The invention of Kevlar
In 1965, a new fibre was discovered by Polish American scientist Stephanie Kwolek. It was called Kevlar and it was found to be five times stronger than steel. Since that discovery it’s been used to s...
24 Jul 202510min
President Clinton plays the sax in Prague
In January 1994, two presidents enjoyed a memorable night in the Czech Republic – ending with an impromptu jazz performance.Five years after the fall of communism, the US president Bill Clinton visite...
23 Jul 20259min
The killing of Jean Charles de Menezes
On 22 July 2005, an unarmed Brazilian man was shot dead by anti-terrorism police at Stockwell Tube station, in London.Jean Charles de Menezes was shot seven times in the head because he was mistaken f...
22 Jul 202510min
Irawati Karve: India’s groundbreaking anthropologist
Irawati Karve became India’s first female anthropologist - studying tribes that nobody had investigated, and taking her children on expeditions deep in the rainforest. In 1927, she dared to defy the r...
21 Jul 202510min
Italo disco
In the late 1970s, disco died in America and a new wave of Italian producers took advantage of the advances in electronic instruments to craft their own dancefloor fillers.The result was Italo disco –...
18 Jul 202510min
The 'Turbot War'
In 1995, an international row broke out between Canada and Spain over fishing quotas. It started with gunfire and ended with a deal.The dispute began after Canada set up restrictions to protect fish s...
17 Jul 202510min
Greece’s debt crisis
It was a week that brought the future of Greece and the Eurozone to the brink. Ten years ago, on 6 July the Greek people voted against the terms of a financial bailout which included raising taxes and...
16 Jul 20259min
The Iran nuclear deal
On 14 July 2015, Iran agreed to temporarily limit its nuclear programme. The deal was signed in Vienna, the capital of Austria. Officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), it w...
15 Jul 202510min
