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Witness History Episodes

  1.

    The Beilis Case: an Anti-Jewish Trial

    In 1913, a Russian Jew, Mendel Beilis, was falsely accused of a murder.

  2. Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

    In 1958 the Nigerian writer published his first book, revolutionising African literature.

  3. The Death of Bruce Lee

    The film star and martial arts legend died suddenly in Hong Kong in 1973.

  4. The Srebrenica Massacre

    In July 1995 Bosnian Serb troops murdered thousands of Bosnian Muslim men and boys.

  5. Medicare

    In July 1966, the US government health insurance programme Medicare came into force.

  6. Dutch Elm Disease

    In the 1970s Dutch Elm disease killed millions of Elm trees in England, France and the US

  7. 1916: Central Asia Rebels Against the Russian Empire

    In 1916, Muslims in Central Asia rose up against Russian imperial rule.

  8. Child refugees from the Spanish Civil War

    In 1937, Britain took in 4000 Basque children at the height of fighting in northern Spain

  9. The Nestle Boycott

    In July 1977 US campaigners launched a boycott against Nestle over the sale of baby milk.

  10. The Mumbai Train Bombings

    In July 2006, seven coordinated explosions tore through packed commuter trains in Mumbai.

  11. Forced Sterilisation in Peru

    In the 1990s, President Alberto Fujimori launched a family planning programme in Peru.

  12. War in Slovenia

    In 1991, Yugoslav army tanks moved into Slovenia to try to stop it becoming independent

  13. The Assassination of Anwar Sadat

    On October 6th 1981, Egyptian president Anwar Sadat was killed by army officers.

  14. Executions in Cuba

    In July 1989 four Cuban army officers were convicted of drug trafficking and executed.

  15. Spanish Republic

    The writers and artists who took part in cultural missions during the Spanish Civil War.

  16. The Sale of London Bridge

    In July of 1967 London Bridge put up for sale. American Robert P McCulloch bought it

  17. The Renovation of Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper

    In 1999, after 20 years of restoration work, the masterpiece was revealed to the public.

  18. Denmark's second EU Referendum

    In 1993, Denmark held a second referendum on greater EU integration

  19. Starbucks: The Early Days

    It is 45 years since the multibillion-dollar coffee company opened in Seattle in the USA.

  20. Born on the Fourth of July

    Ron Kovic is a former US Marine turned peace activist whose story became a Hollywood film

  21. The Trial of Saddam Hussein

    On 1 July 2004, Saddam Hussein made his first appearance in a Baghdad courtroom.

  22. World War One: The Battle of the Somme

    BBC archive recordings of veterans who fought in one of the bloodiest battles in history

  23. Angela Merkel

    A look back at the career of the German Chancellor before she became a politician.

  24. Ukraine's Wartime Ultra-Nationalists

    In 1941, far-right Ukrainians declared independence, hoping for Hitler's support.

  25. Space Crash

    In June 1997, astronauts on the Mir space station faced disaster after a collision.

  26. The Great Plague

    In the summer of 1665, London was gripped by one of the worst epidemics in its history

  27. Soviet Imaginary Heroes

    A Soviet story of heroic feats of bravery during WWII... that could not have happened.

  28. The Cuyahoga River Fire

    In June 1969 the heavily polluted Cuyahoga River, in Ohio in the USA, caught fire

  29. Date Rape

    The first time 'date rape' hit the headlines in the USA.

  30. Forced Sterilisation in Peru

    In the 1990s more than 280,000 women were sterilised in Peru, many against their will.

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