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Witness History Episodes

  1.

    The Santa Cruz Massacre

    In 1991, Indonesian troops opened fire on independence activists in East Timor's capital

  2. 1965 Singaporean independence

    The 60th anniversary of Singaporean independence

  3. Brazil’s biggest bank heist

    In 2005, theives tunnelled into a Brazilian bank in a heist straight out of the movie

  4. The Assam-Tibet earthquake

    In 1950, an earthquake in the Himalayas devastated parts of Tibet and India

  5. When Stalin silenced Shostakovich

    In 1936, Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich was denounced

  6. Nagasaki bomb

    On 9 August 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan

  7. Japan's record-breaking rollercoaster

    On 1 August 2000, Steel Dragon 2000 opened as the world’s longest rollercoaster

  8. Chuquicamata: Chile's abandoned mining town

    By 2007, the town lay abandoned after its 25,000 residents left due to pollution concerns

  9. Cleveland Balloonfest '86

    In 1986, one and a half million balloons were released as part of a world record attempt

  10. Eta’s assassination of Juan Mari Jáuregui

    On 29 July 2000, Basque separatists Eta killed the retired Spanish politician

  11. The Russian revolutionaries nearly stranded in London

    In 1907, a crucial congress in London set the direction of the Russian revolution.

  12. A Chorus Line

    Broadway hit A Chorus Line premieres in 1975

  13. The invention of Kevlar

    In 1965, a new fibre was discovered by scientist Stephanie Kwolek

  14. President Clinton plays the sax in Prague

    In January 1994, two presidents enjoyed a memorable jazz night in the Czech Republic

  15. The killing of Jean Charles de Menezes

    On 22 July 2005, an unarmed Brazilian man was shot dead by police in London

  16. Irawati Karve: India’s groundbreaking anthropologist

    Irawati Karve became India’s first female anthropologist

  17. Italo disco

    In 1983, Dolce Vita by Ryan Paris became one of the biggest hits for Italo disco

  18. The 'Turbot War'

    In 1995, an international row broke out between Canada and Spain over fishing quotas

  19. Greece’s debt crisis

    The story of the week that brought the future of Greece and the Eurozone to the brink

  20. The Iran nuclear deal

    In 2015, Iran agreed to limit its nuclear programme in a historic deal

  21. The start of Voice of America

    The broadcaster Voice of America was created in 1942 to counter Nazi propaganda

  22. The man who said ‘no’ to Disney

    In 1941, Walt Disney made an offer to Quirino Cristiani in Buenos Aires, Argentina

  23. Ni Una Menos women’s movement in Argentina

    The start, in 2015, of a movement to stop violence against women in Argentina

  24. Argentina’s national genetics bank created to identify stolen babies

    In 1984, Argentine grandmothers started using genetics to find their lost grandchildren

  25. The mystery of Evita’s corpse

    In 1955 the Argentine military stole the body of the revered former first lady, Eva Peron

  26. Argentina’s 'trial of the juntas'

    In 1985 Argentina’s ex-leaders were accused of torturing and murdering their own people

  27. Dancing in the Street: David Bowie and Mick Jagger

    In July 1985, music legends Mick Jagger and David Bowie performed a duet for Live Aid

  28. Back to the Future

    On 3 July 1985, the hit film Back to the Future was released

  29. Drill, baby, drill!

    The story behind the catchy political slogan much loved by US President Donald Trump

  30. Ai Weiwei: Imprisoned for art

    In 2011, the Chinese artist was detained for 81 days

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