Podcast Episodes

The Reichstag fire

On 27 February 1933, the Reichstag building in Berlin, which was home to the German Parliament, was burned down.

This was a key event in the establis…

1 year, 6 months ago

The UN retreat from Somalia

In 1991, a horrific civil war erupted between rival warlords in Somalia. A US-led United Nations mission tried to restore order and provide humanitar…

1 year, 6 months ago

Resusci Anne: the world’s first life-saving resuscitation dummy

In 1960, Norwegian toymaker Åsmund Lærdal began selling his latest invention - a life-size training dummy designed to teach mouth-to-mouth resuscitat…

1 year, 6 months ago

JFK’s 1963 Ich Bin Ein Berliner speech

United States President John F Kennedy gave a speech in Berlin at the height of the Cold War on 26 June 1963.

It galvanised the world in support of W…

1 year, 6 months ago

The Wonder Woman of DC Comics

In 1976, Jenette Kahn took on one of the biggest roles in comic books - publisher of DC Comics, home to superheroes like Superman, Batman and Wonder …

1 year, 6 months ago

The invention of superglue

In 1951, American chemist Dr Harry Coover was experimenting with a substance called cyanoacrylate but it was sticking to everything.

He realised its p…

1 year, 6 months ago

The 'ghost town' of Namibia

In the early 1900s, the first diamond was found in Kolmanskop, in the African country of Namibia.

It led to a diamond rush and the town was created.

H…

1 year, 6 months ago

The father of Ethio-Jazz

For more than 50 years, Mulatu Astatke has been performing at venues around the world, inspiring audiences with his original genre of music known as …

1 year, 6 months ago

Harold Riley’s 'one of a kind' portrait of Nelson Mandela

Harold Riley was the only artist in the world granted a sitting to capture Nelson Mandela on canvas. The unique portrait was unveiled in 2005 and rai…

1 year, 6 months ago

The suspicious death of Rear Admiral Durović

As Yugoslavia began to break down, the Balkans conflict began - a series of brutal wars characterised by disputes over territory, identity, and ethni…

1 year, 6 months ago