Witness History: Archive 2011

By BBC World Service

History

What's Witness History: Archive 2011 about?

The story of our times told by the people who were there.

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Witness History: Archive 2011 episodes:

10.08.2013
Mixed race marriage victory in US
In 1958, a mixed-race couple, Mildred and Richard Loving, were arrested and then banished from the US state of Virginia for breaking its laws against inter-racial marriage. Nine years later, Mildred and Richard Loving won a ruling at the...
10.07.2013
Greensboro Lunch Counter Sit-ins
On 1 February 1960, four young black men began a protest in Greensboro, North Carolina against the racial segregation of shops and restaurants in the US southern states. The men, who became known as the Greensboro Four, asked to be...
10.07.2013
The Freedom Riders
The Freedom Riders were civil rights activists who rode on buses, testing out whether bus stations were complying with the Supreme Court ruling that banned segregation. Listen to Bernard Lafayette Junior, an eyewitness to how Martin Luther King managed...
10.04.2013
Nelson Mandela's Autobiography
*** This programme was first broadcast on 25 October, 2011 *** In the mid 1970s Nelson Mandela began writing his autobiography in prison, on Robben Island. Mac Maharaj was one of the prisoners who helped edit and conceal the...
10.04.2013
ANC Bomb
The armed wing of the ANC party took its first violent action in 1961, when a bomb was planted at municipal offices in Durban. Ronnie Kasrils explained what happened that day. (Image: Ronnie Kasrils in 1961. Credit: Ronnie Kasrils)
10.02.2013
Apartheid in the 1950s
A snapshot of the attitudes and emotions on both sides of the racial divide as the South Africa authorites cemented the foundations of Apartheid in 1957.
10.01.2013
The Voyage of the Empire Windrush
In 1948 nearly 500 pioneers travelled from the Caribbean on the Empire Windrush. The passage cost £28, 10 shillings. Passenger Sam King describes the conditions on board and the concerns people had about finding a job in England -...
10.01.2013
The Brixton Riots
In April 1981 the streets of Brixton, south London, erupted into violence. The fighting took part between young members of the black community and the Metropolitan police. A former rioter, Sheldon Thomas, and a former policeman, Brian Paddick, tell their...
12.30.2011
US troops in Iraq
US troops left Iraq earlier this month, well before their deadline of 31 December. We hear from one American soldier who remembers when they first invaded the country, almost nine years ago. Photo: John Crawford and a colleague in...
12.29.2011
The Creation of Tetris
In 1984 one of the most popular computer games ever was invented in Moscow. Hear from Alexey Pajitnov, the Russian who created it, and Henk Rogers, the American who helped to sell it around the world. Photo: Henk and Alexey.
12.28.2011
Enid Blyton and the BBC
The children's writer Enid Blyton, was one of the most popular authors of the 20th Century. Books such as her Famous Five series were read by millions across the world. But Blyton was reviled by some senior managers at...
12.27.2011
The release of Sakharov
In December 1986 the Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov was allowed to return to Moscow. He had spent seven years in internal exile. His release had been ordered by the reforming Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Photo: AFP/Getty Images
12.26.2011
The sinking of the Scharnhorst
She was one of Germany's greatest battleships during World War II. But on Boxing Day 1943 she was sunk in the freezing waters of the Arctic. Norman Scarth is a Witness listener who was on board a British ship...
12.23.2011
The Christmas Truce
On Christmas Eve 1914, during World War I, British and German soldiers stopped fighting. Many of them left their trenches and started to talk and exchange gifts. But after a few hours of peace they were ordered back to...
12.22.2011
Billy Graham
As we approach Christmas we look back at the turning point in the career of the world's most famous evangelist - Billy Graham. He's preached the gospel to more people in live audiences than anyone else in history...
12.21.2011
Concert for Bangladesh
In 1971 the first big rock benefit gig was organised by former Beatle, George Harrison. He did it to raise money for refugees from the Bangladesh War of Independence. Hear from a friend, and a musician who were there....
12.20.2011
The British Miners' strike
Christmas 1984 was a difficult time for British miners who had been on strike for nine months. They had taken industrial action to try to save their coal mines from government closure. Listen to one miner's wife tell how her...
12.19.2011
Spice Girls
In 1996 the Spice Girls were at the top of the charts. Their brand of cheeky British pop had taken the world by storm - they called it 'Girl Power'. We hear from two Spice Girls...
12.16.2011
Bangladesh wins independence
In 1971, Bangladesh won independence from Pakistan after nine months of war. Kamal Hossain, a leading political figure, was jailed during the conflict and only released shortly after Bangladeshi independence. Kamal Hossain tells Farhana Haider his feelings as his country...
12.15.2011
Kazakh uprising
In December 1986 Kazakhs began protesting against Moscow's rule. The young demonstrators were objecting to a Kremlin decision to put a Russian in charge of their country. Hear how one 16 year old girl had her first taste of freedom.
12.13.2011
Manuel Noriega
As the former leader of Panama, Manuel Noriega faces charges of murder in his home country we take you back over 20 years to the moment he was removed from power by the USA. Manuel Noriega...
12.12.2011
The Treaty of Rome
We take you back to the early days of the European project when six countries established the European Economic Community. Photo: Keystone/Getty Images
12.09.2011
The Mozote massacre
In December 1981 hundreds of peasants were killed by the army in El Salvador. Men, women and children from the village of El Mozote were shot. Only one woman, Rufina Amaya, is known to have survived. Photo:...
12.08.2011
Economic crisis in Argentina
It is 10 years since the height of the financial crisis in Argentina. Bank accounts were frozen and tens of thousands of ordinary people took to the streets in protest. Photo: Demonstrators climb the gates of Government House in Buenos...
12.07.2011
Pearl Harbour
It is 70 years since Japanese planes attacked the US Navy base in Hawaii. The action forced the USA into World War II. Jack Hammett, was a young naval medic who survived the carnage. Photo: Hulton Archive/Getty Images.
12.06.2011
The Bermuda Triangle
The story of the Bermuda Triangle began when five US Navy planes went missing in 1945. No trace of the bombers was ever found - and since then - other ships and planes have diappeared in the same area of...
12.05.2011
The Pill
"The idea that you could take a pill, that meant that you wouldn't get pregnant and you could enjoy sex. That had a magic feel to it." On 4 December 1961 the contraceptive pill became widely available for free in...
12.01.2011
Ryan White
To mark World Aids Day Louise Hidalgo reports on the story of Ryan White. He was a haemophiliac who was banned from school after testing HIV positive. His death from Aids, changed attitudes towards the disease in the...
11.30.2011
The Winter of Discontent
In 1979 British public sector workers went on strike over pay. Among those taking industrial action were grave-diggers. But the media, politicians, and even their own families turned against them at the thought of bodies being left unburied.
11.29.2011
The Battle in Seattle
In November 1999 police battled with anti-globalisation protestors for control of the streets of Seattle. The demonstrators were protesting against World Trade Organisation talks taking place in the US city. Norm Stamper was the Chief of Police in Seattle at...
11.28.2011
Plane spotters
In November 2001 a group of British tourists were arrested and put on trial for spying in Greece. They were not spies, but aircraft enthusiasts. Hear how their British hobby resulted in suspicion, and ultimately jail. Paul Coppin with Greek...
11.25.2011
Thalidomide
Fifty years ago, the sedative drug thalidomide was withdrawn from sale in Germany and the UK. It became clear that, if taken by women in early pregnancy, it can cause serious - in many cases, fatal - damage to the...
11.24.2011
Ned Kelly's Last Stand
Ned Kelly, the infamous Australian outlaw was captured in the remote settlement of Glenrowan in 1880. In a dramatic last stand, Kelly and his gang took hostages and tried to derail a police train. Kelly was hanged a few months...
11.23.2011
Mobutu Sese Seko of Congo
Of the "Big Men" who ruled Africa after independence, few were as notorious as Mobutu Sese Seko. During his 32 years in power, Mobutu renamed Congo as Zaire and stole many millions of dollars. As the people of Congo prepare...
11.22.2011
Georgia's Rose Revolution
In November 2003 a popular uprising unseated the government of Georgia. Demonstrators waving roses burst into Parliament and Eduard Shevardnadze was forced to stand down. Hear from one of the people on the streets of Tbilisi that day.
11.21.2011
President Sadat of Egypt visits Israel
In 1977, Anwar Sadat became the first Egyptian president to visit Israel and address the Israeli parliament, or Knesset. At the time, Egypt was still formally at war with Israel - a country which no Arab nation then recognised. Sadat's...
11.19.2011
Precious McKenzie - South African Weight-lifter
The diminutive weight-lifter, Precious McKenzie, was a prodigious talent, but apartheid prevented him from competing for South Africa. Precious had to move to Britain and work in a factory in Northampton. While doing so, he finally achieved international success...
11.18.2011
Nikola Tesla
He was one of the great pioneers of electrical power. In November 1915 the New York Times announced that he and his rival, Thomas Edison, would share the Nobel Prize for Physics. But the two men never received the...
11.17.2011
Kim Philby the spy
How a Soviet agent managed to fool the British intelligence service for years. Even after he'd been identified as a spy by the Americans, Kim Philby was allowed to stay in Britain. Photo: Kim Philby (right) protesting his innocence...
11.16.2011
Cathy Come Home
It is 45 years since a BBC TV drama changed British ideas about homelessness. The hardhitting film, directed by Ken Loach, told the story of a young woman who fell on hard times and lost her home, her husband and...
11.15.2011
Great Lisbon Earthquake
On All Saints Day 1755, the Portuguese city of Lisbon was hit by a triple disaster - an earthquake, followed by a tsunami and a fire. One of the most splendid cities in Europe suffered massive damage and thousands of...
11.14.2011
Student Uprising in Greece in 1973
The leader of a student protest in Greece nearly 40 years ago tells Alan Johnston about the moment when the country's military junta sent in the tanks, and how she only just managed to escape with her life. This programe...
11.11.2011
Oh What A Lovely War
In the 1960s, radio and stage shows helped provoke a change in attitudes towards World War I. Songs once sung by men in the trenches helped audiences to think of the war from the point of view of ordinary soldiers...
11.10.2011
San Salvador offensive
In November 1989 the civil war in El Salvador hit the capital city. Rebels fighting the US-backed goverment began attacks in San Salvador. But after less than two weeks of gun-battles and street fighting the rebels left the capital. Image:...
11.09.2011
The Death of Leonid Brezhnev
The Soviet leader died in November 1982 after years of ill health. He had ruled the USSR for 18 years and presided over a period of economic and political stagnation. Image: Associated Press
11.07.2011
Mission to Mars
In November 1964 the first spacecraft to go to Mars left Earth. It was to send back the first photographs of the Red Planet. Engineer John Casani designed the Mariner craft. Photo: One of the images sent back by...
11.04.2011
Duncan Goodhew and the Moscow Olympic boycott
In 1980, the British swimmer, Duncan Goodhew, faced a moral dilemma over whether to compete in the Moscow Olympics, which were being boycotted by the USA. In the end, he decided to compete and won Gold in the 100m breastroke....
11.04.2011
The death of Robert Maxwell
It is 20 years since the newspaper magnate disappeared off his yacht. After his death it soon became clear that his publishing empire was in serious financial difficulties. We hear from one man who knew him well.
11.03.2011
Hungarian uprising of 1956
Soviet tanks rolled into Budapest on 4 November 1956 ending a shortlived popular uprising For six year old Miklos Gimes it would mean his last meeting with his father - and exile. Photo: Getty Images
11.02.2011
75 years of BBC TV
On 2 November 1936 the first regular TV service in the world was launched by the BBC. Initially it only had a few hundred viewers and was only broadcast for two hours a day. Viewers watched variety acts beamed...

What's Witness History: Archive 2011 about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Witness History: Archive 2011 episodes:

Mixed race marriage victory in US

Greensboro Lunch Counter Sit-ins

The Freedom Riders

Nelson Mandela's Autobiography

ANC Bomb

Apartheid in the 1950s

The Voyage of the Empire Windrush

The Brixton Riots

US troops in Iraq

The Creation of Tetris

Enid Blyton and the BBC

The release of Sakharov

The sinking of the Scharnhorst

The Christmas Truce

Billy Graham

Concert for Bangladesh

The British Miners' strike

Spice Girls

Bangladesh wins independence

Kazakh uprising

Manuel Noriega

The Treaty of Rome

The Mozote massacre

Economic crisis in Argentina

Pearl Harbour

The Bermuda Triangle

The Pill

Ryan White

The Winter of Discontent

The Battle in Seattle

Plane spotters

Thalidomide

Ned Kelly's Last Stand

Mobutu Sese Seko of Congo

Georgia's Rose Revolution

President Sadat of Egypt visits Israel

Precious McKenzie - South African Weight-lifter

Nikola Tesla

Kim Philby the spy

Cathy Come Home

Great Lisbon Earthquake

Student Uprising in Greece in 1973

Oh What A Lovely War

San Salvador offensive

The Death of Leonid Brezhnev

Mission to Mars

Duncan Goodhew and the Moscow Olympic boycott

The death of Robert Maxwell

Hungarian uprising of 1956

75 years of BBC TV

Other shows like Witness History: Archive 2011: