History & Military History
World wars, the Cold War, ancient and medieval history, military technology, Dutch history and the past behind today’s news.
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This reading list brings together items from the sources selected for History & Military History. Open each item at its original source for the complete article, episode or video. This is a selection of current coverage, not a complete archive.
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When Dian Fossey was murdered
In 1985, American gorilla expert Dian Fossey was murdered in her cabin at the research station she established in the mountains of Rwanda.
Washoe: The chimp who learnt to sign
In 1970, Washoe the chimpanzee was widely recognised as the first non-human to learn a human language. She was taught American sign language in a revolutionary experiment led by psychology professors Allen and Trixie Gardner at the University of Reno.
Harry Harlow's monkey attachment studies
In the late 1950s, psychologist Harry Harlow conducted a series of experiments on baby rhesus monkeys which would become some of the most controversial in modern science.
The first monkeys to survive space travel
On 28 May 1959, the USA sent two monkeys, Able and Baker, into space. They were the first living creatures to survive a space flight. It was a watershed moment for the American space agency NASA and its rivalry with the Soviet Union and it helped to pave the way for manned space missions. In 2012, Mike Lanchin spoke to Lieutenant Joe Guion, commander of the USS Kiowa, whose mission was to retrieve the rocket's nose cone in the Caribbean Sea.
The most successful Paralympian in history
Trischa Zorn-Hudson is the most decorated Paralympian in history. Competing across seven games, Trischa - who has been blind since birth - won a remarkable haul of 55 medals. In that time, she also saw the Paralympics go through drastic changes, as competitors campaigned to get similar privileges and rights as Olympic athletes. Trischa shared her memories of her career with Matt Pintus in 2024. Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive and testimony. Sporting Witness is for those fascinated by sporting history.
The boy behind the creation of the Winnie-the-Pooh books
When the first Winnie-the-Pooh book was published in 1926, few could have imagined that the stories of a honey-loving bear would capture the hearts of readers across the world.
How rats were trained to clear landmines
In 2004, the world's first team of mine-detecting rats passed accreditation tests, opening the way for them to be used in humanitarian demining operations.
The mirrors that lit up a dark Norwegian town
In October 2013, people in the small Norwegian town of Rjukan experienced winter sunshine for the first time in history.
Egypt’s President Sadat is assassinated
President Anwar Sadat of Egypt was the first Arab leader to make peace with Israel, two years later he was assassinated.
The Peruvian pilots who secretly delivered fighter jets during the Falklands War
In June 1982, 10 Peruvian pilots were tasked with a secret mission: deliver fighter jets to Argentina as it battled the UK over the Falkland Islands.
The first Rubik's Cube world champion
On 5 June 1982, a teenage refugee from Vietnam became the first Rubik's Cube world champion. Representing the United States, 16-year-old Minh Thai took on contestants from 18 other countries at the championship in Hungary.
Boer War: Siege of Ladysmith
The Siege of Ladysmith was a key moment in the Boer War, also known as the South African War. In 1899, British troops and civilians were trapped in the besieged South African town for 118 days. Using a BBC archive recording, James Dalton, a British Army bandsman with the Gordon Highlanders, recalls shelling, hunger, disease and the dramatic relief of Ladysmith. Produced by Helen Ledwick in collaboration with BBC Archives.
The Dead Sea Scrolls
In 1947, a missing goat led to the chance discovery of the first Dead Sea Scrolls. These ancient Jewish manuscripts became one of the most important archaeological finds of the 20th century.
The contraceptive pill gets legalised in Japan
After decades of campaigning in Japan, the pill was finally legalised in 1999. In contrast, the male impotency drug Viagra was approved for use in just six months, and legalised before the contraceptive pill for women. Politician Yoriko Madoka pushed hard for the right to take the pill and told Rebecca Kesby that sexism and male dominance in parliament is why it took so long.
Sulawesi's cave art and the origins of storytelling
In 2012, the discovery of rock art in caves on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi changed our understanding of early human history.
The birth of Jodrell Bank
On an English field in 1957, the final touches were made to what was then the largest radio telescope in the world.
Harold Riley: Painting Nelson Mandela
Harold Riley was the only artist in the world given the opportunity to paint Nelson Mandela from life.
Kinder Scout mass trespass
In 1932, hundreds of walkers organised a mass trespass on Kinder Scout, the highest point in England's Peak District.
The gathering that helped shape decolonisation
The Fifth Pan-African Congress was held in Manchester, England, in 1945, helping to shape the post-war struggle against colonialism and racial discrimination. Prominent black activists, intellectuals and trade union leaders from around the world attended, including Kwame Nkrumah and Jomo Kenyatta, who would later become the leaders of independent Ghana and Kenya.
‘Baby’ computer is invented
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 nightclub that changed Manchester
In 1962, Nigerian-born Phil Magbotiwan opened a brand-new nightclub in Manchester, England. In part because of his own personal experiences of racism, Phil wanted to create somewhere where everyone would be welcome – Manchester’s first racially inclusive nightclub The Reno was born.
The discovery of the San José shipwreck
In November 2015, the 'holy grail' of shipwrecks, laden with treasure worth an estimated $18 billion, was found off the coast of Colombia.
The birth of India's call centre industry
In 1997, after years working abroad, Pramod Bhasin returned to India and spotted an opportunity that would help transform his country's economy.
Stardust: Ireland's deadly nightclub fire
In the early hours of 14 February 1981, a fire broke out at the Stardust nightclub in Artane, Dublin which was filled with more than 800 people.
Connecting homes to the internet using cable TV
In 1991, a small company led by an Iranian-born engineer, Rouzbeh Yassini, created a technology which enabled millions of homes across America to access the internet for the first time.
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