Since the 19th Century, Germans have been bathing nude at the beach. The naturist movement, known as the FKK, was banned under the Nazis. People also faced official disapproval during the early years of communist rule in East Germany. Mike Lanchin spoke to German naturist, Wolfgang Haider, in 2017. Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were...

In 2013, a six-year-old from Argentina became one of the youngest people in the world to legally have their gender changed on official documents through self-declaration. It followed the introduction of the Gender Identity Act in 2012, that aimed to reduce the exclusion of transgender people. But as Luana's mother Gabriela Mansilla reveals, the fight for recognition wasn’t easy. Gabriela speaks to Madeleine Drury. Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those...

On 13 November 1989, mining engineer Jaswant Singh Gill saved 65 miners from the Mahabir Coal Mine, in India. The miners, who had been trapped for three days after a flood, were winched out one by one using a tiny, steel capsule. Rachel Naylor speaks to Jaswant's son, Sarpreet Singh Gill. Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For...

In 1974, Greece held a referendum to decide the future of the country’s monarchy, and whether Constantine II would remain their king. Constantine had come to the throne in 1964, but he’d inherited a divided country. Political divisions, between the left and right, ran deep. In 1967, a group of army officers launched a coup, and Constantine fled into exile in England. When the military regime collapsed seven years later, the new government called a referendum to decide the fate of the...

In 2013, 11 people were shot dead in base camp of the Nanga Parbat mountain in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan. The gunmen were associated with the Pakistani Taliban and the group were set up to target foreigners. It was the worst attack on tourists in Pakistan in a decade. Polish mountaineer Aleksandra Dzik, aged 30, was there that night, at camp two, and speaks to Megan Jones. Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We...

In June 1948, the ‘Baby’ was invented. It was the first stored-program computer, meaning it was the first machine to work like the ones we have today. It was developed in England at the University of Manchester. The computer was huge, it filled a room that was nearly six metres square. The team who made it are now recognised as the pioneers of modern computing. Gill Kearsley has been looking through the archives to find out more about the 'Baby'. Eye-witness accounts brought to life by...

Irena Sendler was a Polish social worker who risked her life to save 2,500 Jewish children from the Warsaw ghetto during World War Two. Irena, a Catholic, was able to enter the ghetto because of her job. She was soon smuggling in food, medicine and clothing; and smuggling out children. And, as a member of the Zegota underground resistance movement, she recruited others to help. Some children were hidden in suitcases, potato sacks, and even inside coffins. Others escaped through sewers. In...

In 1971, the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, celebrated 2,500 years of the Persian Empire by throwing a huge three-day party. Trees were planted, birds imported, and a runway built in the middle of the desert with royalty from across the world attending. But the event united opposition parties against the Shah and lost him public credibility. Author and journalist Sally Quinn was “party reporter” for the Washington Post and covered the event. She speaks to Megan Jones. Eye-witness...

On 16 January 1979, the Shah of Iran and his wife, Farah Pahlavi, left Iran for the last time. There had been increasingly violent protests against Mohammad Reza Pahlavi's regime. Ayatollah Khomeini returned to Iran on 1 February after 14 years of exile. Following a referendum, he declared an Islamic Republic on 1 April 1979. In 1985, social scientist Rouhi Shafi, also left Iran and chose London as her home. Lucy Williamson spoke to both women in 2010. Eye-witness accounts brought to life by...

One of the most dramatic moments from the Iranian revolution took place in November 1979. Young insurgents stormed the US embassy in the Iranian capital Tehran, taking 52 Americans captive. Barry Rosen was held hostage for 444 days. He told his story to Alex Last in 2009. Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every...

For nearly 40 years, the magicians Roy Horn and Siegfried Fischbacher wowed audiences in Las Vegas with their death-defying tricks involving white lions and tigers. But in 2003, their show at the Mirage casino came to a dramatic end when Roy was left partially paralysed after being attacked by a seven-year old tiger called Mantacore live on stage. Animal trainer Chris Lawrence was backstage at the time and rushed to save Roy. He tells Vicky Farncombe about the terrifying moment. Eye-witness...

In 1996, Brazil introduced a pioneering electronic voting system, revolutionising its election process. Carlos Velozo, an electoral lawyer and judge, played a pivotal role in implementing this system, which aimed to enhance security, integrity and accessibility in voting. The electronic voting machines were developed to make it easier for illiterate and semi-literate voters to participate in elections. Carlos Velozo speaks to Ashley Byrne, in this Made in Manchester production for BBC World...

In 2002, filmmaker Ken Burns received an intriguing proposition from Apple CEO, Steve Jobs. He wanted Burns’ signature filming style to be inserted into the video editing software of every Macintosh computer. He would call it, ‘the Ken Burns effect.’ Burns first shot to fame in 1981, when his documentary, Brooklyn Bridge, was nominated for an Academy Award. He is perhaps best known for his 1990 documentary series, The Civil War, which was watched by more than 40 million Americans when it...

New Zealander Jean Batten was nicknamed the ‘Queen of the Skies’ for her record breaking flights of the 1930s. After abandoning a career in music, Jean learnt to fly at the age of 21. She soon joined other female pilots, such as the American, Amelia Earhart, in making international headlines. They were flying across the world, in planes made of wood and canvas, during the so-called golden age of aviation. Jean’s achievements included being the first woman to fly solo from Australia to...

In 1676, Astronomer Royal John Flamsteed was looking to find a way to determine longitude at sea, so ships could know their position and hazards. Feuds with Sir Isaac Newton, dirty rivers and a missing key are just some of the obstacles he contended with and overcame. His labours ultimately paved the way to Greenwich Mean Time. Emily Akkermans, Curator of Time at Royal Museums Greenwich, and Keith Moore from the Royal Society of London, speak to Allis Moss. Eye-witness accounts brought to...

In 1970, father of five Gary Gygax was fired from his job as an insurance underwriter in Chicago, in the United States of America. It may sound like a mundane event to read about but, believe it or not, this moment actually changed the gaming industry forever. Gary is the creator of table-top roleplay game, Dungeons & Dragons. In the 50 years since its release, D&D has generated billions of dollars in sales and now boasts more than 50 million players worldwide. However, Gary’s story...

Star athlete, Jose Adelino Barceló de Carvalho, abandoned his career in 1972 to follow his one true passion, music. After growing up under Portuguese colonial rule, he became an outspoken supporter of Angolan independence, and used the pseudonym, Bonga Kwenda. He was later forced into exile in Rotterdam, in the Netherlands, where he recorded his first album. He went on to become a famous Angolan musician. He speaks with Marcia Veiga. Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness...

In 1984, Ethiopia suffered one of its worst ever famines. A BBC news report from the area shocked the world - and led to a huge global fundraising campaign. In 2014, Lucy Burns spoke to Dawit Giorgis, who was in charge of Ethiopia's internal relief effort during the crisis. Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes...

Argentinian geologist Eduardo Olivero became the first scientist to find the remains of a dinosaur in Antarctica in 1986. But digging in frozen ground is not easy, so recovering them took several trips over a decade. Eduardo had to work with discretion and hide the fossils a couple of times to prevent other scientists from taking away his discovery. It was later proven the dinosaur is a new kind of Ankylosaurus that now carries his name: Antarctopelta oliveroi. He speaks to Stefania Gozzer...

In 2013, Emami, an Indian beauty and wellness company, put out an advert for their skin lightening product 'Fair and Handsome'. It features billionaire blockbuster actor Shah Rukh Khan telling a young man that he can get more attention and live a better life if he uses the product. Kavitha Emmanuel who was campaigning to end colourism in India, saw the advert and decided to petition against it. She managed to gather 20,000 signatures and went to the Emami headquarters to ask them to take it...

After the Six Day War in June 1967, the Suez Canal in Egypt was closed. It meant 14 ships from eight different countries, including the United States, Bulgaria and France, were trapped in an area called the Great Bitter Lake. They would remain there for eight years, and would become known as the ‘yellow fleet’. Two of the ships were the MS Melampus and MS Agapenor. Former assistant steward, Phil Saul, worked on both and was in charge of looking after the engineers and officers. He speaks to...

In 1969, a new sound began to dominate the airwaves in the UK, reggae. This was terrible news for two Jamaican men, Len Dyke and Dudley Dryden who were making their money selling 'slices of home' records on market stalls in London. They had been pushed out by big labels but being true businessmen, they established themselves in an area with little-to-no commercial competition - black women’s haircare. Little did they know they were entering the market when black beauty was about to get a...

In 1999, Waheed Arian left his family in Afghanistan to seek refuge in the UK. He was just 15. He was escaping violence, poverty and the threat of being recruited as a child soldier. He tells Vicky Farncombe about how a dream of one day becoming a doctor sustained him. Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every...

In November 2003, the people of Georgia ousted veteran president Eduard Shevardnadze. Protestors stormed the parliament building in the capital Tbilisi, holding flowers in their hands. It would become known as the Rose Revolution. In 2011, Nino Zuriashvili, who was one of the protestors, spoke to Damien McGuinness. Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of...