Discovering the structure of haemoglobin
Witness History24 Feb 2025

Discovering the structure of haemoglobin

What was it in September of 1959 that caused an Austrian scientist to rush out from his lab and buy children's modelling clay?

Austrian born Dr Max Perutz had made one of the greatest scientific discoveries of the 20th century. For the first time, he could see what a molecule of haemoglobin looked like in 3D. Using lectures and programmes from the BBC archive, Josephine McDermott tells the story of how his fellow Cambridge University students in the UK thought he was “mad” to try and map a molecule made of 10,000 atoms, and the “appalling task” which took 22 years to complete.

It was an achievement that earned him and his colleague John Kendrew the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1962. It has since contributed to the study of blood diseases like sickle cell anaemia and Huntington's disease.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.

(Photo: Dr Max Perutz in 1962. Credit: AP)

Episoder(2000)

The creation of the modern kitchen

The creation of the modern kitchen

In 1926, Austrian architect Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky created the modern kitchen. It was called the Frankfurt Kitchen and was something she didn’t like to talk about as she had done so much more - sh...

13 Jan 10min

Brain: PC virus

Brain: PC virus

In 1986, 'Welcome to the dungeon' was the message that flashed up on computer screens. Brain is thought to be the first virus for personal computers.It spread around the world and became infamous when...

12 Jan 10min

Battle of Gallipoli

Battle of Gallipoli

It's 110 years since the end of the Battle of Gallipoli. It was one of the deadliest in World War One. Among the 40,000 dead was a large contingent of Australian and New Zealand troops who became know...

9 Jan 10min

Sazae-san: World's longest-running cartoon

Sazae-san: World's longest-running cartoon

In 1969, a cartoon about a traditional Japanese family premiered on Fuji TV.More than 55 years later, Sazae-san still airs in its original time slot. It is set in a more patriarchal time when women st...

8 Jan 10min

Tracey Emin’s unmade bed

Tracey Emin’s unmade bed

In 1999, Dame Tracey Emin’s unmade bed was nominated for Britain’s prestigious Turner art prize opening up conversations about how we define art.The installation titled, My Bed, was Dame Tracey’s bed ...

7 Jan 10min

Isabel Allende: The House of the Spirits

Isabel Allende: The House of the Spirits

In 1982, Isabel Allende published her debut novel, The House of the Spirits. The characters are based on her family, and the story reflects Chile’s 20th Century history, including the 1973 military co...

6 Jan 9min

The Hillsborough disaster

The Hillsborough disaster

On 15 April 1989, there was a crowd crush at a football match in Sheffield, England, which led to the death of 97 fans. It was the semi-final of the FA Cup between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest and ...

5 Jan 10min

South Africa's luxury train

South Africa's luxury train

In 1986, South African businessman Rohan Vos was sitting in the bath when he decided to pursue his passion and launch a vintage railway business. However, the venture nearly bankrupted him, and he was...

2 Jan 10min

Populært innen Samfunn

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