In 1985, the double agent, Oleg Gordievsky, escaped from under the noses of the KGB, making it from Moscow to the West with the help of British intelligence. Witness tells the story of one of the most dramatic incidents during the Cold War.

(Image: The former KGB headquarters in Moscow)

June 23 marked the tenth anniversary of the launch of online virtual world Second Life. Witness speaks to founder Philip Rosedale.

When a group of London students organised an exhibition called Freeze in 1988, they couldn't have foreseen that it would change the face of British modern art. Mat Collishaw was one of them.

Picture: Young British Artists Gavin Turk, Abigail Lane, Tracey Emin and Mat Collishaw with curator Gregor Muir - BBC

In 1997 Hong Kong was a buzzing hub of capitalism surrounded by a Communist state. It was also a colonial relic - still ruled largely from Britain. It was the job of former Governor General, Chris Patten to hand it over to China. He remembers that day.

Photo: Chris Patten receiving the British flag. Credit: AFP/Getty Images

In the summer of 1943, the first and only professional women's baseball league was launched in the US. It was set up to ensure the sport's survival during World War II, when so many male, major league players were being drafted. Ninety-four-year-old Mary Pratt explains what a great opportunity it was for women of her generation.

(Photo: Women in the League playing ball)

On 12 July 1979 a disgruntled Chicago DJ, Steve Dahl, held an event in a baseball stadium to show how much he hated disco. But things got out of hand. The riot that followed made headlines all over the USA.

(Image: People dancing to disco. Credit: Getty Images)

In 1979, the world held its breath as the American space station, Skylab, re-entered the Earth's atmosphere. NASA tried desperately to control Skylab's descent, but large fragments hit south-west Australia instead of the Indian Ocean. Witness speaks to two residents of Esperance, a remote coastal town which bore the brunt of the impact.

(Image: Saturn V giant booster used for all the Apollo and Skylab NASA space missions between 1967 and 1972. Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

***Some listeners may find this report disturbing***

(Photo: Sister Chan Khong. BBC copyright)

In July 1999, students in Iran took to the streets demanding reform. At the time it was the largest anti government protest since the Islamic revolution. We hear the story of one student who became an unwitting symbol of the protest movement.

(Photo: Ahmad Batebi holds up a T-shirt belonging to an injured friend, Tehran, July 12, 1999. Credit: Reuters)

On July 8 1943, at the height of World War Two, the leader of the French Resistance was killed by German forces. Hear from Daniel Cordier who worked alongside Jean Moulin as his radio operator and secretary in the year before his death.

(Photo: Daniel Cordier today)