Harold Riley: Painting Nelson Mandela
Harold Riley was the only artist in the world given the opportunity to paint Nelson Mandela from life.When Mandela agreed to pose for the English artist, it marked the beginning of a remarkable relati...
25 Sep 10min
Kinder Scout mass trespass
In 1932, hundreds of walkers organised a mass trespass on Kinder Scout, the highest point in England's Peak District.It was a major step in the campaign by workers from the industrial city of Manchest...
24 Sep 10min
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 ...
23 Sep 10min
‘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 ...
22 Sep 10min
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 wo...
21 Sep 10min
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 San José, a Spanish galleon, sank in 1708, when a British ...
18 Sep 10min
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.Despite major telecommunications challenges, he went on ...
17 Sep 11min
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. The blaze killed 48 people and injured 200. A tribunal...
16 Sep 10min
