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Witness History Episodes

  1.

    The Russian revolutionaries nearly stranded in London

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

  2. A Chorus Line

    Broadway hit A Chorus Line premieres in 1975

  3. The invention of Kevlar

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

  4. President Clinton plays the sax in Prague

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

  5. The killing of Jean Charles de Menezes

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

  6. Irawati Karve: India’s groundbreaking anthropologist

    Irawati Karve became India’s first female anthropologist

  7. Italo disco

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

  8. The 'Turbot War'

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

  9. Greece’s debt crisis

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

  10. The Iran nuclear deal

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

  11. The start of Voice of America

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

  12. The man who said ‘no’ to Disney

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

  13. Ni Una Menos women’s movement in Argentina

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

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

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

  15. The mystery of Evita’s corpse

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

  16. Argentina’s 'trial of the juntas'

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

  17. 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

  18. Back to the Future

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

  19. Drill, baby, drill!

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

  20. Ai Weiwei: Imprisoned for art

    In 2011, the Chinese artist was detained for 81 days

  21. Cecil the lion

    On 1 July 2015, Cecil, a popular lion, was shot in Zimbabwe by an American trophy hunter

  22. Italian happiness trains

    Between 1945 and 1952, ‘happiness trains’ transported 70,000 children from southern Italy

  23. The opening of the Medellin Metro

    How a train system helped transform the “murder capital of the world” in 2015

  24. The funeral train for Robert Kennedy

    In June 1968, Robert Kennedy was killed during his campaign for the presidency

  25. The Czech Freedom Train

    On 11 September 1951, a Czech train was hijacked and driven into West Germany

  26. The Gratitude Train: France thanks America

    In 1949, the Gratitude Train arrived in the US, 49 wagons of thank you gifts from France

  27. Making Jaws

    On 20 June 1975 the film premiered, launching summer blockbusters and scaring beachgoers

  28. The signing of the Treaty of Versailles

    The signing of a peace agreement that marked the end of World War One took place in 1919

  29. Civil rights swim-in

    In 1964, a civil rights swimming protest ended when acid was poured into the pool

  30. 'Tripperburgen' the sexual health clinics that detained women

    In 1977, in the former East Germany, tens of thousands of women and girls were abused

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