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Witness History Episodes

  1.

    Spot the Dog

    In 1978, British artist Eric Hill designed a book about a puppy for his two-year-old son

  2. Pramoedya Ananta Toer: The banned author of Indonesia

    Indonesian writer, Pramoedya Ananta Toer wrote novels whilst imprisoned on an island

  3. Jakarta’s ban on dancing monkeys

    In 2013, Jakarta's governor banned the use of dancing monkeys in Indonesia's capital

  4. Discovery of the 'Hobbit'

    In 2003, archaeologists in Indonesia discovered the skeleton of a new species of human

  5. Borobudur Temple

    Borobudur Temple in Indonesia reopened in 1983, following a restoration project

  6. The Santa Cruz Massacre

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

  7. 1965 Singaporean independence

    The 60th anniversary of Singaporean independence

  8. Brazil’s biggest bank heist

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

  9. The Assam-Tibet earthquake

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

  10. When Stalin silenced Shostakovich

    In 1936, Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich was denounced

  11. Nagasaki bomb

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

  12. Japan's record-breaking rollercoaster

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

  13. Chuquicamata: Chile's abandoned mining town

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

  14. Cleveland Balloonfest '86

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

  15. Eta’s assassination of Juan Mari Jáuregui

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

  16. The Russian revolutionaries nearly stranded in London

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

  17. A Chorus Line

    Broadway hit A Chorus Line premieres in 1975

  18. The invention of Kevlar

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

  19. President Clinton plays the sax in Prague

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

  20. The killing of Jean Charles de Menezes

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

  21. Irawati Karve: India’s groundbreaking anthropologist

    Irawati Karve became India’s first female anthropologist

  22. Italo disco

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

  23. The 'Turbot War'

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

  24. Greece’s debt crisis

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

  25. The Iran nuclear deal

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

  26. The start of Voice of America

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

  27. The man who said ‘no’ to Disney

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

  28. Ni Una Menos women’s movement in Argentina

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

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

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

  30. The mystery of Evita’s corpse

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

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