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Witness History Episodes

  1.

    The Hoover Free Flights Promotion

    How an advertising campaign for vacuum cleaners went badly wrong.

  2. The Last Day of Lebanon's Civil War

    In October 1990, Syrian jets ousted their main opponent in Lebanon ending the civil war

  3. Chile Votes Against Pinochet

    In 1988 Chileans voted to end the brutal 15-year military rule of Gen. Augusto Pinochet.

  4. The Spanish Influenza Pandemic

    In 1918, more than fifty million people died in a global flu pandemic.

  5. Irina Ratushinskaya

    The dissident poet was released from a labour camp on the eve of a US-Soviet summit

  6. Good Vibrations

    In October 1966, the Beach Boys released their "pocket symphony" Good Vibrations.

  7. Exposing Child Abuse in the Catholic Church

    In 1994, a TV programme in Northern Ireland lifted the lid on clerical child sex abuse.

  8. Thai University Massacre

    On October 6th 1976 Thai security forces opened fire on student demonstrators in Bangkok.

  9. The Poisoned Painkiller

    In October 1982 seven people in the US died after taking painkillers laced with cyanide.

  10. The Founding of Mensa

    In 1946, a chance encounter between two men launched the high IQ club, Mensa

  11. Sir Stanley Spencer

    He was one of Britain's most admired 20th century painters. His daughters remember him.

  12. The Mayak Nuclear Disaster

    On September 29th 1957 there was a major nuclear accident in the Soviet Union.

  13. The Attica Prison Rebellion

    In 1971 inmates rioted and seized control of the US jail, taking guards hostage

  14. South Africa's 1985 State of Emergency

    In the dying years of Apartheid, the white government was desperate to keep control.

  15. Outback Internment

    During WWII, Britain deported some civilians classed as 'enemy aliens' to Australia.

  16. The Curious Story of Mary Toft

    In September 1726, a woman called Mary Toft claimed she was giving birth to rabbits.

  17. The First Legal 'Physician-Assisted Suicide'

    On September 22nd 1996 an Australian doctor helped a cancer sufferer to die.

  18. Domestic Violence in Brazil

    In 2006 Brazil passed the ground-breaking "Maria da Penha" law to tackle domestic abuse.

  19. Voting Against the War on Terror

    Only one Congresswoman voted against the 'war on terror'. Her name was Barbara Lee.

  20. The West Australian Gold Rush

    In September 1892 gold was discovered in Western Australia

  21. The Capture of Abimael Guzman

    In September 1992 security forces in Peru arrested the leader of the Shining Path rebels.

  22. The First Tanks

    Tanks were first used in warfare on 15 September 1916 during the Battle of the Somme

  23. Anthrax Attacks

    Shortly after the 9/11 attacks in the USA someone started posting Anthrax to politicians

  24. The Great Fire of Smyrna

    In 1922 a huge fire destroyed the ancient city of Smyrna on the Aegean, thousands died

  25. The Lascaux Caves

    In September 1940 a group of French schoolboys found a network of ancient cave paintings.

  26. Estonia's Bootleg Vodka Poisoning

    In September 2001, 68 people died after an outbreak of alcohol poisoning in Estonia.

  27. How Europe won over the British left

    A speech by Jacques Delors helped change British trade unionists' attitude to Europe

  28. Star Trek - The Early Years

    In September 1966 the cult American science fiction series first went on air.

  29. Remembering Chairman Mao

    On September 9th 1976 the founding father of Chinese Communism, Mao Zedong, died.

  30. Italy's Partisan Fighters

    The brother and sister who took part in the struggle to free Italy from fascism in WW2.

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