In November 1960, Ruby Bridges became one of the first black children in New Orleans to be educated at a white elementary school. It began the desegregation of the education system in the Southern States. She was just six years old, and she

Mixed race marriage victory in US

Oct 8th, 2013 8m 59s

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 Suprem

Greensboro Lunch Counter Sit-ins

Oct 7th, 2013 9m 10s

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 served at a l

The Freedom Riders

Oct 7th, 2013 8m 54s

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

Nelson Mandela's Autobiography

Oct 4th, 2013 8m 58s

*** 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 manuscript.Photo: As

ANC Bomb

Oct 4th, 2013 9m

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)

Apartheid in the 1950s

Oct 2nd, 2013 9m 14s

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.

The Voyage of the Empire Windrush

Oct 1st, 2013 9m

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 - and what life

The Brixton Riots

Oct 1st, 2013 9m 2s

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

US troops in Iraq

Dec 30th, 2011 9m 5s

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 Iraq.

The Creation of Tetris

Dec 29th, 2011 8m 52s

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.

Enid Blyton and the BBC

Dec 28th, 2011 9m 3s

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 the BBC, who effectively b

The release of Sakharov

Dec 27th, 2011 8m 59s

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

The sinking of the Scharnhorst

Dec 26th, 2011 9m

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 and watched her go down.Photo: Norma

The Christmas Truce

Dec 23rd, 2011 9m 14s

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 their guns.Photo: Associat

Billy Graham

Dec 22nd, 2011 8m 58s

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 - more than 200 million around

Concert for Bangladesh

Dec 21st, 2011 9m 8s

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.Photo: Keystone Features/Hul

The British Miners' strike

Dec 20th, 2011 9m 3s

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 family made it throug

Spice Girls

1 Dec 19th, 2011 9m 4s

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 insiders about the early days when Baby, Sporty, Posh, Scary and

Bangladesh wins independence

Dec 16th, 2011 9m

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 hi

Kazakh uprising

Dec 15th, 2011 8m 56s

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.

Manuel Noriega

Dec 13th, 2011 9m 11s

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 hid out in the Papal embassy - we hear from a man wh

The Treaty of Rome

Dec 12th, 2011 9m

We take you back to the early days of the European project when six countries established the European Economic Community.Photo: Keystone/Getty Images

The Mozote massacre

Dec 9th, 2011 8m 55s

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: Rufina Amaya at a funeral for the vi

Economic crisis in Argentina

Dec 8th, 2011 9m 4s

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 Aires. Cre