Podcast Episodes
Back to SearchTamoxifen: Breast cancer ‘wonder drug’
The story of how tamoxifen went from a failed contraceptive pill, to being used to prevent and treat breast cancer around the world.
It was the first…
3 years, 2 months ago
Creating the first emoji
In 1999, Japanese software developer Shigetaka Kurita created the first emoji.
The umbrella was one of 176 original images, featuring weather, transp…
3 years, 2 months ago
When disposable nappies were invented
In 1947, after the birth of her third child, Valerie Hunter Gordon, from Surrey decided she was sick of the drudgery of cloth nappies. She came up wi…
3 years, 2 months ago
Inventing Rubik’s Cube
In 1974, a Hungarian architect, Ernő Rubik invented his very popular puzzle.
Nearly 50 years later, more than 450 million Rubik’s Cubes have been sol…
3 years, 2 months ago
Invention of the ballpoint pen
In 1938, László Bíró, a Hungarian journalist, invented the ballpoint pen, because he was sick of smudging the ink from his fountain pen.
Inspired by t…
3 years, 2 months ago
A right royal night out
The tale of an extraordinary night at a legendary British gay pub.
Princess Diana, disguised as a man, along with star broadcaster Kenny Everett and Q…
3 years, 3 months ago
When tourism came to the Maldives
In 1972 the first tourists arrived in the Maldives.
They stayed in humble lodgings in three houses, looked after by young Maldivians including Ahmed N…
3 years, 3 months ago
The National Health Service begins
On 5 July 1948, the UK’s National Health Service began as part of a series of reforms with the aim of supporting and protecting Britain's citizens fr…
3 years, 3 months ago
Longest-serving democratically elected communist government
In 1977 what was to become the world’s longest-serving democratically elected communist government came to power in eastern India.
Poverty and absolut…
3 years, 3 months ago
The trial of John Demjanjuk
In 1986 a car factory worker from the United States was accused of being ‘Ivan the Terrible’, a notorious concentration camp guard at Treblinka durin…
3 years, 3 months ago