News
On 7 January 2015, 12 people were shot dead at a satirical magazine in Read more
now playing
Charlie Hebdo attack
On 7 January 2015, 12 people were shot dead at a satirical magazine in
The invention of the hotel key card
In the 1970s, Norwegian Tor Sornes invented the hotel key card
The mystery of Raoul Wallenberg
The Swedish diplomat saved thousands of Hungarian Jews during World War Two
The Bosphorus boat spotter tracking Russian military trucks
In 2015, ship spotter Yörük Işık saw Russian military trucks on a ship going to Syria
Franklin D Roosevelt’s New Deal
In 1933, President Roosevelt enacted the New Deal to drag the US out of depression
Confronting Betty Ford’s addiction
In 1978, former first lady Betty Ford sought help for addiction
Kobe earthquake
On 17 January 1995, an earthquake devastated the city of Kobe, in Japan
'I wrote Schindler's List'
Thomas Keneally stumbled across the story of Oskar Schindler while buying a briefcase
Drum: Africa’s revolutionary magazine
The first African lifestyle magazine Drum, was first printed in 1951
Hunting the Unabomber
In September 1995, US newspapers controversially published a terrorist's manifesto.
Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway
In 1995, the doomsday cult, Aum Shinrikyo, launched a chemical attack on the Tokyo metro
The murder of Maurizio Gucci
On 27 March 1995, the former head of the fashion house was shot dead in Milan, Italy
Replacing the Panchen Lama
On 29 November 1995, China exerted its influence over Tibetan Buddhism's leadership
The launch of Windows 95
In 1995 Microsoft released a new operating system after a $300 million marketing campaign
The Milltown Cemetery attack
In 1988, during the Troubles in Northern Ireland, three people were killed at a funeral
The Baltic chain protest
On 23 August 1989, approximately two million people ed hands to form a human chain
Lithuania's 'wolf children'
In the aftermath of World War Two, children fled East Prussia in order to survive
1968 New York City teachers' strike
In 1968, more than 50,000 teachers went on strike in New York City, in the USA
English TV lessons in China go primetime
An estimated 500 million people in China watched English lessons on television in 1981
Jacques Derrida: ‘Rock star’ philosopher
In 1966, the Frenchman upended philosophy with his theory of "deconstruction"
Oradour massacre
In June 1944, 642 people were killed in Oradour,
Cuban blindness
In the early 1990s, around 50,000 Cubans were struck down with sight loss
The first global case of coral bleaching
In 1998 a strange phenomenon turned the world’s most colourful coral reefs deathly white
Heathers: The making of a cult classic
In 1989, dark comedy Heathers was released and changed the teen movie genre
La Pasionaria: Heroine of the Spanish civil war
Dolores Ibárruri was dubbed La Pasionaria for her fiery speeches in the Spanish civil war
Eisenhower's farewell address
In 1961, the US President ended his time in the White House with a famous speech
Mary Fisher's 'A Whisper of Aids' speech
In 1992, Mary Fisher set out to fight the prejudice faced by those with HIV and Aids
Paul Keating's Redfern speech
In 1992, Australia's Prime Minister addressed atrocities inflicted upon Indigenous people
Eva Peron: Argentina’s Evita
Eva Peron - or Evita - was an icon in 1940s Argentina, famous for her populist rhetoric
The world's longest kiss
In 2013, a Thai couple locked lips for 58 hours and 35 minutes in a world record attempt
Bo: The death of a language
In 2010, one of the oldest languages died after the death of its last remaining speaker.
