First reports of Ebola
Witness History27 Jun 2023

First reports of Ebola

In 1976 in a small Belgian missionary hospital in a village in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, then known as Zaire, people were dying from an unknown disease which caused a high temperature and vomiting.

It was the first documented outbreak of Ebola the virus.

About 300 people died.

Dr Jean Jacques Mueyembe and Dr David Heymann worked to bring the outbreak under control.

Claire Bowes spoke to them in this programme first broadcast in 2009.

(Photo: Residents who were being examined during the Ebola outbreak in Zaire in 1976. Credit: Public domain/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Episoder(2000)

The photo which symbolised Argentina’s resistance

The photo which symbolised Argentina’s resistance

Adriana Lestido, an Argentinian newspaper photographer, captured a mother and her young daughter raising their arms in protest in 1982. With clenched fists and anguished faces, they were wearing white...

18 Feb 10min

Toxic shock syndrome and tampon safety

Toxic shock syndrome and tampon safety

In 1980, toxic shock syndrome (TSS) emerged as a public health crisis among women who used tampons. There were hundreds of cases, and The Centers for Disease Control linked deaths from TSS to super-ab...

17 Feb 10min

World War Two’s Shetland Bus

World War Two’s Shetland Bus

During World War Two, whilst Norway was occupied by Nazi Germany, a group of Norwegian sailors set up a base on the Shetland Islands and began aiding their country’s resistance. Named “The Shetland B...

16 Feb 10min

The flooding of Florence

The flooding of Florence

In November, 1966, Florence suffered one of the worst floods in its history after heavy rainfall caused the River Arno to burst.The Italian city was submerged under tons of mud, rubble and sewage, lea...

13 Feb 10min

The Mont Blanc Tunnel

The Mont Blanc Tunnel

In July 1965, a 12km tunnel dug deep beneath the Alps was opened to traffic, making it the longest vehicular tunnel in the world. Linking France and Italy, the Mont Blanc Tunnel was a remarkable feat ...

12 Feb 9min

Gina Lollobrigida interviews Fidel Castro

Gina Lollobrigida interviews Fidel Castro

Gina Lollobrigida was one of the biggest stars of European cinema in the 1950s and 1960s. Often described as "the most beautiful woman in the world", her films included Beat the Devil, the Hunchback o...

11 Feb 10min

When Pink Floyd played in Venice

When Pink Floyd played in Venice

In July 1989, Pink Floyd played a free concert to 200,000 people in Venice, Italy. The British rock band took to a stage made of floating barges as crowds of fans watched from boats, gondolas and roof...

10 Feb 10min

The discovery of nerve growth factor

The discovery of nerve growth factor

During World War Two, Italian scientist Dr Rita Levi-Montalcini was forced to do experiments in her bedroom after being banned from universities because she was Jewish. Her experiments in that bedro...

9 Feb 10min

Populært innen Samfunn

rss-spartsklubben
giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
aftenpodden-usa
konspirasjonspodden
rss-nesten-hele-uka-med-lepperod
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
popradet
wolfgang-wee-uncut
alt-fortalt
rss-henlagt-andy-larsgaard
grenselos
synnve-og-vanessa
fladseth
rss-dannet-uten-piano
frokostshowet-pa-p5
min-barneoppdragelse
rss-dette-ma-aldri-skje-igjen
rss-frekvens-med-anine-olsen
den-politiske-situasjonen