's Palestine Patrols
How the Royal Navy stopped Jewish refugee ships trying to reach Palestine in the 1940s.
Cuba's 'Special Period'
In the 1990s the Cuban economy came close to collapse after Soviet aid dried up
The DB Cooper Mystery
In November 1971 a hijacker parachuted from a US plane with a $200,000 ransom
Attack on the US Embassy in Islamabad
In late November 1979 a mob set fire to the US Embassy in Islamabad
The CIA's Cultural War: how the CIA secretly funded the magazine Encounter
How the CIA secretly funded the hugely influential cultural magazine Encounter.
Fear of Flying: The Best Selling Book About Sex, Creativity And Love
Erica Jong, a feminist author from New York, talks about her novel on female sexuality
Fire: Bollywood Explores Lesbian Love
Indian film star Shabana Azmi recalls playing a lesbian in the controversial film, Fire
Kenya’s Torture Chambers
In 1986 the Kenyan government began a programme of secretly torturing suspected opponents
The Fall of the Taliban
On 13 November 2001, the Taliban administration collapsed in Afghanistan
East Timor Massacre
In November 1991 Indonesian troops opened fire on independence activists in East Timor
Romany: Pioneer Wildlife Broadcaster
Romany of the BBC was a pioneer naturalist broadcaster of Roma Gypsy origin
India Anti-Sikh Riots
Following the assassination of Indira Gandhi, India was gripped by anti-Sikh riots
The Amman Bombings
On 9 November 2005, nearly 60 people were killed in Jordan's worst terror attack
The Green March
In November 1975 a huge crowd of Moroccans marched into a Spanish colony in the desert
The Russian Revolution: Alexander Kerensky
Alexander Kerensky, overthrown by Lenin in 1917, comments on the Russian Revolution
The Battle of El Alamein
In 1942, the Allies launched an offensive in Egypt that helped shape the course of WW2
Britain's Executioner - Albert Pierrepoint
Archive interviews with Britain's most famous hangman, who executed more than 400 people.
The Jarrow Crusade
In 1936 men from the North of England marched to London to protest at mass unemployment.
A Jewish Homeland in Siberia
In 1930 the USSR created a Jewish Region in Siberia, a homeland for Soviet Jews
The Great Depression: Harry Leslie Smith Remembers
Harry Leslie Smith grew up in England during the Great Depression of the 1930s
The First Lady of Cuban Ballet
World-famous prima ballerina Alicia Alonso talks about founding Cuba's National Ballet
The Nuclear Spy Alan Nunn May
In 1945 the English physicist was exposed as a nuclear spy for the Soviet Union.
The birth of the United Nations
In October 1945, the United Nations was born, in the hope of preventing future wars
Iceland's Women Strike
In October 1975, 90% of all women in Iceland took part in a massive nationwide protest
Sri Lanka Killings
In 1995 during Sri Lanka's brutal civil war Tamil rebels attacked a Sinhalese village.
The Disappearing Sea
In 1990, the first international conference was held on the shrinking of the Aral Sea
The Controversial 'God of Vengeance'
How the cast of an early 20th century Yiddish play found themselves in court in New York.
Mass Graves in Hue, Vietnam
US troops discovered victims of the Communist Tet offensive in Hue city in 1968
The October Crisis in Canada
When Quebec separatists started to use violence - Canada's government called out the army
Satyajit Ray: Working with India’s Cinematic Master
Sixty years ago the acclaimed director released his awarding winning first film
Danish Jews Escape the Holocaust
Almost all of Denmark's Jewish population escaped the Nazis during World War Two
The White Russians in Shanghai
A Russian refugee remembers life in Shanghai after fleeing the 1917 revolution
The Death of Edith Cavell
On 12 October 1915 a British nurse was executed by German troops during World War One
The Moors Murders
In 1965, Britain was shocked by a series of child murders in Manchester
Pakistan Earthquake 2005
On 8 October 2005 a massive earthquake hit Pakistani-administered Kashmir
The Assassination of Anwar Sadat
President Anwar Sadat of Egypt's widow, Jehan, remembers the day he was assassinated
Austrian Wine Scandal
In 1985 government scientists discovered anti-freeze in bottles of Austrian wine.
Barbary Pirates and the White Slave Trade
The story of an English boy captured by pirates and enslaved in North Africa in 1716
The Death of Rock Hudson
Angie Dickinson remembers the Hollywood star who died after contracting Aids
Danish Cartoons
In 2005 a Danish newspaper published 12 images of the Prophet Muhammad
Buena Vista Social Club
Barbarito Torres speaks about playing on the ground-breaking album of Cuban music
The Birth of Karaoke
Daisuke Inoue was playing in a band in Kobe Japan when he invented the Karaoke machine
Kabul Musicians' Quarter
The home of Afghanistan's traditional musicians was destroyed in 1992.
The Plastic People of the Universe
The psychedelic Czech rock band which became a symbol of resistance to communist rule.
Jacques Brel
In 1966 the singer-songwriter announced on stage that he was going to stop performing
DJ Kool Herc and the Birth of Hip Hop
In the autumn of 1973 a Bronx DJ held a ground-breaking party.
The Origins of Ska Music
Jamaica is best known for Reggae music, but before Reggae, came Ska.
The Leningrad Symphony
In 1942 starving musicians in besieged Leningrad performed Shostakovich's Symphony
The First Glastonbury Festival
We hear from farmer Michael Eavis, who began the music festival in 1970
Musicians of the Iranian Revolution
In 1978, Iran's top musicians took a stand against the Monarchy
Miriam Makeba
The story of the great South African singer who spent 30 years in exile
Willie Nelson's Farm Aid
Country music legend Willie Nelson holds the first benefit concert for American farmers
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
How the Pakistani Qawali singer became an international music sensation..
The Monkees
The Monkees were the world's first 'manufactured' boy band - created especially for TV.
Umm Kulthum
Millions of Egyptians mourned the death of the legendary singer in 1975
Noel Coward Plays Vegas
The English singer, actor and playwright was invited to do a show in Las Vegas
The King of Highlife
E.T Mensah's Highlife music took Africa by storm in the 1950s
The Heyday of Somali Music
The remarkable story of Maryam Mursal, one of the superstars of 1970s Somali music .
Russia's First DJ
Russia's first radio DJ, Seva Novgorodsev, went on air at the height of the Cold War
The Auschwitz Cellist
How the cellist Anita Lasker-Wallfisch survived the Holocaust by playing music.
Hurricane Katrina
In August 2005 a massive hurricane hit the city of New Orleans in the USA.
The Guinness Book of Records
The first edition of one of the world's best-selling books was published in August 1955.
Latinos Protest Against Vietnam
How a Mexican-American march against the Vietnam War descended into chaos in 1970.
The Assassination of Benigno Aquino
On 21 Aug 1983, the opposition leader, Benigno Aquino, was shot dead in the Philippines
Mass Executions in Iran
In the summer of 1988 thousands of political prisoners were suddenly executed in Iran.
A Bizarre Poisoning Plot in Oregon
A clash between a religious commune and the locals leads to the mass poisoning of a town.
Charles Rennie Mackintosh
In August 1915 the Scottish architect was arrested on suspicion of spying.
The Assassination of Leon Trotsky
Esteban Volkov recalls the murder of his grandfather, Leon Trotsky, in Mexico in Aug 1940
The Dieppe Raid
The disastrous raid by Allied forces on the German occupied French port of Dieppe in WW2.
The Tolpuddle Martyrs
How six English farmworkers defied the authorities to form a trade union in 1834.
Korea Divided
In August 1945 Korea is split along the 38th parallel.
Child Prisoners of the Japanese
The story of one young American girl held prisoner by the Japanese during WW2.
The Man Who Published Harry Potter
In 1996 struggling author JK Rowling finds a publisher at last for wizard Harry Potter.
Devil's Island
A convict's experience of the notorious French penal colony in South America.
The World's Most Valuable T-Rex
Peter Larson tells us how his team discovered the most complete T-Rex fossil in the world
The Great Iraqi Defection
In 1995 two of the Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's son-in-laws defected to Jordan.
Singapore Independence
Singapore leaves the Federation of Malaysia and becomes an independent sovereign state
The Bombing of Hiroshima
A Japanese schoolgirl tells her story of surviving the US nuclear attack on Hiroshima
The Plot to Kill Iranian Writers
In August 1996 in Iran, there was a plot to kill 21 writers on a bus jouney to Armenia
Afghanistan's First Coup
In July 1973 military officers staged a coup which toppled the monarchy in Afghanistan
First Cochlear Implant
In August 1978 an Australian doctor successfully fitted a multi-channel cochlear implant.
Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho
In August 1960 the controversial Oscar-nominated psychological thriller was released
First Inter-racial Kiss on TV
In July 1964, a white actor and a black actress, kissed, live, on a British TV show
Scouts in the Warsaw Uprising
On 1 August 1944, the Warsaw Uprising against the Nazi occupation of Poland began
Chilean Students Set on Fire
Chilean soldiers attacked and burnt two students during protests in July 1986.
Britain's Landslide 1945 Election
In July 1945 Labour won a surprise victory, defeating war-time leader Winston Churchill
The Tulia Drug Bust
A drug sting in a small Texas town in 1999 went badly wrong and caused a national scandal
Tehran's Red Light District
In July 1979 Iran's new Islamic government closed down Tehran's red-light district.
CIA Mind Control Experiments
In the 1950s the CIA began attempts to brainwash psychiatric patients.
Ghiggia: Uruguay’s World Cup Hero
Alcides Ghiggia scored a famous goal for Uruguay in a match at Brazil’s Maracana stadium
The Manhattan Project
The first ever nuclear weapon was detonated by scientists in the USA on 16 July 1945
Poison Gas in WW1
Soldiers who witnessed gas attacks recount their experiences in archive recordings
Marie Curie
Winner of two Nobel prizes for her pioneering research into radioactivity
The Sinking of the USS Indianapolis
In July 1945, the American warship was torpedoed in the shark-infested Pacific Ocean.
The Death of MKO Abiola
Nigerian opposition leader died suddenly days before his expected release from prison
One Hundred Years of Solitude
In 1967 the best-selling Latin American novel by Gabriel Garcia Marquez was published.
Tamil Doctors and the Sri Lankan War
In July 2009 doctors were forced to re-assess the number of casualties in the war.
Escape from the KGB
In July 1985, Oleg Gordievsky, a high-ranking Soviet spy defected to the UK
The Death of General Sani Abacha
The Doctor who tried to save Nigeria's Military Ruler.
German Re-Armament
In the 1930s Hitler began to rebuild Germany's air force.
The Filming of Jaws
It is 40 years since the blockbuster movie about a man-eating shark was released
Red Cross Visits Nazi Concentration Camp
In 1944 the International Red Cross was allowed into Theresienstadt concentration camp
The Berlin Love Parade
On 1 July 1989, 150 dancers set off on a demonstration for 'peace, love and pancakes'
Helen Keller
A childhood illness left Helen Keller deaf and blind - but she still learned to speak
Save the Whale
On June 27th 1975 Greenpeace activists launched their first direct action against whalers
James Salter: Writer and Pilot
The acclaimed American author died on 19 June 2015, aged 90
Communist Yugoslavia breaks with the USSR
In June 1948 Marshal Tito shocked the world by shunning his former Soviet ally, Stalin.
Air India Flight 182
On 23 June 1985 a passenger plane was blown out of the sky by Sikh extremists
Britain's First Black Woman MP
In 1987 Diane Abbott became the first black woman elected to the British Parliament
The Six Day War: A Jewish view
After the Six Day War in June 1967 Jews in Arab countries like Libya had to flee
Iran's Cultural Revolution
How Iran's Islamic hardliners shut down universities to drive out secular groups
Inter-racial Marriage in South Africa
In June 1985 the ban on inter-racial marriage in South Africa was finally lifted.
Flying to Freedom
In June 1970 a group of mainly Jewish dissidents tried to escape from the USSR by plane
The Six Day War: A Palestinian view
The Six Day War of 1967 between Israel and its Arab neighbours changed the Middle East
The Death of Walter Rodney
The Guyanese historian and political activist Walter Rodney was killed by a bomb in 1980
Denmark's Inuit Experiment
In 1951 a group of Inuit children were sent to Denmark for re-education as "little Danes"
A Cure for Tuberculosis
Professor Denny Mitchison was a pioneer in the search for a cure for tuberculosis.
Refugee Boat Tragedy
In June 1988 the US Navy came across a boat of Vietnamese refugees in the South China Sea
Women's Institute at 100
The British women's organisation set up to revitalise rural communities during WW1
Britain's first referendum on Europe
In June 1975, Britain held a referendum on its membership of the Common Market
The Eichmann Tapes
The Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann gave hours of interview before his capture and trial
The Death of Ayatollah Khomeini
Chaos at the funeral of Iran's leader as millions gathered to mourn his death.
The Golden Gate Bridge
In early June 1937 San Francisco was celebrating the opening of the Golden Gate Bridge
The Burning of the Jaffna Public Library
On June 1st 1981, the public library in the Sri Lankan city of Jaffna was set on fire.
The Heysel Stadium Disaster
Thirty-nine people died during the European Cup Final between Liverpool and Juventus.
The Welsh in Patagonia
In May 1865 a group of Welsh settlers left Liverpool for Patagonia
Protect and Survive
In May 1980 the British government published a booklet about how to survive nuclear war
Dorothy Mulkey - US Fair Housing Campaigner
The Californian woman who ended segregation in the American housing market in 1967.
Italy in World War One
One soldier's diary account of the brutal Italian campaign fought in the Alps
Archbishop Romero of San Salvador
An eye-witness account of the murder of the outspoken cleric, soon to declared a saint
Bob Marley's Funeral
On 21 May 1981 the legendary reggae singer was buried in Jamaica
A Coup in Fiji
In May 2000, gunmen broke into parliament in Fiji and declared a coup
Lawrence of Arabia
It is 80 years since the Englishman TE Lawrence, known as Lawrence of Arabia, died
The Elephant Man
The story of the hugely deformed Joseph Merrick, a celebrity in Victorian Britain.
The Building of Kariba Dam
In May 1960 the massive Kariba hydro-electric dam on Africa's Zambezi river was opened.
Kermit the Frog
It is 60 years since the frog puppet first appeared on an American children's TV show
The Andijan Massacre
On May 13th 2005 hundreds of demonstrators were killed by soldiers in an Uzbek town.
The Church of the Nativity siege
In May 2002 a five-week siege at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem finally ends
India's Billionth Baby
On May 11th 2000 a baby girl born in Delhi was designated as India's billionth citizen.
VE Day
The celebrations in London at the end of World War II in Europe, as reported by the BBC.
The Sinking of the Lusitania
1,200 died when a German submarine torpedoed the passenger liner off Ireland in 1915
Aden's Independence Struggle
The fight to end British rule in the colony of Aden - today part of Yemen
Chemical Weapons Tests at Porton Down
In May 1953, a British airman died in nerve gas tests at a government research base
The Iranian Embassy Siege
In May 1980 British special forces stormed Iran's embassy in London to end a siege
US Evacuation from Saigon
The last remaining US forces pulled out of South Vietnam on April 30th 1975.
The Man Who Removed His Own Appendix
In April 1961, Russian doctor Leonid Rogozov developed appendicitis in Antarctica.
President de Gaulle resigns
In April 1969, France's great statesman, Charles de Gaulle, resigned as president
The Jane Fonda Workout
In April 1982, film star Jane Fonda launched her first workout video
The Mass Trespass on Kinder Scout
A 1932 protest which helped win the right to roam freely across the English countryside
The Iran Hostage Rescue Mission
On 24 April 1980, the US launched a disastrous attempt to free its hostages in Iran
The Hunt for Saddam's Weapons of Mass Destruction
In April 1991 weapons inspectors were allowed into Iraq to search for WMDs
NATO bombs Serbian TV
In April 1999 Nato bombed the Serbian state TV station in Belgrade, killing 16 people.
The Death of Einstein
The great theoretical physicist Albert Einstein died on 18th April 1955
Carousel - The Musical
In April 1945 one of the most successful musicals of all time premiered on Broadway.
Oklahoma City Bombing
On April 19 1995 a huge truck bomb killed 168 people in a government building in the USA.
Joe Orton
He was the young working class playwright who changed British theatre.
Bloods and Crips truce
In April 1992, the main black street gangs in Los Angeles started a historic truce.
Train puts Letchworth Garden City on the Map
In April 1905 the arrival of a passenger train put Letchworth Garden City on the map
The Khmer Rouge take power
In April 1975 the four-year rule of the brutal Khmer Rouge began in Cambodia.
Glenn Gould Retires
On 10 April 1964, famously eccentric pianist Glenn Gould gave his last live performance
The ‘Death of a Princess’ film
In 1980 a film about a public execution caused a row between Britain and Saudi Arabia
India's State of Emergency
In 1975, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared a state of emergency
The Fall of Idi Amin
In 1979 Tanzanian troops invaded Uganda and ousted its brutal dictator.
The Marshall Plan
In April 1948 the US agreed to spend millions of dollars on rebuilding post-war Europe.
Tenerife Air Crash
In 1977 the worst ever air accident took place when two jumbo jets collided in Tenerife.
1943 Bengal Famine
In 1943, during WW2, famine stuck Bengal in British-run India, killing millions.
Unearthing the Terracotta Army
In March 1974 farmers uncovered an intricately carved clay head whilst digging a well
Ireland Smoking Ban
In March 2004 Ireland banned smoking in the workplace
The Beeching Report
In March 1963 the British government announced plans to slash the country's rail network
The John and Yoko Bed-in
In 1969 John Lennon of the Beatles and his new wife Yoko Ono staged a bed-in for peace
The Invention of the Black Box
The story of the Black Box flight recorder and the man behind it, David Warren
Algeria's War of Independence
In March 1962, a ceasefire was agreed in the Algerian war for independence from France
Escape from East Berlin
How a student helped East Berliners escape Communism in the boot of a diplomat's car
Golda Meir
In March 1969, Golda Meir became Israel's first female prime minister
The Biggest Art Heist in US History
Thieves bluff their way into a Boston museum, stealing art worth around $500 million
British Theatre Trial
How a play 'The Romans in Britain' caused a scandal in London's National Theatre in 1982
Aristotle Onassis and Jackie Kennedy
The secret romance between the Greek shipping magnate and JFK's widow in the 1960s
Suite Francaise
The extraordinary story of the manuscript of the French novel Suite Francaise, now a film
Kosovo Killings
When Serb forces attacked the home of KLA leader Adem Jashari more than 50 people died
The Mysterious Death of an MP in Kenya
Leading Kenyan MP JM Kariuki disappeared in strange circumstances in March 1975
Alexander McQueen
The fashion designer who shocked the world in 1995 with an outrageous collection.
The German Invasion of Czechoslovakia
Hitler sent his troops into Czechoslovakia on the morning of 15 March 1939.
Stalin's Interpreter
Valentin Berezhkov was Stalin's translator during the World War Two
The Man who Changed Parenting
Baby and Child Care by Dr Benjamin Spock became a best-seller after publication in 1946
Britain's First Commercial Surrogate Mother
In 1985 surrogate mother Kim Cotton triggered a national debate and a change in the law
The Sound of Music
On the 50th anniversary of the film the Sound of Music, we talk to Johannes von Trapp
The Highway of Death
Allied forces bombed Iraqi vehicles leaving Kuwait at the end of the first Gulf War
The Battle of Iwo Jima
In February1945 US Marines fought the Japanese in one of the fiercest battles of WW
Spanish Coup Attempt
In February 1981 armed Civil Guards tried to take control of the Spanish parliament.
The Looting of the Benin Bronzes
The British attack Benin city in 1897 and steal its ancient artwork, the Benin bronzes.
Aldrich Ames CIA Traitor
In February 1994, CIA officer Aldrich Ames was arrested for spying for the Russians
Saturday Night Fever
The chart-topping Bee Gees sound track which made the movie a hit
Larnaca Airport Shootout
In 1978 Egyptian and Cypriot troops fought each other during a hostage crisis in Cyprus
The Murder of Daniel Pearl
In 2002 militants in Pakistan released a video of the killing of the US journalist
The Murder of Archbishop Janani Luwum
Ugandan Archbishop Janani Luwum was killed after standing up to dictator Idi Amin in 1977
Martha Gellhorn
In February 1998, the great war correspondent and writer, Martha Gellhorn, died
Aung San
The Burmese independence leader was born on February 13th 1915
The Bombing of Dresden
On February 13th 1945 the Allies began a series of air raids against the German city.
Minamata Mercury Poisoning
In the late 1950s thousands of people in Japan were poisoned by industrial waste
Finland’s Winter War
Finland's desperate fight for survival against the might of the Soviet Union in 1940.
Sophiatown Removals
In 1955 apartheid South Africa evicted people from a multi-racial area of Johannesburg
The Conflict is Over
In 1993 a message arrived in London which kickstarted the Northern Ireland Peace Process.
The Greensboro Sit-In
Four young black men protested against racial segregation in North Carolina in Feb 1960.
McDonald's in Moscow
In January 1990 the global fast food giant opened its first restaurant in the USSR
The Atomic Spy
The first spy of the Cold War, Klaus Fuchs, gave the West's nuclear secrets to Moscow
Bertrand Russell
Memories of the English analytic philosopher and political activist using BBC archive.
The Family Doctor Turned Murderer
In January 2000, Harold Shipman was found guilty of killing 15 of his female patients
Black Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm
The first major-party black candidate to make a bid for the US Presidency in 1972
Greenland nuclear bomber crash
In 1968 a US B52 plane with nuclear bombs on board crashed at Thule, Greenland.
Auschwitz Train Escape
How a handful of Belgian Jews escaped from a train heading to Auschwitz
Fleeing the Spanish Civil War
In January 1939 tens of thousands of people fled the advancing forces of General Franco
Patrice Lumumba
The African nationalist and Congo's first prime minister who was murdered in January 1961
The Death of Al Capone
Al Capone's grand niece talks about her memories of the famous Chicago mobster
US Drone Operator
Brandon Bryant speaks to Witness about working on the controversial US drone programme.
The rise of England's football hooligans
The rise of violence between English football fans in the 1970s
Zeppelins Attack England
In January 1915 huge German Zeppelin airships began the first bombing raids on England
The Mystery of Raoul Wallenberg
He saved thousands of Jews from the Nazis but disappeared in Soviet custody in 1945
The Life and Death of Agatha Christie
The best-selling novelist in history, crime-writer Agatha Christie, died in January 1976
India's First Call Centre
In 1997 an Indian businessman saw a great opportunity to start a whole new industry
India Bans Widow Burning
In I988 India passed a law that made it a criminal offence to help anyone commit Sati
Somalia's Rural Literacy Campaign
The hugely ambitious campaign to teach rural people to read and write in 1970s Somalia
The Opening of Guantanamo
The first prisoners arrived at the US detention centre at Guantanamo Bay in January 2002
South Asia's top Hindi music show
In 1952 India launched a music programme, Geetmala, which would broadcast for 42 years
The Impeachment of Bill Clinton
The Senate chamber was turned into a court to put the president on trial, 7 January 1999
Evidence of the Big Bang
The unexpected discovery which became the first proof of the Big Bang Theory
The Prague Spring
In January 1968 the reformist Alexander Dubcek became leader of the Czech Communist party
WW1 Survivors Drowned on Way Home
In 1919, more than 200 sailors died metres from home, off a Scottish island
First Episode of Mr Bean
How did an almost completely silent comic character become such a hit?
Grand Theft Auto
A controversial new computer game designed in Scotland became a surprise hit in 1997