Witness History

In 1916, Zurich was a beacon for refugees. Fleeing the death and destruction of World War I, artists and free-thinkers from all over Europe fled to the neutral Swiss city. And it was here that the people who would start the art movement Dada came together. In a rare interview from 1959, held in the BBC archive, Richard Huelsenbeck describes how the group of young artists and pacifists shared a des...

On 9 July 2011, a new flag was raised in the city of Juba as South Sudan became the world's newest nation. It followed a peace deal that ended a long and bloody civil war in Sudan, which had killed more than two million people. Six months earlier, a referendum in the south of Sudan saw more than 99% of nearly four million voters choose independence. Malual Bol Kiir was 17 at the time and had been...

On the afternoon of 10 July 1976, there was an explosion at the ICMESA chemical factory near Seveso, in northern Italy. A cloud containing a poisonous gas called dioxin spread over the town. For days, residents didn't realise they were in danger. They later developed skin conditions like chloracne and thousands of animals died or had to be slaughtered. Rachel Naylor speaks to Giuseppe Cassina, for...

In the 1970s, thousands of immigrant workers living in "foyers" or workers' hostels across France stopped paying rent. They were protesting against rent hikes and living conditions in the foyers, known for their tiny box rooms and substandard conditions, and against the racism of the housing management companies. The strike mainly took place in foyers run by Sonacotra, formerly Sonacotral: the Nat...

In 1995, the British Band Oasis released one of their biggest hits as a single from their number one album: (What’s the Story) Morning Glory. The song Wonderwall was a departure from their usual music, but it has gone on to be one of their most successful songs and was a top 10 hit in 15 countries. It has also become an anthem for the British public and has become a key part of England’s 2026 Worl...

In 1962, cameras were allowed into the White House for the first televised tour of the American president’s renovated residence. And acting as the guide was one of the country’s most famous first ladies, Jackie Kennedy. When her husband became president in 1961, Jackie had been disappointed with the “dreary” furnishings in the 132-room mansion. So, she announced a plan, not to redecorate, but to r...

Between 1984 and 1986, to celebrate 100 years since it was dedicated, the Statue of Liberty underwent a multi-million-dollar restoration project. The statue was a gift to the USA by France, to celebrate 100 years of American independence. The project also restored the former immigration processing centre on the nearby Ellis Island, which became a National Museum of Immigration. The entire project...

In 1946, Mexican American Raoul Cortez launched the first US radio service in Spanish. Based in San Antonio, Texas, he used charm and creativity to win over advertisers in a time when Hispanic consumers weren't seen as a relevant market. Raoul's grandson Guillermo Nicolas spoke to Stefania Gozzer about the challenges his grandfather faced to push forward in building a pioneering business that woul...

In 1955, Rosa Parks made civil rights history in the US when she refused to give up her seat on the bus. Segregation laws in Montgomery, Alabama, meant that when a bus was full, black passengers had to stand and give up their seat to white passengers. Her subsequent arrest sparked a boycott of the city's buses by the African American population. Led by Dr Martin Luther King, the protest became one...

In September 1997, the remains of a Native American chief were returned to the United States, more than a century after his death in England. Chief Long Wolf, a Lakota leader, died in 1892 while touring with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. His family knew he had been buried in London, but they didn't know where, until a British woman came across his story in a second‑hand book. Following an exhumat...

On 18 March 1959, Hawaii was brought into the United States of America as the 50th state with the passing of the Hawaiian Admission act. Five months later, on 21 August it was officially proclaimed the 50th state by President Eisenhower. Former governor of Hawaii, John Waihe'e, tells Jen Dale his memories of statehood and why Hawaii's history with America means it has become a divisive issue. Eye-...

For more than 25 years, Rata de dos patas has been one of Mexico’s most recognisable - and unusual - songs. A relentless string of insults, it was made famous by the singer Paquita la del Barrio. Composer Manuel Eduardo Toscano recalls the moment in 2000 that convinced him the song was right for Paquita, and reveals how it almost never saw the light of day. He speaks to Helen Ledwick about the son...

In July 1916, Britain led an Allied offensive against German positions on the Western Front near the Somme river in France. The British army suffered 60,000 casualties on the first day. By the end of the battle in November, one million men had been killed or wounded. The Somme became synonymous with the horrors of war. We hear BBC archive recordings of veterans who fought in one of the bloodiest b...

In 1981, Australia launched a fight against skin cancer with help from a yellow cartoon seagull and a catchy jingle. The Slip Slop Slap campaign was created by an advertising team of Philip Adams, Peter Best and Alex Stitt. The three men gave their services for free to help the Cancer Council Victoria charity spread the message. Soon, Australians began to slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen and sla...

In June 2016, voters in the UK were asked whether they wanted to remain in the European Union or leave. It was a decision that would divide the country and reshape relations with its closest neighbours. As the result emerged overnight, Rory Montgomery was one of the officials responsible for preparing Ireland's response. The former diplomat remembers watching the night unfold from Dublin and tells...

It's 10 years since a Hong Kong bookseller who was detained for selling material critical of China’s leaders, was released and went public. In 2015, Lam Wing-Kee and four other men who published and sold books went missing. The case of the booksellers raised international concerns that Hong Kong's judicial independence and freedom of speech were being eroded. Protests followed. On 21 June 2016, Mr...

In 1975, a mysterious outbreak of illness struck children in the United States, triggering a medical breakthrough. Prof Allen Steere uncovered a bacterial infection which was spread by blood‑sucking ticks. It was formally identified for the first time and would go on to be named Lyme disease, after the town where it first emerged. He speaks to Reena Stanton-Sharma about what led to the discovery....

On 26 February 1974, geologist Dr Jim Bowler discovered a 42,000-year-old skeleton in New South Wales, Australia. The remains were nicknamed Mungo Man, as they were found in Lake Mungo. The discovery rewrote Australia's history, it proved Aboriginal Australians had occupied the continent for tens of thousands of years. Rachel Naylor speaks to Dr Bowler about Mungo Man's original cremation with och...

In June 1987, hundreds of women walked towards a ceasefire line that had divided Cyprus since 1974. The island was split after a coup backed by Greece and a subsequent Turkish military intervention, which left thousands displaced on both sides. Many of the women were Greek Cypriots who had fled their homes in the north during the conflict. They hoped their peace walk would draw international atten...

Half a century ago, an event took place that shook the apartheid regime in South Africa to its foundations - the Soweto Uprising. It began with a demonstration by schoolchildren against being taught in Afrikaans. The government met the protesters with brutal force, and the ensuing violence shocked the world. In 2010, Alan Johnston spoke to one of those former schoolgirls, Bongi Mhkabela, about tha...

In 1993, separatist forces took Sukhumi, the capital of the former Soviet territory of Abkhazia. As Georgian authorities lost control of the region, more than 200,000 people were forced to flee. Many had no choice but to cross the Caucasus Mountains on foot, and hundreds are believed to have died along the way. Georgian writer Guram Odisharia speaks to Stefania Gozzer about his harrowing escape fr...

In 1970, King Hussein of Jordan survived after gunmen opened fire on his motorcade close to his summer palace. The king remained unharmed, but his driver was wounded. It wasn’t the king’s first near-miss. Before being crowned, Hussein survived another attempt when his grandfather, King Abdullah, was assassinated by a Palestinian gunman in 1951. Hussein was saved when a medal deflected a stray bull...

In 1897, Paul Shishkoff was 10 years old and living with his family in rural Russia. It was there he met the great Russian playwright, Anton Chekhov, who was resting after the end of Moscow's theatre season. During the long, hot summer, Paul became friends with Chekhov - accompanying him on rambles and fishing expeditions. In 1938, Paul spoke to the BBC about their friendship and how his family be...

In the summer of 1937, some of the 20th Century's most famous artists, writers and photographers were holidaying in the south of France. They included artist Pablo Picasso, photographer Lee Miller, poet Paul Éluard and the painter Man Ray. The group were part of the Surrealist movement – a style of art inspired by dreams and hidden thoughts that can look strange and bizarre - and one of their most...

In 1978, Mstislav Rostropovich, one of the greatest cellists in history, was stripped of his Soviet citizenship for engaging in 'unpatriotic activity'. Rostropovich’s fallout with the Soviet leadership was precipitated by his decision to let the dissident writer, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, stay in his house. Joe Schultz tells his story using BBC archive. Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archiv...