Witness History: Archive 2014

The Biggest Rock Concert Ever Dec 31, 2014

What does rock megastar Rod Stewart remember most about playing to 4 million people on Copacabana beach on New Year's Eve 1994? Well... it's not nice.

Photo: Rod Stewart at the BBC.

The Beginning of Reality TV Dec 30, 2014

In December 1999 a young Dutch man, Bart Spring in't Veld, won the first ever Big Brother reality TV show. It was to be the start of a global television phenomenon.

But for 22-year-old Bart the victory proved to be a mixed blessing.

Photo: Big Brother winner Bart Spring in't Veld, Credit: Endemol

The Casa Pia Scandal in Portugal Dec 29, 2014

In 2004, some of the most high-profile people in Portugual went on trial on charges of sexuallly abusing boys from a children's home called Casa Pia. Six defendants were eventually found guilty, including a famous televison presenter. Simon Watts talks to Pedro Namora, a lawyer who campaigned for the Casa Pia victims.

Photo: Getty Images.

The Battle of the Bulge Dec 26, 2014

Fought during the winter months of 1944, it was the last major German attack on the Western Allies in World War II. Witness speaks to Keith Davis, an American survivor of the Battle of the Bulge.

Photo: American tanks in Belgium in January 1945. Credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images.

Radio Caroline Dec 25, 2014

In 1964 a 'pirate' radio station began broadcasting from a ship off the coast of England, in defiance of British law. Keith Skues was one of the first DJs on Radio Caroline. He tells Witness about the difficulties, and the fun, they had on board.

Photo: Radio Caroline's ship Mi Amigo at anchor off East Anglia, Credit: Evening Standard/Getty Images

The Christmas Truce Dec 24, 2014

On Christmas Eve 1914 the guns fell quiet over the trenches of World War One. Soldiers from British and German regiments exchanged gifts and sang carols. Hear first hand accounts from the BBC archives.

Photo: German and British troops in Belgium in December 1914. Credit: AP/Imperial War Museum

Two Years Living up a Tree Dec 23, 2014

Julia Butterfly Hill lived in an ancient redwood tree in northern California for 738 days to protect it. Her bed was a tiny platform. She speaks to Witness about the challenges and the beauty she experienced during her remarkable solo protest.

(Photo: Julia Butterfly Hill in the ancient redwood tree she called Luna. Credit: AP)

Nepal Peace Deal Dec 22, 2014

In 2006 the Nepalese government and Maoists signed a peace accord ending 10 years of civil war. Witness has been speaking to the UN envoy to Nepal at the time and to one of the Maoists' lead negotiators.

(Photo: Nepalese Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koiral (L) and Maoist Chairman Prachanda shake hands after they exchanged documents following the signing of a landmark peace agreement, in Kathmandu 21 November 2006. Credit: Devendra M Singh/Getty Images)

The Disappearance of Glenn Miller Dec 19, 2014

In December 1944, American bandleader Glenn Miller went missing over the English Channel. Witness speaks to trombonist Nat Peck, who played in Miller's band.

Photo: Nat Peck (left) with other members of the Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band

The US Breaks Ties with Cuba Dec 18, 2014

It was in January 1961 that the USA first broke off diplomatic relations with Cuba. Wayne Smith was one of the last diplomats to leave the US embassy in Havana.

(Photo: An advert on the Miami waterfront after Fidel Castro came to power. Credit: Graf/Getty Images)

Goan Independence Dec 17, 2014

In December 1961, Goa became the last part of India to break free of colonial rule. The rest of India had become independent in 1947 when the British had left - but Goa had been a Portuguese colony, and Portugal did not want to give it up.

Witness speaks to Libia Lobo Sardesai, who worked on the radio station Voice of Freedom, campaigning for Goan independence.

The Timisoara Uprising Dec 16, 2014

Protests which led to the collapse of communism in Romania, and the death of the dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, began on 16 December 1989. Followers of an opposition Hungarian priest, Laszlo Tokes, had gathered to support him in the town of Timisoara - but their protest prompted a violent response from the Romanian military. Zsolt Szilagy was there when the shooting started.

(Photo: An old man greets a soldier after the uprising in Timisoara. Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

Gone With The Wind Dec 15, 2014

The premiere of one of the most successful films ever made, was held in Atlanta on 15 December, 1939. A sprawling romantic epic it was set during the American Civil War. Years later some of the cast and crew spoke to veteran Hollywood reporter Barbra Paskin.

(Photo: Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable, the stars of Gone With the Wind. Credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Baboon Aids Experiment Dec 12, 2014

Aids patient Jeff Getty was given a bone marrow transplant, from a baboon, in December 1995. It was the first time a human being had been given baboon cells. Witness speaks to Dr Steven Deeks, the doctor who oversaw the transplant.

Photo: Jeff Getty is surrounded by the press and well wishers following his release from San Francisco General Hospital after the baboon bone marrow transplant, Credit: AFP/Getty Images

The Kyoto Protocol Dec 11, 2014

On 11 December 1997, delegates from 160 countries worked through the night in Kyoto, Japan, to agree the first international treaty to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Some countries present did not ratify it, notably the United States. But it was the first agreement of its kind. We talk to two people who helped make it possible - a young UN intern, Joanna Depledge, and her boss, the chair of the negotiations, Raul Estrada-Oyuela.

(Photo: Delegates at the opening session of the Kyoto Protocol negotiations. Credit: Toru Yamanaka/AFP/Getty Images)

Miles Davis and Kind of Blue Dec 10, 2014

Drummer Jimmy Cobb recalls playing with Miles Davis on the album that changed jazz for ever. Kind of Blue was recorded in just two sessions by Davis' sextet at the 30th St Studios in New York City in 1959.

Photo: Miles Davis. Credit: Don Hunstein/AP Photo/Sony/Legacy)

The Hunt for BRCA2 Dec 09, 2014

In 1995, a frantic search was under way for a crucial 'cancer gene' called BRCA2. Scientists knew it was linked to hereditary cases of breast cancer. Professor Sir Mike Stratton was one of those racing to identify the gene. Annmarie Blomfield was one of the first women to be tested for it.

(Photo: A Scientist looks through a microscope: Credit: Science Photo Library)

The 'Execution' of Oliver Cromwell Dec 08, 2014

In 1661, following the restoration of the monarchy, the body of Oliver Cromwell was dug up for ritual execution. Cromwell had overthrown King Charles I and ruled Britain during its only period as a republic. We hear from civil war historian Charles Spencer, the 9th Earl Spencer.

(Photo: The death mask of Oliver Cromwell, 1599 - 1658. Credit: Getty Images/Hulton Archive)

The Holiday Inn in Beirut Dec 05, 2014

During the Lebanese civil war the hotel district in Beirut was turned into a battlefield. Hear from two hotel workers who worked at the luxury Holiday Inn, and who lived through what came to be known as The Battle of the Hotels.

Photo: The ruins of the Holiday Inn. Credit: Getty Images

The Release of Terry Anderson Dec 04, 2014

The American journalist Terry Anderson was freed after nearly seven years in captivity on 4 December, 1991. He had been kidnapped by Shia militants in Lebanon during the country's civil war. Terry talks about his time in captivity.

(Photo: Terry Anderson and daughter Sulome, Credit: AP)

Britain's First Woman MP Dec 03, 2014

In December 1919, the first woman took her seat in the British parliament. Her name was Lady Nancy Astor and she had been born in America. Witness History listens back through the BBC archives, and talks to her grandson David Astor about his memories of her.

(Photo:American-born Nancy Witcher Langhorne, or Viscountess Astor, at the declaration of the poll in Plymouth which made her Britain's first woman member of parliament. Credit: Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)

The Berkeley Free Speech Movement Dec 02, 2014

California students staged a sit-in which became the model for student activism across the USA in the 1960s. It all started over who could, or could not, use a small strip of land outside Berkeley's front gates. Lynne Hollander Savio, who took part in the sit-in, remembers the mood of the time.

(Photo: The leader of the Free Speech Movement, Mario Savio. Credit: AP)

The Hong Kong Riots of 1967 Dec 01, 2014

Throughout much of 1967 striking workers and students filled the streets of the colony. They were inspired by the Cultural Revolution in China and wanted an end to British rule. Jasper Tsang Yok-sing, now the president of Hong Kong's Legislative Council, was then an idealistic young student. Hear his story.

(Photo: Left wing workers put up Anti British posters in Hong Kong outside Government House. Credit: Central Press/Getty Images)

The Destruction of the Bridge at Mostar, Bosnia Nov 28, 2014

In November 1993, one of Bosnia's most famous landmarks, the old Ottoman bridge in Mostar, was destroyed by Croat guns in the Bosnian war. Built by the Ottomans in the 16th Century, the bridge was a symbol of Bosnia's multicultural past. We talk to Eldin Palata, who filmed the destruction of the bridge; and to local journalist Mirsad Behram about what the bridge meant to the people of Mostar.

Photograph: the gap where Mostar's historic bridge had stood, November 1993. Credit: AP

Australia's Rabbit Plague Nov 27, 2014

For decades, Australia's countryside was ravaged by billions of rabbits. So in the 1950s, the government released the disease myxomatosis to kill off the rabbit plague. We hear from farmer, Bill McDonald, who remembers Australia's battle against the bunnies.

(Photo: Rabbits around a waterhole at the myxomatosis trial enclosure on Wardang Island in 1938. Credit: National Archives of Australia)

Kraftwerk Nov 26, 2014

In November 1974, West German band Kraftwerk released their seminal album Autobahn. They would go on to become one of the world's most influential bands. Witness listens to BBC archive interviews with Kraftwerk frontman Ralf Hütter and former drummer Wolfgang Flür, along with Kraftwerk biographer David Buckley.

(Photo: Kraftwerk perform Autobahn during the Kraftwerk Retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, 2012. Credit: Mike Coppola/Getty Images)

The Death of Yukio Mishima Nov 25, 2014

On 25 November 1970 the acclaimed Japanese author and film-maker Yukio Mishima killed himself in a very public way. Listen to his friend and biographer Harry Scott Stokes remembering the man and his beliefs.

(Photo: Yukio Mishima with some of his young followers. Credit: AFP)

India's Eton Nov 24, 2014

In 1935 a new school opened in India. The Doon School went on to produce some of the country's leading figures including former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and author Vikram Seth. We hear from one of the first pupils, award-winning journalist George Verghese.

The Death of Quentin Crisp Nov 21, 2014

The flamboyant and eccentric gay writer and raconteur died on 21 November, 1999. He was on a visit to England from his home in New York - a city that he loved. Hear from his biographer Tim Fountain, about the man who became a celebrity after his memoir The Naked Civil Servant became a bestseller.

Photo:Quentin Crisp in 1980. Copyright: BBC.

The Nuremberg Trials Nov 20, 2014

In November 1945 the first major war crimes trials in history opened in the German city of Nuremberg. Witness talks to the only surviving American prosecutor at the trials, Benjamin Ferencz, who helped unearth evidence of mass murder by the Nazi mobile death squads and prosecuted them.

(Photo: Chief prosecutor Benjamin Ferencz presents evidence during the Einsatzgruppen (death squads) trial. Ferencz is flanked by German lawyers for two of the defendants. Credit: US Holocaust Memorial Museum, courtesy of Benjamin Ferencz)

Saddam Hussein Trial Nov 19, 2014

In November 2006 Saddam Hussein was sentenced to death in a Baghdad courtroom. The trial of the deposed President by the Iraqi Interim Government followed the American led invasion of Iraq. Witness has been speaking to Ramsey Clark, one of Saddam Hussein's defence team.

(Photo: Ramsey Clark (L) and Saddam Hussein (R) courtesy of Ramsey Clark)

President Mitterrand's Secret Second Family Nov 18, 2014

In November 1994, a French magazine revealed that President Mitterrand had a secret daughter, with his mistress of more than 30 years. Witness speaks to Sebastien Valiela, the paparazzo who broke the story.

(Photo: Mazarine Pingeot with her father Francois Mitterrand, as published in Paris Match November 1994. Credit: Sebastien Valiela)

The Murder of El Salvador's Jesuits Nov 17, 2014

In November 1989 government soldiers shot dead six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper and her teenage daughter. The shocking killings became a turning point in the Salvadorean civil war. We hear from Lucia Cerna, who was forced to flee the country because of what she witnessed that night.

(Photo: Mourners gather for the funeral of the Salvadorean Jesuits. Credit: AP/Luis Romero)

Botswana Diamond Discovery Nov 13, 2014

Manfred Marx was the man who discovered the diamonds which transformed Botswana's economy. As a young geologist in the 1960s his find in the Kalahari desert completely changed the country's fortunes after independence.

Photo: Diamonds, Credit: Getty Images

The Killing of Rohana Wijeweera Nov 13, 2014

The left-wing Sri Lankan rebel died in government custody on 13 November 1989. He was the leader of an armed Marxist uprising which led to tens of thousands of deaths. His former friend and lawyer, Prins Gunasekara remembers.

(Photo: Rohana Wijeweera speaking, courtesy of the JVP party)

Rhodesia Declares Independence Nov 11, 2014

This act by the white minority government in 1965, led to a decade of war with black nationalists. Ian Findlay, a District Commissioner at the time, explains why Rhodesia tried to hold back the 'winds of change' sweeping across Africa.

(Photo: Armed Rhodesian police on the streets of Bulawayo, Nov 1965. Credit: Terry Fincher/Getty Images/Hulton Archive)

The Destruction of Iraq's Marshes Nov 10, 2014

In the early 1990s, Saddam Hussein ordered the draining of southern Iraq's great marshes. It was one of the biggest environmental disasters of the twentieth century, and with it an ancient way of life - dating back thousands of years - was almost wiped out. Witness talks to Iraqi environmentalist Azzam Alwash, who is trying to restore the marshes, and to journalist Shyam Bhatia, who saw them being destroyed.

Photograph: An Iraqi Marsh Arab looks out across a barren stretch of the marshes of southern Iraq. Credit: Essam al-Sudani/AFP/Getty Images)

Spies in Suburbia Nov 10, 2014

A Soviet spy ring was uncovered in London in 1961. Two of the spies, a married couple, were sending radio messages to Moscow from a transmitter in their bungalow. But British secret service agents were watching them from the bedroom of a teenage girl called Gay Search. Hear her story.

(Photo: The house where the spies lived in Ruislip, London)

The Fall of the Berlin Wall Nov 07, 2014

It had been one of the enduring icons of the Cold War. It had divided East Berlin from West Berlin; and socialism from capitalism. But on 9 November, 1989, after weeks of anti-Communist protests across East Germany, that all changed. Hear from two East Germans - Aram Radomski and Siegbert Schefke - who were among the first to cross from East to West Berlin.

Photo: copyright Siegbert Schefke

The Disappearance of Lord Lucan Nov 05, 2014

Lord Lucan disappeared in 1974 after his nanny was murdered, and his wife brutally beaten. The son of the nanny, Neil Berriman tells the story of one of Britain's most well-known unsolved crimes.

(Photo : Lord Lucan on his wedding day. Credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Shoot Nov 05, 2014

In November 1971 a young American conceptual artist decided to get a friend to take a shot at him. His name was Chris Burden and the shooting would go down in the history of performance art. He has been speaking to Witness about the ideas behind the event. This programme was first broadcast in 2012.

Freud's Interpretation of Dreams Nov 04, 2014

In November 1899, Viennese neurologist Sigmund Freud published a book called The Interpretation of Dreams. It was the beginning of a new science he called psychoanalysis, which would revolutionise our understanding of human psychology. Witness hears from Sigmund Freud himself in the only known recording of his voice - from a BBC interview in 1938.

(Photo: Austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud c.1920. Credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Jane Goodall and Chimpanzees Nov 03, 2014

In 1960 a young Englishwoman made a discovery that changed our understanding of animal behaviour. Jane Goodall was living among wild chimps in Tanzania when she observed them using sticks and grasses as tools to get food.

(Photo: Jane Goodall with chimpanzeess. Credit: AFP)

British Forces in Afghanistan Oct 31, 2014

As the UK ends combat operations in Afghanistan, hear from a translator who worked alongside British troops in the country, and who was eventually forced into exile because of hostility towards the coalition forces.

Photo: British troops on patrol in Helmand Province. Credit: Press Association

The 1973 Oil Crisis Oct 30, 2014

In October 1973 Arab nations slashed oil production in protest at American support for Israel during it's war against Egypt and Syria. Oil prices sky-rocketed. We hear from former deputy secretary general of OPEC, Dr Fadhil Chalabi, about the struggle for control of oil in the early 1970s.

(Photo: An American car displays a 'No Gas' sign during the 1973-74 oil crisis)

The Assassination of Indira Gandhi Oct 29, 2014

Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was shot by her Sikh bodyguards on 31 October, 1984. We speak to RK Dhawan, one of her closest aides, who was with her in the garden that morning and was a witness to her assassination.

This programme was first broadcast in 2013.

Photo: Indian school children light candles to pay tribute to the late former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Credit: Narinder Nanu/AFP/Getty Images

New York Jewel Heist Oct 28, 2014

In October 1964 thieves carried out an audacious jewel robbery. They stole some of the world's most famous gems from the American Museum of Natural History. Witness hears from Jack Murphy, one of the gang members.

The October War Oct 27, 2014

In October 1973, Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israel. The war lasted three weeks and both sides would claim victory. But it was a war that would eventually lead to the first peace treaty between Israel and an Arab state. US diplomat Hal Saunders talks about his memories of the war and the peace process.

Photo: Israeli troops cross the Suez canal during the October war, Credit: AFP/Getty Images

The Murder that Shocked Brazil Oct 24, 2014

In October 1975 the prominent Brazilian journalist Vladimir Herzog was killed by the secret police. His murder became a symbol of the brutality of the military regime. Witness speaks to his son, Ivo, who was just nine years old at the time.

Photo: Vladimir Herzog with Ivo as a baby (courtesy of the Herzog family).

Turkey and the Kurds Oct 23, 2014

In 1999, Abdullah Ocalan, the leader of Turkey's Kurdish rebel group, the PKK, was arrested. He has been in jail ever since. We hear why the relationship between the Turkish state and the Kurds is so fraught, from the Kurdish political activist Adem Uzun.

(Photo: Turkish Kurds hold posters of Abdullah Ocalan. Credit: AP)

Ethiopia's 1984 Famine Oct 22, 2014

In 1984 Ethiopia suffered one of its worst ever famines. A BBC news report from the area shocked the world - and led to a huge global fundraising campaign. Witness speaks to Dawit Giorgis, who was in charge of Ethiopia's internal relief effort.

(Photo: BBC reporter Michael Buerk cradles a starving child in Ethiopia)

The Death of Dele Giwa Oct 20, 2014

In October 1986, during military rule in Nigeria, the campaigning Nigerian journalist and editor, Dele Giwa, was assassinated in Lagos. He was the founder of the investigative magazine Newswatch. We hear from his friend and colleague, Kayode Soyinka, who was with him when he died.

The Vagina Monologues Oct 17, 2014

In 1996 the play 'The Vagina Monologues' was performed for the first time. It has now played to audiences in 140 countries worldwide. We speak to playwright Eve Ensler.

Photo: Eve Ensler performing The Vagina Monologues (credit: Joan Marcus).

London Dock Strike of 1889 Oct 16, 2014

In 1889 a strike by London dock workers politicised the workforce in Britain and eventually led to the formation of one of the country's main political parties.

(Photo: British trade unionist John Burns addressing a group of London dockers on 7 September 1889. Credit: Rischgitz/Getty Images)

The Leipzig Demonstrations Oct 15, 2014

In October 1989, a series of huge demonstrations in East Germany's second city Leipzig shook the communist government to its foundations. It was the beginning of a process which would end in the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of Germany. Martin Jankowski was one of the protesters.

(Photo: Martin Jankowski, photographed by Andreas Schanze, 1990)

The Fall of Nikita Khrushchev Oct 14, 2014

On 14 October 1964 Moscow announced that the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev was standing down. His retirement was unprecedented and although it was the result of a Kremlin coup, Khrushchev was allowed to live out the rest of his days in Moscow. His great-grandaughter, Nina Khrushcheva, tells us about her memories of the Cold War leader.

(Photo: Nikita Khrushchev with his his grandaughter, Julia, and great-grandaughter, Nina Khrushcheva (left), at Khrushchev's retirement dacha in 1971. Credit: Khrushchev family archive)

The Band that Made The Beatles Oct 13, 2014

In October 1957 John Lennon and Paul McCartney performed together for the first time in The Quarrymen, which went on to become The Beatles. Rod Davis played banjo in The Quarrymen, and tells us about the origins of the most famous group in the world.

(Photo: The Quarrymen on the back of a lorry as part of a procession round Woolton Village in Liverpool, 6 July 1957. Rod Davis is far right, John Lennon is third from right. Credit: Rod Davis)

Handing Over Hong Kong Oct 10, 2014

In the early 1980s talks began between Britain and China over the future of Hong Kong. The negotiations resulted in a promise of 'One country, two systems' when the territory changed hands in 1997. Hear from one of the British diplomats involved, Sir Anthony Galsworthy.

Photo: Margaret Thatcher and the Chinese Premier Zhao Ziyang exchanging copies of the Hong Kong Handover agreement in 1984. Credit Associated Press.

Climate Change: the Early Years Oct 09, 2014

In 1985, 89 leading scientists from around the world met in Villach, Austria, in what is seen as a turning point in the history of climate change. Their call for urgent action led to the formation of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and put pressure on world leaders for a global treaty on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

(Photo: smoke from industrial chimneys billows over St Petersburg. Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

The Death of Che Guevara Oct 08, 2014

In October 1967 the Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara was captured and killed in Bolivia. Witness speaks to Felix Rodriguez, the CIA operative who helped track him down, and was one of the last people to speak to him.

(Photo: Felix Rodriguez (left) with the captured Che Guevara, shortly before his execution on 9 October 1967. Courtesy of Felix Rodriguez)

The Boer War 1899-1902 Oct 07, 2014

In 1899, white Afrikaner settlers went to war against the British empire in South Africa. Tens of thousands died during the three year conflict, mostly from disease. Using BBC archive recordings, we tell the story of the Boer War.

(Photo: British soldiers crossing a river during the Boer War - circa 1900. Credit: Fox Photos/Getty Images)

Sabotage of Nazi Nuclear Programme Oct 06, 2014

In October 1942 Norwegian commandos began a series of raids on a heavy water plant in German-occupied Norway. They had to destroy it in order to stop the Nazis from developing an atomic weapon. Joachim Ronneberg is the last surviving member of the Norwegian team.

(Photo: The hydro-electric power station where the heavy water plant was situated. Credit: Hulton Archives/Getty Images)

Willie Nelson's Farm Aid Oct 03, 2014

In 1985 a benefit concert was held for farmers living in the world's richest country, the USA. The money went toward preventing suicides and helping farmers keep their land. Witness speaks to the main organiser, the Country music legend Willie Nelson.

(Photo: Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings by Paul Natkin/Photo Reserve, Inc)

Japan's Bullet Train Oct 02, 2014

On 1 October 1964, the fastest train the world had ever seen was launched in Japan. The first Shinkansen, or bullet train, ran between Tokyo and Osaka, and had a top speed of 210km per hour. Witness speaks to Isao Makibayashi, one of the train's first drivers.

(Photo: Shinkansen, or bullet train. Credit: Keystone/Getty Images)

The world's first civil union Oct 01, 2014

In 1989, Denmark became the first country to celebrate same-sex civil unions. Witness has been speaking to Ivan Larsen and Ove Carlsen, who were one of the first couples to sign on the dotted line.

The Death of James Dean Sep 30, 2014

On 30 September 1955 the Hollywood actor, James Dean, crashed his car and died. Listen to three people who remember his death well - Otie Hunter, the policeman who booked him for speeding earlier that day, Carroll Baker who acted alongside him in his final film, and his cousin Marcus Winslow.

(Photo: James Dean. Credit: Associated Press)

The Taliban take Kabul Sep 29, 2014

In September 1996 the Taliban took over the Afghan capital Kabul. One of their first acts was to kill the country's former communist president Dr Najibullah. Witness has spoken to two people who were in Kabul that day.

(Photo: A Taliban gunner on the frontline, 30 kms from Kabul. Credit: Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty Images)

The Sinking of the 'Joola' Ferry Sep 26, 2014

In 2002 the 'Joola' ferry sank off Senegal with the loss of more than 1800 lives. It was Africa's worst maritime disaster. We hear from Jean Diedhiou, one of the few survivors, and his desperate struggle to survive.

Photo of the upturned ferry before it completely sank, AFP/Gettyimages

The Cuban Five Sep 25, 2014

In September 1998 five Cuban spies were arrested in Miami by the FBI. After a controversial trial, they were given lengthy jail sentences. Three of them are still in American prisons. Witness speaks to one of the Cubans, Rene Gonzalez, who was released in 2011.

(Photo: Portraits of the Cuban Five. Credit: Nelson Almeida/AFP/Getty Images)

Friends Sep 24, 2014

In September 1994 a new show called Friends hit American TV screens. It was based on the lives of six 20-something New Yorkers and became one of the most successful comedies of all time, syndicated around the world. Witness has been speaking to one of the shows creators, Kevin Bright.

The World's First Hand Transplant Sep 23, 2014

On 23 September 1998, a New Zealander called Clint Hallam became the recipient of the world's first hand transplant. But two years later, after a poor physical and psychological reaction to the transplant, Hallam asked for it to be removed, claiming that it felt "like a dead man's hand". Witness speaks to Nadey Hakim, who was part of the transplant team - and who later amputated the hand.

(Photo: Clint Hallam. Credit: Press Association)

The Overthrow of Bokassa Sep 22, 2014

On 20 September 1979 the Central African dictator Jean Bedel-Bokassa was driven from power by French troops. He had styled himself as an 'Emperor' but his brutality and excess became legendary and he had to flee into exile. Goodwin Cooke was the US ambassador in Central Africa during his reign.

(Photo: Jean Bedel-Bokassa with his throne. Credit: Getty Images)

Black September Sep 19, 2014

In September 1970 the Jordanian military took up arms against the Palestinian Liberation Organisation and its fighters.

South Africa invades Lesotho Sep 18, 2014

South Africa sent 600 soldiers into Lesotho to quell political unrest in September 1998. We hear what happened next from opposition politician Mamello Morrison.

Photo: South African soldiers in the capital Maseru. Associated Press.

Los Topos - Mexico's Earthquake Rescuers Sep 17, 2014

In 1985, an earthquake devastated the centre of Mexico City, killing at least 10,000. With the emergency services struggling to cope, a small group of Mexicans began to dig out survivors themselves. Nicknamed Los Topos, or 'The Moles', they are now an elite rescue group who travel the world freeing people trapped in rubble. Witness talks to Eduardo Acevedo, one of the first members of Los Topos.

(Photo: Eduardo Acevedo, left, on a mission with Los Topos. Credit: Associated Press).

Lord of the Flies Sep 16, 2014

It is 60 years since William Golding's acclaimed novel was first published. The story, of schoolboys marooned on an island, tackles questions of human nature and whether people are intrinsically good, or evil.

(Photo: William Golding. Credit: BBC)

Rabin and Arafat Shake Hands Sep 15, 2014

In September 1993 the Israeli prime minister, Yitzhak Rabin, and the PLO leader, Yasser Arafat, made history by shaking hands on the White House lawn. But it was a moment that almost didn't happen. Witness talks to White House insider, John Podesta, who was there.

(Photo: Left to right, Yitzhak Rabin, Bill Clinton and the PLO leader, Yasser Arafat. Credit: J. David Ake/AFP/Getty Images)

Voting Against the War on Terror Sep 12, 2014

Just three days after the 9/11 attacks on America, Congress gave the President the power to order military action against any person, organisation or country suspected of involvement in the attacks - without needing congressional approval.

Witness speaks to Congresswoman Barbara Lee, the only member of the legislature to oppose the new powers.

Photo: AP Photo/Chao Soi Cheong

Flower of Scotland Sep 11, 2014

In 1968, the Scottish folk group, the Corries, performed a song that became Scotland’s unofficial anthem decades later. We speak to Corries member, Ronnie Browne.

(Photo: A Scottish flag. Credit: PA)

Sri Lanka Massacre Sep 10, 2014

In 1990, 184 Tamils were killed by the Sri Lankan army at Batticaloa in the east of the island during the civil war between the Sinhala majority and the Tamil minority. Farhana Haider has been speaking to the Bishop of Batticaloa, Kingsley Swampillai.

(Photo: AP )

DNA Fingerprinting Sep 09, 2014

It is 30 years since a British scientist found out how to identify individuals by their DNA. Professor Alec Jeffreys of Leicester University remembers the eureka moment that changed police investigations forever..

Photo Credit: Leicester University.

Madame Mao Sep 08, 2014

The Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong died on 9 September 1976. Among those jockeying for power after his death, was his widow Jiang Qing. American, Sidney Rittenberg, remembers her rise and fall.

(Photo: Jiang Qing (right) alongside Mao Zedong in 1967. Credit AFP/Getty Images)

The Persecution of Pakistan's Ahmadiyya Sect Sep 05, 2014

Pakistan declared that members of the Ahmadiyya sect were not Muslims in September 1974. Thousands of Ahmadis were forced from their homes, many were killed in communal violence. Witness speaks to Abdul Bary Malik and Mohammed Ashraf - two Ahmadi men who lived through that time.

Image: Photos of Pakistani Ahmadis murdered in communal violence (Getty Images)

Myanmar Currency Chaos Sep 04, 2014

In September 1987 the authorities in Myanmar suddenly announced that most of the banknotes in circulation in the country were invalid.

The decision, made without warning, had been ordered more or less on a whim by Myanmar's leader General Ne Win. He was a superstitious man and withdrew all 25, 35, and 75 kyat notes because they were not divisible by nine.

Farhana Haider reports on the chaos that ensued.

(Photo: AFP/Getty Images)

Surviving Auschwitz Sep 03, 2014

Kitty Hart-Moxon and her mother were sent to the Nazis' most notorious death camp in April 1943. More than a million people died in Auschwitz. Kitty tells Witness how she and others survived.

Photo: Family at the raiway terminal of Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, probably taken May-June 1944 (AFP/Getty Images)

The Story of Dr Zhivago Sep 02, 2014

In September 1958 the first Russian-language edition of Boris Pasternak's famous novel Dr Zhivago was published - not in the Soviet Union, but in Europe. Pasternak had entrusted his novel to a handful of foreigners, after it became clear the Soviet authorities would refuse to publish it. We talk to the Italian journalist Sergio d'Angelo who first smuggled out the manuscript of Pasternak's last masterpiece and tells us how the Soviet authorities tried to get it back.

Photo: Boris Pasternak, the Russian poet and novelist, in 1946, Credit: Keystone/Getty Images

Biba Sep 01, 2014

In September 1964, a ground-breaking new boutique called Biba opened in Swinging London. Witness speaks to Biba creator Barbara Hulanicki.

Picture: 30 September, 1966 - two sets of identical twins who work as shop assistants at Biba's boutique in Kensington, west London (left to right Rosy Young, Nicole Hellier, Michelle Hellier and Susy Young.) Photo by Caroline Gillies/BIPs/Getty Images.

World War One in Africa Aug 29, 2014

At the start of World War One, British and German colonial forces went into battle in East Africa. Tens of thousands of African troops and up to a million porters were conscripted to fight and keep the armies supplied. We hear very rare recordings of Kenyan veterans of the King's African Rifles, talking about their experiences of the war. The interviews were made in Kenya in the early 1980s by Gerald Rilling with the help of Paul Kiamba. Photo: Locally recruited troops under German command in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania (then part of German East Africa), circa 1914. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The Last Outbreak of Smallpox Aug 28, 2014

In the summer of 1978 a British woman, Janet Parker, became the last known victim of the deadly virus smallpox. Witness speaks to Professor Alasdair Geddes, who diagnosed Mrs Parker.

(Image: Science Photo Library)

LSD Road Trip Aug 26, 2014

In the summer of 1964 writer Ken Kesey and his Merry Band of Pranksters set off on a psychedelic journey - experimenting with LSD while driving across America in a converted school bus. Immortalised in the book The Electric Kool Aid Acid Test, their trip would become one of the defining moments of American counterculture. Witness has been speaking to surviving Prankster Ken Babbs.

Picture: Ken Kesey on April 24, 1997 in Springfield, Oregon, with his bus, 'Further' (AP Photo/Jeff Barnard, File)

The Death of Getulio Vargas Aug 25, 2014

In 1954 the president of Brazil, Getulio Vargas, chose to die rather than submit to the military. His sudden death resulted in a wide expression of public grief. His legacy was a letter to the Brazilian people that has passed into history.

Photo: Getulio Vargas, 1930 (Getty Images)

Freckleton Air Disaster Aug 22, 2014

In August 1944, a US Air Force plane crashed into a village, Freckleton, in northwest England, killing 61 people. More than half the victims were children attending the local primary school. Survivor Ruby Currell speaks to Witness.

PHOTO: Ruby Currell in the nurse's uniform she was given after recovering in hospital. (Private Collection).

The Betrayal of the Kurds Aug 21, 2014

As an agreement between the Kurds and Saddam Hussein in 1970 disintegrates into war, Iran and America support the Kurds with weapons and money. But in 1975 the Shah tells the Kurds they're abandoning them; he's a made a deal with Saddam instead. Witness talks to a Kurdish politician who was at that acrimonious meeting.

Picture: the veteran Kurdish leader Mullah Mustafa Barzani and Saddam Hussein celebrating the 1970 agreement, which quickly collapsed into war. (Credit:Central Press/Getty Images)

Partition Aug 20, 2014

British India was divided into two new independent countries - India and Pakistan - in August 1947. But millions of people found themselves on the wrong side of the new borders. Witness speaks to the veteran Indian journalist Kuldip Nayar about Partition.

Picture: Kuldip Nayar (right) during a vigil at the border between India and Pakistan on 14 August, 2011. NARINDER NANU/AFP/Getty Images

The Liberation of Paris Aug 19, 2014

In August 1944, French and US forces freed Paris from German occupation. The liberators were met by crowds of celebrating Parisians. Listen to reports of some of the war correspondents who arrived first in the liberated city.

Photo: A Parisian offering a glass of wine to a French soldier, August 1944 (STF/AFP/Getty Images)

Zimbabwe's Rebel Writer Aug 18, 2014

Dambudzo Marechera was a celebrated Zimbabwean writer and enfant terrible, as famous for his explosive behaviour as for his powerful prose. Born in a Rhodesian township, he went on to win the Guardian First Book award for his short story House of Hunger - but on 18 August 1987, he died of an AIDS-related illness after living rough on the streets of Harare.

Witness speaks to his publisher, James Currey.

Photo: Dambudzo Marechera in Zimbabwe, Harare, February 1986. Copyright Ernst Schade

Carlos the Jackal Aug 15, 2014

In August 1994, the terrorist, Ilich Ramírez Sánchez known as 'Carlos the Jackal' was arrested in Khartoum after decades on the run. We speak to a former CIA operative, Billy Waugh, who tracked him down.

Photo: Rare photo of Carlos the Jackal, taken in the 1970s (AFP/Getty Images)

The Plot to Kill Franco Aug 14, 2014

In August 1964 Stuart Christie, an 18-year-old Scottish anarchist, smuggled explosives into Spain in a plot to kill General Franco. Now in his 60s, Christie recalls his clandestine journey across Europe, the secret signals and passwords he used, and his eventual arrest by Franco's secret police.

Photo: Stuart Christie, photographed by Spanish police shortly after his arrest

The Wizard of Oz Aug 13, 2014

In August 1939, one of the most popular musicals of all time had its premiere in Hollywood. Featuring the young Judy Garland, the Wizard of Oz brought to life a well-known American fairytale. It made Garland a star for the rest of her troubled life. Witness brings together BBC archive recordings of members of the film's cast and crew.

Picture: Judy Garland, Credit: Associated Press/Warner Bros.

The Supremes Aug 12, 2014

In August 1964 The Supremes began an unprecedented run of success in the US music charts with five hits, challenging the British dominance of the music scene. Mary Wilson, one of the original group members, speaks to Witness.

Photo: Diana Ross and The Supremes, 1968 - left to right, Mary Wilson, Diana Ross and Cindy Birdsong. (Keystone/Getty Images)

Marooned in Stalin's Russia Aug 11, 2014

At the start of the Second World War hundreds of thousands of Polish civilians were imprisoned in the Soviet Union following the occupation of their country by the USSR. But in August 1941, after Nazi Germany invaded Russia, many of the Poles were suddenly set free. We hear from one former prisoner who found himself stranded in Soviet Central Asia for the rest of the Second World War.

Photo: Nazi troops order Soviet women to leave their homes, summer 1941 (Keystone/Getty Images)

Internment in Northern Ireland Aug 08, 2014

In August 1971 the British Army began detaining hundreds of people suspected of belonging to paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland. They were held without charge or trial. We hear from Gerry McKerr, who was detained for more than three years under the internment laws.

Photo: Belfast, August 1971 (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The Resignation of President Nixon Aug 07, 2014

On 8 August 1974 Richard Nixon became the first US president in history to resign from office, following the Watergate scandal. Witness has been speaking to journalist Tom DeFrank, who watched the drama unfold minute by minute.

Photo: Nixon announces his resignation on national television (Getty Images)

Lindow Man Aug 06, 2014

In August 1984, the 2000 year old remains of a man were discovered preserved in a peat bog in England. It was believed he was a victim of ritual sacrifice. We speak to Rick Turner, the local archaeologist who found "Lindow Man"

Japanese Prisoner Breakout Aug 05, 2014

In the early hours of 5 August 1944, hundreds of Japanese prisoners of war being held near the Australian town of Cowra staged the largest breakout of World War Two. Hear oral history accounts of that night from the archives of the Australian War Memorial's Australia–Japan Research Project.

Photo: The No. 12 Australian Prisoner of War Camp near Cowra, Australia. Credit: The Australian War Memorial.

The Mississippi Burning Case Aug 04, 2014

On 4 August 1964 the bodies of three civil rights workers murdered by racists in the Ku Klux Klan were discovered in Mississippi. Andrew Goodman, James Chaney and Michael Schwerner had been working on a project to register African-Americans to vote. Witness speaks to Andrew Goodman's younger brother, David.

Picture: Andrew Goodman (Associated Press)

The Warsaw Uprising Aug 01, 2014

On 1 August 1944, resistance fighters in the Polish capital rose up against German occupying forces. The uprising lasted for 63 days and some 200,000 people were killed - the city itself was largely destroyed. Zbigniew Pelczynski was one of the young Poles fighting to free Warsaw from the Nazis.

(Photo: Zbigniew Pelczynski in 1946)

Martha Stewart in Jail Jul 31, 2014

In July 2004, the American TV celebrity was convicted for lying to federal prosecutors and sent to jail for five months. Famous for her cookery and home-making books, Stewart had many fans in prison and even managed to make friends. One of them, Susan Spry, talks to Witness.

(Photo: Martha Stewart. Credit: Getty Images)

Christian: The Lion From London Jul 30, 2014

In 1969 two young Australians bought a lion cub in Harrods and raised it in their London flat. John Rendall and Anthony Bourke then released the lion into the wild in Kenya. In 2011 Alan Johnston spoke to John Rendall about the extraordinary moment when they were reunited with Christian, which became a YouTube sensation.

The World's First Jet Airliner Jul 29, 2014

In July 1949, the British-built de Havilland Comet took off for the first time to become the world's first jet-propelled passenger plane. But a flaw in its construction would end up costing lives and leaving crash investigators baffled. Mike Ramsden was an apprentice aeronautical engineer who worked on the jetliner.

(Photo: Mike Ramsden (right) in 1955 with a second generation Comet at the de Havilland airfield at Hatfield, England)

The Outbreak of World War One Jul 28, 2014

World War One began in the summer of 1914. Using archive recordings of eyewitnesses from Germany, France, Britain and Belgium, we tell the story of the start of a war which would devastate a generation.

(Photo: Crowds celebrate in Berlin, following the declaration of war, 4 August 1914. Credit: General Photographic Agency/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Purple Rain Jul 25, 2014

It's 30 years since the release of the film Purple Rain, starring pop music phenomenon Prince. It would go on to win an Oscar for Best Original Song Score. Witness speaks to Robert Rivkin, known as Bobby Z, the drummer in Prince's backing band The Revolution.

Photo: Prince. Credit: Getty Images

The First Palestinian Intifada Jul 24, 2014

In 1987, the first Palestinian intifada, or uprising, against Israeli military rule began in Gaza. Palestinian-born Maher Nasser had gone to work for the United Nations in Gaza shortly before the intifada began; and he tells Witness what life was like there before and during the unrest.

(Photo: a Palestinian demonstrator throws a rock during violent protests against the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, in December 1987. Credit: Menahem Kahana/AFP/Getty Images)

The Last Days of British Rule in India Jul 23, 2014

In the summer of 1947 India declared independence after hundreds of years of British rule. English-born Anne Wright had moved there when she was a child. She speaks to Witness about life in the last days of British India.

Photo: Anne Wright (left) with her sister, at home in India.

The Killing of Miguel Angel Blanco Jul 22, 2014

In 1997 a young Spanish politician was kidnapped and murdered by the Basque separatist group ETA. His death led to one of the biggest demonstrations ever seen in Spain. Witness speaks to Gustavo de Aristegui, an interior ministry official who later became a friend of the family.

(Photo: Miguel Angel Blanco's sister, Maria del Mar, in front of a mural of her brother. Credit: Getty Images)

Attack on Argentina's Jews Jul 21, 2014

In 1994, 85 people were killed when a car bomb exploded outside a Jewish community centre in the capital of Argentina, Buenos Aires. No-one has ever been convicted for the bombing. We hear from two people whose lives were changed that day.

Photo: A man walks over the rubble left after a bomb exploded at the Argentinian Israeli Mutual Association. Credit: Ali Burafi/AFP/Getty Images)

The Plot to Kill Hitler Jul 18, 2014

German army officer, Colonel Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg attempted to kill Adolf Hitler by planting a briefcase bomb in a meeting at Hitler's headquarters on 20 July, 1944.

The attack was supposed to be the trigger for a coup against the Nazi regime. We hear from von Stuaffenberg's son, General Berthold Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg.

Photo: Colonel Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg (AFP/Getty images)

Turkey Invades Cyprus Jul 17, 2014

On July 20th 1974 Turkish troops invaded Cyprus. Within a few weeks they controlled almost half of the island. Thousands of Cypriots, both Greek and Turkish, were displaced by the fighting. Hear from two Cypriots who were young women at the time of the invasion.

(Photo: Turkish troops on the beach on 20 July 1974. Credit: AP)

The Fall of General Somoza Jul 16, 2014

In July 1979 left-wing Sandinista rebels toppled the last member of the Somoza dynasty that had ruled Nicaragua for more than 50 years. Witness speaks to Daisy Zamora, one of the Sandinista revolutionaries who seized power.

(Photo: Sandinista rebel fighters. Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

The Chappaquiddick Incident Jul 15, 2014

In July 1969, United States Senator Edward Kennedy was involved in a car accident on Chappaquiddick Island in which a young woman named Mary Jo Kopechne died. Around 10 hours elapsed before the politician reported the incident to police. Jim Arena was the police chief whose job it was to investigate the accident.

(Photo: US Senator Edward Kennedy. Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

The Death of Frida Kahlo Jul 14, 2014

On July 13 1954, the celebrated Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo, died at the age of 47. The art critic, Raquel Tibol, lived in Frida's house during the last year of the artist's life - she speaks to Witness about the pain and torment of her final days.

(Photo: Frida Kahlo with her husband, the painter Diego Rivera, at their home in Mexico city, April 1939. Credit: AP)

Pablo Neruda Jul 11, 2014

In July 1904, the great Latin American poet Pablo Neruda was born in a remote town in the south of Chile. Witness presents an interview which Neruda gave to the BBC in 1965. Listen to the memories of fellow Chilean author, Ariel Dorfman.

Picture: Pablo Neruda receives the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971, Credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images

The Srebrenica Massacre Jul 10, 2014

In July 1995 Bosnian Serb troops murdered thousands of Bosnian Muslim men and boys in the worst atrocity in Europe since World War Two. The men had taken refuge in the UN 'safe area' of Srebrenica, but peacekeepers there were unable to protect them. One man whose brother, father and mother were among those killed describes what happened the day that Srebrenica fell.

(Photo: Forensic experts unearth a mass grave containing the bodies of some of those killed at Srebrenica. Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

The Sinking of the Rainbow Warrior Jul 09, 2014

On 9 July 1985 the Greenpeace campaign ship was bombed by French secret agents in Auckland, New Zealand. One environmental campaigner was killed and the Rainbow Warrior was sunk. Hear from the ship's captain Pete Willcox who was on board when the attack took place.

(Photo: Captain Pete Willcox, courtesy of Greenpeace)

The Death of Kim Il Sung Jul 08, 2014

It is 20 years since the death of North Korea's founding leader Kim Il Sung. Peace campaigner Dr Antonio Betancourt from the Summit Council for World Peace was in Pyongyang during the outpouring of national grief.

(Photo: Dr Antonio Betancourt meeting Kim Il Sung just months before the leader's death)

The Storming of the Red Mosque Jul 07, 2014

When armed militants took over a mosque in central Islamabad, they were protected by thousands of religious students who supported them and refused to leave the site. Government troops were sent in to end the siege. Three female students describe what it was like to be on the inside of the Red Mosque.

(Photo: Students of the Jamia Hafsa Madrassa Islamabad. Credit: Associated Press)

Iraq's Awakening Movement Jul 04, 2014

In 2006 Sunni tribal militia turned against Al Qaeda in Iraq and began working with US forces. It was a turning point in the insurgency in Iraq.

We hear from a former US Marine, David Goldich, who served in Anbar province and witnessed the emergence of the Awakening movement.

Photo: Members of the Sunni Anbar Awakening with Iraqi police commandos and US troops, September 2007. (Ahmed Al Rubaye/AFP/Getty Images)

Artek - the Soviet Holiday Camp Jul 03, 2014

Artek was the Soviet Union's most popular holiday camp, on the shores of the Black Sea in Crimea. Thousands of children visited every year - Maria Kim Espeland went there in the 1980s.

(Photo: Group of children attending Artek. Credit: Irina Vlasova)

Oklahoma: The Musical Jul 02, 2014

In the middle of World War Two an optimistic musical about American rural life in the early 1900s, became a hit on Broadway. Created by Rodgers and Hammerstein its songs were soon being sung around the world. Gemze DeLappe was in the original production.

(Photo: Female chorus line from Oklahoma. Credit: Courtesy of Rodgers and Hammerstein Organisation)

Abuse at Abu Ghraib: the Iraqi view Jun 30, 2014

Within months of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, concerns were raised about abuse at the American-run prison of Abu Ghraib outside Baghdad. Witness hears from two former detainees, Salah Hassan and Ali Shallal Abbas, about their experiences. Listeners may find parts of this report distressing.

(Photo: The words 'God Help Me' are scrawled in Arabic on a prison door inside the notorious Abu Ghraib prison, 16 September 2003 in Baghdad. Credit: Robert Sullivan/AFP/Getty Images)

Britain's Serial Murderers Jun 30, 2014

**Warning: Some listeners might find parts of this programme disturbing** In 1994 Fred and Rosemary West were charged with a series of gruesome murders of young women and girls, committed over a twenty-year period in the south of England. Witness speaks to Leo Goatley, Rosemary West's defence lawyer.

(Photo: Composite image of victims of Fred and Rosemary West)

The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand Jun 27, 2014

The heir to the Austro-Hungarian empire, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, was killed in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914. He - and his wife Sophie - were shot by a young Bosnian Serb, Gavrilo Princip, while touring the Bosnian capital. His death was the trigger for the outbreak of World War One.

(Photo: The Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife in Sarajevo)

The Start of Computer Dating Jun 26, 2014

In 1965, a pioneering computer dating scheme, Operation Match, was launched in the USA.

Student Edward Reingold, one of thousands of young Americans who signed up, went on to find the love of his life.

Photo: Edward Reingold and Ruth Nothmann, who met via Operation Match, in their early days of courtship.

'Lidice Shall Die' Jun 25, 2014

In June 1942 the village of Lidice in German-occupied Czechoslovakia was completely destroyed in retaliation for the assassination of a top ranking Nazi. Adolf Hitler was so outraged by the murder of Reinhard Heydrich that he ordered that all the men from the village be shot, the women sent to concentration camps and the children 'placed in suitable educational establishments'. In the end most of the children were gassed and the women sent to a concentration camp.

(Photo: The Skleničková family in 1931. Credit: Courtesy of Jaroslava Skleničková)

Albanian Illegal Immigrants Jun 24, 2014

In the spring and summer of 1991 tens of thousands of Albanians commandeered cargo ships to take them to Italy. The immigrants were escaping a collapsing communist dictatorship. Robert Budina was one of the Albanians on board the Vlora, a cargo ship which had been carrying sugar from Cuba.

(Photo: Albanian immigrants on board the Vlora. Copyright: Associated Press)

1954 Burma Hijack Jun 23, 2014

In June 1954 separatist Karen rebels in Burma hijacked a passenger plane. They wanted to use it to help arm fellow insurgents in the west of the country. Witness hears from Saw Kyaw Aye, who led the hijackers.

(Photo: Saw Kyaw Aye, now in his late 80s)

The River That Caught Fire Jun 20, 2014

In 1969 the Cuyahoga River in the US caught fire. It became a national embarrassment and inspired new laws to protect the environment.

(Photo: Cuyahoga River. Credit: BBC)

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 Jun 19, 2014

It has been 50 years since the Civil Rights Act passed through the United States Congress, guaranteeing new rights for African Americans and other minority communities. Paul Schuster speaks to former lobbyist Jane O'Grady, who was on Capitol Hill during the weeks of filibuster and debate.

(Photo: President Lyndon B. Johnson (right) talks to civil rights leaders in the White House. Credit: AP)

The Mysterious Life and Loves of a Russian Baroness Jun 18, 2014

Among the mourners at the funeral of the great Soviet writer, Maxim Gorky, in 1936 was a mysterious baroness. Moura Budberg had been Gorky's lover and, before that, the lover of a British secret agent who'd been thrown into a Soviet jail. Her extraordinary life led some to call her the Russian Mata Hari. But was she really a spy?

(Photo: Baroness Moura Budberg. Credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Burying a Hungarian Hero Jun 17, 2014

In 1989 the body of Imre Nagy, Prime Minister during the 1956 Hungarian uprising, was reburied in a public ceremony in Budapest. He had been executed on the orders of Moscow. It marked the beginning of the end of Communism in Hungary. Ivan Baba was master of ceremonies at the 1989 funeral.

The OJ Simpson Car Chase Jun 16, 2014

In June 1994 police chased the former American football star along the freeways of Los Angeles. They wanted to arrest him following the death of his ex-wife. Hear from one of the policemen who helped bring him in - detective Tom Lange.

(Photo: Detective Lange and another police officer flanking OJ Simpson after the car chase. Credit: Vince Bucci. AFP/Getty Images)

Brazil's Tropicalia Movement Jun 13, 2014

Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso on the radical movement which burst onto the Brazilian music scene in the late 1960s Photo: Gilberto Gil in Paris in 2003 (AFP) and Caetano Veloso in Italy in 2008 (Getty Images)

The Fusca - The Car that Charmed Brazil Jun 12, 2014

Since its launch in the 1950s, the Brazilian version of the VW Beetle has had a special place in the nation's heart. Cheap, charismatic and virtually indestructible, it was many Brazilians' first car and is affectionately known as the Fusca. The Fusca played a key role in the development of Brazil's economically and politically vital national car industry. Witness speaks to two Fusca fans.

(Photo: A Fusca in the colonial town of Paraty. Credit: Getty Images)

The Murder that Shocked Brazil Jun 11, 2014

In June 2002 investigative journalist Tim Lopes was brutally killed by a drug gang in a Rio de Janeiro shanty town. Witness speaks to his son, Bruno Quintella, who was 19 years old at the time.

(Photo: Tim Lopes and his son, Bruno, courtesy of the family)

Building of Brasilia Jun 10, 2014

In 1960, Brazil opened a new capital city in its remote central plains. Designed by the modernist architect Oscar Niemeyer, it was intended to bring development to the interior and symbolise Brazil's future ambitions. Witness speaks to Osorio Machado, an engineer who worked on the construction of Brasilia.

(Photo: Getty Images)

War of Canudos in Brazil Jun 09, 2014

In 1897, at least 15,000 people died when the Brazilian army crushed a rebellion by peasants in the arid backlands of north-east Brazil. The rebels were led by a charismatic preacher called Anthony the Counsellor. The War of Canudos is now seen as a defining moment in the emergence of modern Brazil. Witness tells the story of the conflict using a contemporary account by the Brazilian author, Euclides Da Cunha. The programme also speaks to professor David Treece of King's College London.

(Photo: Survivors of the War of Canudos pictured shortly after the final assault)

Broadcasting D-Day Jun 06, 2014

On 6 June 1944, Allied forces launched their long awaited invasion of Nazi-occupied France. It was a crucial step in the liberation of western Europe. Using original BBC reports from the time - from Chester Wilmot, Richard Dimbleby, Robin Duff, Ward Smith and Alan Melville - we tell the story of D-Day.

The Death of Alan Turing Jun 05, 2014

It is 60 years since the great British mathematician died. He is believed to have killed himself after he was put on trial because he was gay. Hear from the Greenbaum sisters who knew Alan Turing as a family friend when they were children.

Picture: Alan Turing, Science Photo Library

The Tiananmen Square Massacre Jun 04, 2014

In June 1989 the communist authorities in China crushed a huge pro-democracy protest in Beijing. Demonstrators, most of them students, had been occupying Tiananmen Square for weeks on end. On June 4th the army was sent in to clear the area, killing hundreds. Diane Wei Liang and Hayou Zhang were among the protestors - they remember that day.

(Photo: Demonstrators in Tiananmen Square. Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

Native American Occupation Of Alcatraz Jun 03, 2014

In June 1971, an 18-month long occupation of Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay by Native Americans came to an end. It was credited with raising awareness of indigenous rights. Hear from 'Indians Of All Tribes' spokesman and protest participant John Trudell.

(Photo: Alcatraz Island. Credit: Getty Images)

The Nepali Royal Massacre Jun 02, 2014

In June 2001 the Crown Prince of Nepal killed both his parents and other members of his family in a shooting at the royal palace. Witness speaks to his cousin, who survived the massacre.

(Photo: Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev, Crown Prince of Nepal. Credit: Getty Images)

The Fall of Addis Ababa May 30, 2014

In May 1991, the brutal Ethiopian dictator, Colonel Mengistu and his miltary regime were on the verge of collapse, as rebel forces advanced on the capital Addis Ababa. We hear from an American diplomat who witnessed the end of Ethiopia's civil war. Photo: EPRDF rebels in Addis Ababa, 28 May, 1991.

Britain's first women's refuge May 29, 2014

In 1971 the first refuge for women escaping domestic violence opened in Britain.

Witness speaks to one young mother who suffered years of abuse before finding safety in the Chiswick Women's Aid refuge.

Photo: An overcrowded refuge for battered women in Chiswick, west London. (Evening Standard/Getty Images).

Monkeys in Space May 28, 2014

In May 1959, for the first time America sends two monkeys into space and brings them back alive.

It's a watershed moment for the US space agency, Nasa, and paves the way for future manned space missions.

Photo: Keystone\Getty Images

(Originally broadcast in May 2012)

The Death of Nehru May 27, 2014

In May 1964 India's first prime minister and the man who led India to independence died.

His niece, the writer Nayanatara Seghal, remembers her famous uncle.

Photo: Indira Gandhi paying her respects at the body of her father, Jawaharlal Nehru.(AFP/Getty Images)

The MIT Blackjack Scam May 26, 2014

In the 1990s teams of students from one of America's top universities - MIT - used card counting techniques to win millions of dollars in the casinos of Las Vegas.

(Photo: Getty Images)

The Pope and the Jews May 23, 2014

In April 1986 Pope John Paul II made a historic visit to a Rome synagogue - aimed at healing centuries of deep wounds between Jews and Catholics.

(Photo: AFP)

Saving Russia's Soldiers in Chechnya May 22, 2014

In May 1995 a brutal war raged in the Russian republic of Chechnya. As Russian forces fought to retain control of the capital, Grozny, thousands of young conscripts were sent to the front lines to confront the Chechen separatists.

(Photo: Russian Soldiers. Credit: AP/ Misha Japaridze)

Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi May 21, 2014

In 1991 the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated. The grandson of the founder of modern India, Jawaharlal Nehru, was blown up by Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels while campaigning for the general election. We hear from a journalist who was with him just moments before the attack.

(Photo: Funeral procession of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi 24 May 1991. Credit: Douglas E. Curran/AFP/Getty Images)

Uprising in South Korea May 20, 2014

In May 1980 the South Korean military put down a popular uprising in the city of Gwangju. Armed students had taken over large parts of the city and were demanding an end to military rule. Witness speaks to two people who were in Gwangju during the violence.

(Photo: Soldier wields a baton while stopping a student. Credit: AP)

The Trisakti Shootings, Indonesia 1998 May 19, 2014

Four students from the elite Trisakti university in Jakarta were shot dead during a protest against the rule of President Suharto. Their deaths triggered days of deadly rioting. Just over a week later, the regime fell. We hear from one of the students who was there.

(Photo: Rioter in Jakarta, May 1998 Credit: Associated Press)

The Black Consciousness Movement in South Africa May 16, 2014

The activist Steve Biko led the Black Consciousness Movement in South Africa before he was killed in police custody in 1977. We hear from one of the early members of the movement, Mamphela Ramphele who had a relationship with Steve Biko.

Photo: Anti-apartheid activist attending the burial ceremony of Steve Biko, October 1977. (Photo credit STF/AFP/GettyImages)

Jailed for Speaking his Mind in China May 15, 2014

In 1957 the Chinese Communist leader Chairman Mao made a speech encouraging criticism of his Communist system saying 'Let a hundred flowers bloom; let a hundred schools of thought contend'. We hear from Harry Wu, who made his views known and ended up in prison for nearly twenty years.

(Photo: Harry Wu with portrait of Chairman Mao. Credit: AFP/Getty)

Mods and Rockers May 14, 2014

In 1964, rival youth gangs clashed at the English resort of Brighton over the Bank Holiday weekend. The fighting sparked moral panic about a generation of apparent juvenile delinquents. Witness speaks to Alfredo Marcantonio, a Mod who was caught up in the clashes.

(Photo: Mods confined to Brighton beach by the police. Credit: Getty Images)

Fleeing Hitler on the St Louis May 13, 2014

In May 1939 more than 900 Jews, many of them young children, fled Nazi Germany aboard a luxury cruise liner. They were trying to get to Cuba and the USA, but the ship was turned away in Havana and its passengers sent back to Europe. Witness speaks to two people who survived the journey.

Willy Brandt's Spy Scandal May 12, 2014

In May 1974, the West German chancellor Willy Brandt was forced to resign after it was revealed that one of his aides was a spy for the East German secret police. Witness speaks to his son Matthias, who was twelve at the time, and to his private secretary Wolf-Dietrich Schilling.

(Photo: Willy Brandt, president of German Socialist Party (SPD) addresses press 05 July 1977 in Helsinki. Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

Abba Win Eurovision May 09, 2014

In 1974 the Swedish pop group Abba finally made it to international pop stardom. Their song Waterloo won the Eurovision Song Contest and they went on to top the charts across Europe.

Hear from Mike Batt who was at the Eurovision Song Contest that night and who met the group on the verge of fame.

Photo: Abba (with their conductor dressed as Napoleon) Copyright BBC.

The Execution of Habib Elghanian May 08, 2014

On 9 May 1979 a prominent businessman was executed in Iran. He was just one of hundreds of Iranians killed on the orders of revolutionary courts which targeted people with links to the former Shah. But the death of Habib Elghanian in particular sent fear through the country's Jewish community. His cousin Fereshteh Victory remembers.

(Photo: Habib Elghanian)

Paul Robeson's Comeback Concert May 07, 2014

In May 1958 the great African-American singer performed at Carnegie Hall. For the previous eight years, because of his left-wing politics and civil rights activism, he had been banned from performing in most American concert halls. We hear from his granddaughter Susan Robeson.

Once I was President of Crimea May 06, 2014

Yuri Meshkov, who was elected president of Crimea in 1994, shares his memories of losing office a year later when the Ukrainian government accused him of being a separatist working in the interests of Moscow.

(Photo: Yuri Meshkov in 1995. Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

The Crow May 05, 2014

In 1994, 'The Crow' was released in cinemas, despite lead actor Brandon Lee dying after an accident on set before filming was complete. New computer technology was used to place his character in missing scenes. Hear from the film's special effects supervisor, Andrew Mason.

(Photo: Brandon Lee as Eric Draven in 'The Crow'. Credit: Rex Features)

The Sinking of the Belgrano May 02, 2014

On 2 May 1982, the Argentine cruiser the General Belgrano was sunk by a British submarine during the war over the Falkland or Malvinas Islands. More than 300 Argentinians died. It was the single biggest loss of life of the war, and its sinking remains one of the most controversial actions of the conflict. We hear from one of the survivors of the Belgrano.

(Photo: the General Belgrano sinks in the South Atlantic watched by survivors from orange life-rafts. Credit: Associated Press)

Mao's Long March May 01, 2014

In 1934 Mao Zedong led some eighty-six thousand communist followers on an epic journey across China to escape the nationalist forces of Chiang Kai-Shek. Tens of thousands died on the year-long retreat, which became known as the Long March. We hear from Zhong Ming, one of the few survivors still alive.

(Photo: Communist leader Mao Zedong (left) during the Long March. Credit: Keystone/Getty Images)

Abuse at Abu Ghraib Apr 29, 2014

In April 2004, photographs were leaked to the US media showing American soldiers abusing Iraqi detainees at the military prison of Abu Ghraib. Witness hears BBC interviews with Lynndie England, who featured in many of the photos, and Joe Darby, the whistleblower who revealed the abuse.

Photo: Image obtained by The Associated Press which shows Pfc. Lynndie England holding a leash attached to a detainee in late 2003 at the Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad, Iraq. (AP Photo)

The Death of Mussolini Apr 29, 2014

In April 1945, thousands of Italians crowded into a Milan square to see the body of the wartime fascist dictator, Benito Mussolini. He, his mistress and his close associates had been shot by partisans, and their corpses strung up by their feet for all to see. We talk to the poet Franco Loi, who was in the crowd that day, and to an American journalist who has documented Mussolini's last days.

(Photo: Benito Mussolini (right) and Adolf Hitler (left) give the fascist salute at the Tomb of the Fascist Martyrs, Florence, 1938. Credit: Getty Images)

The Port Arthur Massacre Apr 28, 2014

In April 1996, lone gunman Martin Bryant killed 35 people in the Australian town of Port Arthur. The deaths shocked the nation and resulted in major changes to the country's gun laws. Hear from John and Gaye Fidler, who survived the massacre, but lost three friends.

(Photo: The Broad Arrow Café, where the Port Arthur Massacre began. Credit: AP)

The Frontier Gandhi Apr 25, 2014

In 1930 protestors gathered in Qissa Khwani Bazaar to object to the the arrest of independence activist Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan - also known as The Frontier Gandhi. The gathering in Peshawar was a non-violent one, but British soldiers opened fire and hundreds of people were killed.

We dip into the archives for a recording of a British colonial officer, Olaf Caroe, who gave his account of this violent episode in the story of Indian independence to the BBC in the 1970s.

Picture: Mahatma Gandhi with Pashtun leader Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, 1938 in Peshawar, during a political meeting. Courtesy of OFF/AFP/Getty Images

The Carnation Revolution in Portugal Apr 24, 2014

On 25 April 1974 a coup carried out by left-leaning army officers led the way to democracy in Portugal. The largely peaceful handover of power became known as the Carnation Revolution. Hear from Adelino Gomes, who was a young journalist in Lisbon at the time.

(Photo: A wall covered with murals and the words 25 April 1974 - 2014, marking the 40 year anniversary of the Carnation Revolution. Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

Mugabe Becomes Zimbabwe's Leader Apr 23, 2014

In April 1980, Robert Mugabe became the first prime minister of Zimbabwe - formerly Rhodesia. He had just won historic elections, ending years of white minority rule. We hear from Wilf Mbanga who was once part of Mr Mugabe's inner circle.

(Photo: Wilf Mbanga (centre) tells joke to Robert Mugabe (L) and Julius Nyrere of Tanzania (R) , Delhi, 1984. Credit: Bester Kanyama)

The Fall of Senator McCarthy Apr 22, 2014

Senator Joseph McCarthy made it his mission to purge communists from American public life - but in April 1954 he was the subject of his own congressional hearing, after allegations that he had tried to blackmail the US Army into giving preferential treatment to one of his aides. Witness speaks to Norman Dorsen, one of the Army's junior legal advisors in the Army-McCarthy hearings.

(Photo: American politician Joseph McCarthy, Republican senator from Wisconsin, testifies against the US Army during the Army-McCarthy hearings, Washington DC, 9 June, 1954. McCarthy stands before a map which charts communist activity in the United States. Credit: Getty Images)

The Greek Military Coup Apr 21, 2014

In April 1967, seven years of military dictatorship began in Greece. Thousands of people were arrested and tortured during the rule of the Colonels. Witness speaks to Gerasimos Nortaras, who was part of the armed resistance to the military. He was captured, but refused to give away his fellow fighters, even under brutal torture.

Bay of Pigs Invasion Apr 18, 2014

Cuban exiles, backed by the US government, tried to overthrow Fidel Castro in April 1961. But their mission ended in disaster. Witness speaks to Alfredo Duran, one member of the Bay of Pigs invasion force.

Photo: A group of anti-government rebels after their capture by Castro forces (Getty Images)

Easter in the USSR Apr 17, 2014

In the Soviet Union Christians were discouraged from celebrating their main religious festival, Easter. For decades, the atheist state was formally opposed to Christianity, but many believers worshipped in secret. Dina Newman reports.

Photo: Easter procession, Credit: AFP

The Legalisation of Solidarity Apr 16, 2014

In April 1989 the Polish trade union Solidarity was legalised once again, after eight years operating underground. It was a key step towards Solidarity’s defeat of the Moscow-backed communist authorities at elections later that year. Witness hears from Solidarity's former spokesman, Janusz Onyszkiewicz.

Photo: Polish Solidarity spokesmen Janusz Onyszkiewicz (L) and Jozef Slisz (R) look on as advisor Bronislaw Geremek calls for the legalisation of independent political parties on 6 June, 1989. (Credit: Getty Images)

North Korea Train Explosion Apr 15, 2014

An explosion at a train station in North Korea killed around 170 people and destroyed thousands of homes in April 2004. In a rare moment of openness, authorities in Pyongyang asked the United Nations for help. Hear from a Western aid worker who travelled to Ryongchon to assess the damage.

(Photo: North Koreans clear rubble after the Ryongchon train explosion. Credit: Gerald Bourke/World Food Programme/Getty Images)

Segregation in California Apr 14, 2014

In post-war Orange County, California, children of Mexican descent were schooled separately from white children until one family took on the system.

Photo: Hoover Elementary School (Mexican only) courtesy of the Mendez family.

Polio Vaccine Discovered Apr 11, 2014

American scientists announced they had discovered an effective vaccine against polio in April 1955. It would save millions of children from disability and death. The doctor who led the research was Jonas Salk. Hear from his son Peter and a nurse who worked with him.

Photograph courtesy of March of Dimes: Dr Jonas Salk innoculating his son, Peter.

The Fall of Idi Amin 1979 Apr 10, 2014

In April 1979 the brutal Ugandan ruler, Idi Amin, was ousted by invading Tanzanian troops and members of the Ugandan opposition. It was the culmination of a six month conflict between the two countries, which had been triggered by Amin's ill-fated invasion of northern Tanzania.

Idd Lubega, a young sports journalist, recalls those final days.

Photo: Idi Amin with a rocket launcher, April 1979. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)

Georgia's Struggle for Independence Apr 09, 2014

On 9 April, 1989, Soviet troops and tanks crushed a mass demonstration in Georgia's capital Tbilisi. Hear from two demonstrators on the streets of the capital that night.

(Photo: Large crowd of demonstrators in Tbilisi. Credit: Giorgi Tsagareli)

Marian Anderson Sings at the Lincoln Memorial Apr 08, 2014

The great American contralto, Maria Anderson, sang outdoors to a vast crowd in Washington DC on 9 April, 1939. She had been barred by one of the city's main concert halls because she was black.

(Photo: Marian Anderson. Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The Rwandan Genocide Apr 07, 2014

The mass killing of minority ethnic Tutsis in Rwanda began on 7 April 1994. Early that morning, the Prime Minister Agathe Uwilingiyimana and her family, sought shelter with neighbours. Hear from the prime minister's daughter, Marie-Christine Umuhoza, and from one of those neighbours - a UN aid worker.

(Photo: Refugees flee the killing in Kigali. Credit: Associated Press)

The Quit India Movement Apr 04, 2014

In 1942, Gandhi called on all Indians to rise up in non-violent resistance to British rule, in what became known as the Quit India movement. Witness speaks to SP Vittal, a veteran of the campaign.

Photo: Mahatma Gandhi (R) sits with Jawaharlal Nehru, during a Congress Party meeting in Bombay, 9 August, 1942, Credit: AFP/Getty Images

The Windsors In Exile Apr 03, 2014

After World War Two, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor - formerly King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson - settled in Paris. Hear archive accounts of their life in effective royal exile, after the Duke gave up his crown to marry divorcee Simpson. Plus royal historian Hugo Vickers.

(Photo: The Duke and Duchess of Windsor in June 1967. Credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The Kidnap and Murder of Axel Blumberg Apr 02, 2014

In April 2004 the death of a 23-year-old student provoked a wave of protests in Argentina. The demonstrators demanded a tough government response to rising crime. The protests were led by Juan Carlos Blumberg, father of the murdered student.

(Photo: Posters bearing the photo of Axel Blumberg. Credit: AFP)

The BBC Spaghetti Hoax Apr 01, 2014

On April 1st 1957 a team of BBC journalists played an April Fool's joke on the British public. They used a serious news programme to air a feature about the 'harvesting' of spaghetti in Switzerland.

The Murder of Selena Quintanilla-Perez Mar 31, 2014

On March 31 1995, rising Latino superstar Selena was shot dead by her fan club manager in a Texas motel.

The Grammy-award-winning singer was just 23 years old at the time.

Her husband, Chris Perez, tells Witness about the day he lost his wife.

(Photo: AP)

The First Outbreak of the Ebola Virus Mar 28, 2014

In August 1976 the first outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus was registered in a small village in northern Zaire. Almost 300 people died before the outbreak was eventually contained.

Witness speaks to two doctors who helped deal with the health crisis.

(Photo: Science Photo Library)

The Conviction of Jack Kevorkian Mar 27, 2014

In March 1999 a former pathologist called Jack Kevorkian was convicted of murder in the US state of Michigan. He had become notorious for performing euthanasia on patients who had asked him to end their lives. Lucy Burns speaks to his lawyer, Geoffrey Fieger.

The First Democratic Elections in the USSR Mar 26, 2014

On March 26th 1989, Soviet citizens were given their first chance to vote for non-communists in parliamentary elections. Democrats led by Boris Yeltsin, won seats across the country. Sergei Stankevich was one of the successful candidates.

(Photo: Boris Yeltsin on the campaign trail. Credit: Vitaly Armand. AFP/Getty Images)

Maori Song Rocks New Zealand Mar 25, 2014

In 1984 a Maori language song got to number one in New Zealand for the first time. The song Poi E remained top of the pops for four weeks. It reinvigorated the Maori language and changed the way they saw themselves.

(Photo: Courtesy of Patea Maori Club)

Missing Plane Mystery Mar 24, 2014

In 1947, passenger plane Star Dust vanished without trace over the Andes, after sending a cryptic final message via Morse code. Its disappearance sparked rumours of espionage and alien abduction, but the truth of its fate was finally revealed in 2000. Hear from the relatives of those on board.

(Photo: A British South American Airways Avro Lancastrian aircraft. Credit: BA Speedbird Heritage Centre)

Uganda Cult Deaths Mar 21, 2014

***Some listeners may find parts of this programme disturbing.***

In March 2000, hundreds of doomsday cult members burned to death in a fire in south western Uganda. Initially the authorities believed it was mass suicide, until a series of grisly discoveries convinced police they were dealing with mass murder.

Photo: A soldier views the remains of the church in Kanungu which belonged to the Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God, Credit: AFP/Getty images

The Development of the First AIDS Drug Mar 20, 2014

In 1987 the first successful drug treatment was developed for AIDS. AZT went from initial test to approval in just over two years, at the time it was fastest approval in US history.

Picture: Dr Samuel Broder and President Ronald Reagan. Credit: Ronald Reagan Library

A Failed Royal Kidnapping Mar 19, 2014

On 20 March 1974 Princess Anne escaped a kidnap attempt by a lone gunman close to Buckingham Palace.

Her bodyguard, Jim Beaton, who was shot three times in the incident, shares his memories of that day.

Photo: Princess Anne visits Jim Beaton in hospital in London (Getty Images)

Germany's Guest Workers Mar 18, 2014

In the 1960s hundreds of thousands of foreign workers were invited to Germany to power the country's economic regeneration. Most of them came from Turkey, or Southern Europe.

Photo: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

The Torrey Canyon Disaster Mar 17, 2014

In March 1967 an oil tanker hit the rocks off the south-west coast of England. It was the biggest oil spill the world had ever seen.

The air force tried to burn up the oil by dropping bombs on it.

Photo: AFP/ Getty Images

1989 and the Lebanese Civil War Mar 14, 2014

In March 1989 fighting intensified in the Lebanese capital Beirut. The Christian leader, General Michel Aoun, had demanded that Syria withdraw all its troops from the country. Hear about the fighting from the point of view of a schoolgirl in East Beirut.

Photo:Women running away from shelling in Christian East Beirut in 1989. (Credit: Joseph Barrak/AFP/Getty Images)

Taiwan '228 Incident' Mar 13, 2014

In early 1947 Chinese nationalist troops under Chiang Kai-Shek killed 20,000 civilians in Taiwan. Local Taiwanese had been protesting about abuses by the newly installed Kuomintang government. We hear the story of one boy who witnessed the killings.

(Photo: Activists form the numbers 228 at a Taipei square on 28 February, 2009, in memory of the thousands of islanders who were killed. Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

The Creation of Barbie Mar 12, 2014

The first Barbie doll was sold in 1959. The woman at Mattel who created it describes how it took years to convince her male colleagues that it would sell.

Picture: Ruth and Elliot Handler, creators of Barbie, courtesy of Mattel Inc

The Madrid Train Bombings Mar 11, 2014

On 11 March 2004 bombs exploded on early-morning commuter trains in the Spanish capital, killing almost 200 people. Another 1,800 people were injured. Three days later, Spain held general elections, in which the ruling Popular Party suffered a surprising defeat. Witness hears from two Spanish politicians.

(Photo: Wreckage of a Spanish train and emergency service teams. Credit: Pierre-Philippe Marcou/AFP/Getty Images)

Suffragette Art Attack Mar 10, 2014

On March 10th 1914, suffragette Mary Richardson attacked a priceless painting in London's National Gallery with a meat cleaver. She was campaigning for women's right to vote in Britain. The painting, the Rokeby Venus, by Spanish 17th Century artist, Diego Velázquez, was later restored. Photo: Detail of The Rokeby Venus photographed shortly after the attack

Ghana Veterans and the 1948 Accra Riots Mar 07, 2014

In 1948 Ghana was rocked by riots following the killing of three Ghanaian WW2 veterans. They were shot by British colonial police during a protest march in Accra. They wanted compensation for their war service. It became a milestone in Ghana's struggle for independence.

Soviet Mission to Halley's Comet Mar 06, 2014

In 1986, two Soviet space probes intercepted Halley's Comet during its first visit to Earth since 1910. But the mission had some covert American help. Hear from the man in charge, Russian physicist Roald Sagdeev.

(Photo: Halley's Comet during its 1986 visit to the centre of the solar system. Credit: Science Photo Library)

The Miss World Protest Mar 05, 2014

In 1970 feminists stormed the stage at the Miss World pageant in London. They were protesting against the objectification of women. Sally Alexander was one of the young protesters who was arrested for her part in the demonstration. Hear her story.

Photo: Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

British Miners' Strike Mar 04, 2014

In March 1984, coal miners across Britain went on strike over planned pit closures. One former miner recalls the clash between strikers and police in 'the Battle of Orgreave'.

(Photo: Striking miners picketing Tilmanstone Colliery in Kent, March 1985. Credit: Steve Eason/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The Maharishi's World Tour Mar 03, 2014

In the spring of 1959, Indian guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi set off around the world to spread the teachings of Transcendental Meditation. Witness speaks to Theresa Olson, who was ten years old when the Maharishi came to stay in her parents’ house.

Photo: BBC - Maharishi Mahesh Yogi on 'Meeting Point', BBC1, Sunday 5th July 1964

Hugo Chavez's First Coup Feb 28, 2014

Hugo Chavez led a group of left-leaning army officers in an unsuccessful coup in Venezuela in February, 1992.

It took the government less than 24 hours to defeat the plotters, and arrest Hugo Chavez.

Hear from two people on opposing sides of the coup.

Photo: Hugo Chavez after his release from jail,1994. Credit: Bertrand Parres/AFP/Getty Images

The Downfall of Jean-Bertrand Aristide Feb 27, 2014

President Jean-Bertrand Aristide of Haiti was forced out of power by a countrywide uprising in February 2004. He had lost the support of both domestic and international backers. Hear from his lawyer Ira Kurzban who lived through that time.

(Photo: Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Credit: AP/Daniel Morel)

The Khrushchev Thaw Feb 26, 2014

In the late 1950s the Soviet leader, Nikita Khrushchev, denounced his predecessor, Stalin. Russians were able to buy tape recorders and listen to rock music. Witness hears from one man who benefitted from the period by becoming a musician himself.

[Photo: Zinovy Zinik in 1975. Credit: Slava Tsukerman]

Spitting Image Feb 25, 2014

In February 1984 an outrageous satirical puppet show hit British television screens, lampooning politicians, the Royal Family and many other celebrities. Witness hears from one of its creators, Roger Law.

(Photo: Roger Law with a Spitting Image puppet of Osama bin Laden, which never made it into the series. Credit: Roger Law)

Stalin's 1944 Deportations Feb 24, 2014

In February 1944, nearly half a million Chechen and Ingush people were deported from the North Caucasus on the orders of Josef Stalin. They were herded into cattle trucks and sent thousands of miles across the Soviet Union to live in Kazakhstan - tens of thousands died on the way. Witness speaks to a survivor of the deportations, and a member of Stalin's secret police.

(Photo: The monument to Chechnya's victims of Stalin's 1944 deportations stands in disarray in Grozny, 2008. Credit: Hasan Kaziyev/AFP/Getty Images)

Protests for the Mother Tongue Feb 21, 2014

In February 1952 thousands of people marched in Dhaka in defence of the Bengali language. Eight of the protesters were shot dead by police. It became known as Bangladesh's Language Movement Day. We hear from Abdul Gaffar Choudhury, one of the demonstrators, whose song about the protests became the anthem of the movement.

(Photo: Student demonstrators gather by Dhaka University, February 1952. Courtesy of Prof Rafiqul Islam and Liberation War Museum).

The Fall of Albania's Enver Hoxha Feb 20, 2014

In February 1991 protesters in Tirana pulled down the giant statue of Albania's former dictator. It was the end of the last communist regime in Europe. Edith Harxhi was among the anti-government protesters.

(Photo: Protesters hold up anti-Communist placards. Credit: D. Deymov/AFP/Getty Images)

The Death of Deng Xiaoping Feb 19, 2014

Deng Xiaoping's translator, Victor Gao shares his memories of the man who engineered China's economic reform and died on 19 February, 1997.

(Photo: Deng Xiaoping. Credit: AP)

The True Story of "Whisky Galore" Feb 18, 2014

In February 1941, a ship carrying nearly 30,000 cases of whisky was wrecked off the Scottish island of Eriskay in the Outer Hebrides. The islanders began to salvage the bottles from the wreck - and the incident later became the inspiration for the film "Whisky Galore".

Photo: An assortment of bottled whisky is displayed at Glenkinchie distillery March 13, 2008 in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Jean-Michel Basquiat Feb 17, 2014

In the early 1980s a young black graffiti artist took the New York art world by storm. Soon, his paintings were selling for huge sums but he would die before the decade was out. Hear from Patti Astor who knew him in his heyday.

Photo: Jean-Michel Basquiat painting titled "Dustheads" sold at Christies in NY for over $48 million in 2013 (AP/Christie"s)

Fighting the Contras Feb 14, 2014

*This programme contains distressing accounts of graphic violence.*

In the 1980s left-wing Sandinistas in Nicaragua were under attack from US-backed Contra rebels.

We hear a unique personal account from one former member of the Sandinista special forces, an elite unit involved in the brutal fight for control of the Central American country.

(Photo: AFP/GettyImages)

The Exile of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn Feb 13, 2014

On 13 February 1974 the Russian dissident writer was sent into exile in the West. His most famous book, the Gulag Archipelago, had charted the abuses in the prison camps of Siberia.

Listen to the memories of Solzhenitsyn's widow, Natalia.

(Photo: Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn on his arrival in Germany on 13 February 1974. Credit: Getty Images)

Women and the Iranian Revolution Feb 12, 2014

In February 1979, the Islamic Revolution changed Iranian women's lives forever. Their freedom was severely limited - including being forced to wear the Islamic veil by the "hijab police". Witness speaks to one woman about her memories of that time.

Photo: Associated Press.

The Search for Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction Feb 11, 2014

In early 2004, the White House began to realise that Saddam Hussein may not have had WMDs. The existence of chemical and biological agents in Iraq had been a key justification for the invasion in 2003. Hear from the man in charge of the search for the weapons, Iraq Survey Group head Dr David Kay.

(Photo: Former US President George W. Bush. Credit: AP)

The Buildup to World War Two Feb 10, 2014

In 1939 tension was growing in Europe, over Nazi Germany's expansionist plans. One young British camerman headed to Danzig (now Gdansk) to film what happened next. His name was Douglas Slocombe and he is now 101 years old. Hear his story.

(Photo: Hitler Youth marching over a bridge in Danzig in 1939. Copyright: Fox Photos/Getty Images)

Beatlemania Feb 07, 2014

On 7 February 1964, British pop group The Beatles were met by hysterical crowds when their plane landed in the USA. Judith Kristen was one of the thousands of teenage girls at the airport that day. Hear her memories of Beatlemania.

Photo: AP

War Brides Feb 06, 2014

In February 1946 the first 'war brides' ship sailed from the UK to Canada reuniting women with the foreign husbands they'd married while serving in the UK during World War Two. Witness speaks to two women who sailed on the Mauretania.

(Photo: Arnie and Grace Shewan's wedding day 1944. Courtesy of Grace Shewan)

Colossus: the World's First Electronic Computer Feb 05, 2014

In February 1944, the world's first electronic computer began attacking encrypted Nazi messages, from the secret British codebreaking centre at Bletchley Park. Hear from one of the engineers tasked with building and maintaining Colossus during World War Two.

The Death of Chinese Cockle Pickers Feb 04, 2014

In February 2004, 23 Chinese immigrants drowned while picking shellfish in Morecambe Bay, off the coast of north-west England. Witness speaks to two of the people who helped with the rescue operation.

(Photo: A lone shoe and haul of cockles on the beach in Morecambe Bay where the Chinese cockle pickers lost their lives. Credit: Chris Furlong/Getty Images)

The Georgian-Abkhaz War Feb 03, 2014

Later this week the Russian resort of Sochi will play host to the Winter Olympics. About 10 kilometres south of Sochi, along the Black Sea coast, is the disputed territory of Abkhazia. There, in the summer of 1992, war broke out as the region began to secede from Georgia. One Abkhaz woman, Ilona Gamisoniya, recalls how it changed lives forever.

(Photo: An Abkhazian separatist leads a boy away from gunfire in Sukhumi. Credit: AP)

American Football and Brain Injuries Jan 31, 2014

In 2002 the death of a former NFL star, Mike Webster, led to questions about the safety of American football. Hear from Mike's son, Garrett Webster and one of the doctors who treated him.

Photo: Mike Webster. Getty Images Sport

US Cuts Diplomatic Ties with Cuba Jan 30, 2014

In January 1961, the US closed down its embassy in Cuba and withdrew all diplomatic staff. Tension had been growing between Washington and Fidel Castro's revolutionary government. We speak to Wayne Smith, one of the last American diplomats to leave the island.

(Photo: An advert on the Miami waterfront after Fidel Castro came to power. Credit: Graf/Getty Images)

Gay Pride in Russia Jan 29, 2014

In 2006, Russian activists broke the law to stage the first gay pride march in Moscow. Several dozen campaigners faced hundreds of right wing protesters and police. Witness speaks to Yuri Gavrikov, a gay rights activist who was there.

Photo: FEDOR SAVINTSEV/AFP/Getty Images

The Cairo Fire 1952 Jan 28, 2014

In January 1952 hundreds of buildings were deliberately set ablaze in downtown Cairo following the killing of Egyptian policemen by British troops in the Suez Canal Zone. Tension between Britain and Egypt had been growing over British military control of the Suez Canal. The event became known as Black Saturday.

Photo: Buildings destroyed in the Cairo Fire, January 1952 (BBC)

WW2, the Holocaust and Rome Jan 27, 2014

In 1943, Rome's Jewish citizens were promised that if they gave gold to the Nazis, they would escape deportation. Despite handing over 50kg of gold - more than 1,500 of the city's Jews were rounded up and sent to the death camps. Alan Johnston reports from Rome.

Photo: Survivor Settimia Spizzichino (far right)

The Creation of Modern Nigeria in 1914 Jan 24, 2014

In January 1914, Britain merged two separate colonial territories in West Africa to form the modern state of Nigeria. It was called the Amalgamation of Nigeria. We hear rare archive recordings of witnesses to this defining period in Nigerian history, including the British colonial officer responsible for unification, Lord Frederick Lugard and the Nigerian nationalist, Ernest Ikoli.

Photo: Amalgamation Day, Lagos, 1 January 1914

The Execution of Ted Bundy Jan 23, 2014

In January 1989, serial killer Ted Bundy was executed by electric chair in Florida. It is thought he had killed dozens of young women and girls. His defence lawyer recounts the events of that morning and his memories of a client who he found both smart and engaging.

(Photo: Ted Bundy. Credit: AP)

The Siege of Leningrad Jan 22, 2014

In January 1944, during World War Two, the blockade of the Russian city of Leningrad finally ended. The city had been surrounded by German troops for almost 900 days. Millions of civilians and soldiers from both sides had died as a result of bombardment, starvation and cold.

(Photo: Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

World's First Nuclear-Powered Submarine Jan 21, 2014

The world's first ever nuclear-powered submarine was launched. The USS Nautilus was regarded as the first 'true' submarine as it could submerge for months. It soon shattered all underwater speed and distance records and played a crucial role in the cold war. We hear from one of the original crewmembers.

PHOTO: Courtesy of the US Navy

The Minnesota Starvation Experiment Jan 20, 2014

During World War Two conscientious objectors could volunteer for medical experiments. Hear the story of one young American who had refused to fight, but was prepared to starve for his country. Marshall Sutton is now 95 - he took part in the Minnesota Starvation Experiment in 1944 in an attempt to help scientists understand how best to look after starving civilians in war-torn Europe.

(Photo: Marshall Sutton today)

The Battle of Monte Cassino Jan 17, 2014

In January 1944 the allies launched a major offensive against the Germans in Italy. It would be one of the longest battles of the Second World War, lasting four months and causing over 100,000 casualties. We hear from two allied veterans, one British, one Polish.

Photo: Abbey of Monte Cassino in ruins in ruins after it was bombed by allied forces (Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The First Battle of Fallujah Jan 16, 2014

In April 2004, US forces began battling insurgents based in the Iraqi city of Fallujah. The first round of fighting lasted for almost a month. We speak to an Iraqi doctor who treated injured civilians during that time.

(Photo: An Iraqi man in front of destroyed houses in the city of Fallujah 30 April 2004. Credit: Ramzi Haidar/AFP/Getty Images)

Nigeria's First Coup Jan 15, 2014

On 15 January 1966 a small group of Nigerian army officers launched a bloody coup against the civilian government. It marked the start of the military's involvement in Nigerian politics which would last for decades and set Nigeria on a path to civil war. We hear from one of the soldiers who took part, Colonel Ben Gbulie.

(Photo: Nigerian troops on the streets of Lagos, 16 January 1966. Credit: AP)

Jimi Hendrix Jan 14, 2014

In early 1967, the American guitarist, Jimi Hendrix, took London by storm. His flamboyant style and new ways of playing the electric guitar enthralled everyone from the Beatles to Eric Clapton. Hendrix's English girlfriend, Kathy Etchingham, recalls her relationship with a man who would become a musical legend. This programme was first broadcast in 2013.

(Photo: Jimi Hendrix. Credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Soviet Lithuania Crackdown Jan 13, 2014

In 1991, pro-independence Lithuanians took to the streets against Soviet tanks. Over a dozen protesters were killed on January 13th as soldiers from the USSR took control of the Vilnius TV Tower. Hear from Nida Degutiene, one of the demonstrators who was there that night.

PHOTO: AP

Mother Teresa Jan 10, 2014

In January 1929, the young nun who would become Mother Teresa arrived in Calcutta. It was the start of a journey which would see her set up her own religious order to serve the poor, win the Nobel Peace Prize, and become a saintly figure for Catholics and non-Catholics around the world. Lucy Burns speaks to Mary Johnson, who was a member of Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity for 20 years.

The Panama Flag Riots Jan 09, 2014

In January 1964, protests erupted in Panama, prompted by a dispute over the flying of the Stars and Stripes. It escalated into violence between US forces and Panamanian students. More than 20 people were killed in the unrest which had at its root the US control of the Panama Canal.

Photo: The Panama Canal. Hulton Archive/Getty Images.

Twelve Years A Slave Jan 08, 2014

Solomon Northup was born a free man in America, but in 1848 he was kidnapped into slavery in the South. After his escape from captivity - his book was published under the title Twelve Years A Slave. His story has now been made into a highly acclaimed film directed by Steve McQueen.

(Image: Solomon Northup from the frontispiece of his book)

Impeachment of President Clinton Jan 07, 2014

In January 1999, Bill Clinton was tried by the US Senate over his relationship with the White House intern, Monica Lewinsky. Witness hears the memories of Clinton's press secretary, Joe Lockhart. This programme was first broadcast in 2011.

(Photo: Bill Clinton (right) and Monica Lewinsky (left). Credit: Associated Press)

Albert Camus Jan 06, 2014

One of France's most celebrated writers was killed in a car crash on 4 January 1960. Author of The Outsider and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, Albert Camus was famous for his exploration of the alienation and absurdity of human existence. Lucy Burns presents archive memories of Albert Camus - with thanks to Karen Holden and Andrew Hussey.

Lord Haw Haw - Britain's Most Hated WW2 Traitor Jan 03, 2014

On the 3rd of January 1946 Britain's most famous wartime traitor was hanged. His name was William Joyce but he was better known as Lord Haw Haw. Throughout WW2 he broadcast Nazi propaganda from Germany to Britain. At the end of the war he was hated by much of Britain, but we hear from the son of one man who tried to save him from execution.

The Longest Ever Raft Journey Jan 02, 2014

The Las Balsas expedition saw 12 men set off on three primitive rafts across the Pacific Ocean from South America to Australia - to prove that ancient peoples could have travelled between the two continents. The 1973 voyage was the longest ever journey by raft - double the length of the famous Kon-Tiki expedition. We hear from two of the crew members - American Mike Fitzgibbons and Gabriel Salas from Chile - about their battles with storms, sharks and a grumpy monkey.

Picture: The 12 man team outside the Suntori Motel in Ballina, New South Wales

The Zapatista Uprising in Mexico Jan 01, 2014

Armed indigenous rebels seized several towns in Chiapas, Mexico, on New Year's Day in 1994. The Zapatista National Liberation Army demanded rights and recognition for indigenous communities. The urprising, which lasted just ten days, took Mexicans totally by surprise. We hear from a Roman Catholic priest who was there, Father Gonzalo Ituarte.

(Photo credit: MIC PHOTO PRESS/AFP/Getty Images)

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