The cellist who survived Auschwitz-Birkenau
In 1943, the cellist, Anita Lasker-Wallfisch was sent to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. She expected to be killed in the gas chambers but survived because she was recruited to play in an o...
31 Jul 10min
'I organised the first Comic Con'
In 1964, a group of teenage boys organised a convention in New York – it became known as the first official Comic Con.The idea began after 16-year-old Bernie Bubnis wrote an article in his comic book ...
30 Jul 10min
Sweden's summer shutdown
In the summer of 1978, many Swedish workers relished the chance to take longer, paid vacations than ever before.This was thanks to an update to Sweden’s Annual Leave Act - or Semesterlagen in Swedish ...
29 Jul 11min
The last execution by garrote: Salvador Puig Antich
In 1974, an execution method known as the garrote, a chair with a metal collar tightened by a screw to break the neck, was used for the last time.Francisco Franco's regime used it to execute two young...
27 Jul 10min
Creating Africa’s largest film festival
On 1 February 1969, the first African film festival of Ouagadougou opened in the Republic of Upper Volta, now known as Burkina Faso.In 1972, the event was made into an official institution by governme...
24 Jul 10min
The first solar-powered flight around the world
In 2016, a fragile-looking aircraft with the wingspan of a jumbo jet and the power of a scooter attempted something no-one had ever managed before: flying around the world without a drop of fuel.But b...
23 Jul 10min
Unveiling the face of Crazy Horse
On 3 June 1998, a stone carving of Native American warrior Crazy Horse's face was unveiled in South Dakota.It is 27m tall and is part of a much larger sculpture showing the Native American warrior rid...
22 Jul 10min
How a Peruvian instrument revolutionised flamenco
Before 1977, flamenco percussion relied solely on hand‑clapping and dancers' footwork. But that year, at a party in Lima, Peru, the cajon entered the scene.Spanish guitarist Paco de Lucia and Brazilia...
21 Jul 10min
