The drug Ritalin was developed in the 1940s - it's now used to treat ADHD. Read more
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Ritalin
The drug Ritalin was developed in the 1940s - it's now used to treat ADHD.
Restoring 'The Last Supper'
In 1999 Italian art experts completed an ambitious restoration of da Vinci's masterpiece.
Iraq's Secret Nuclear Programme
In 1981 Israel destroyed Iraq's nuclear reactor; it began Iraq's secret nuclear programme
The Battle for Mixed Race Marriage in the US
How a white man and a black woman won the right to marry in America in the 1960s
When TV Came to Bhutan
In June 1999 the tiny Himalayan kingdom broadcast its first TV programme
Moral Majority
In June 1979 the Moral Majority was launched and changed the course of American politics
The Eruption of Mount Pinatubo
In 1991 one of the largest volcanic eruptions of recent times occurred in the Philippines
Smoking and Lung Cancer
It was not until the 1950s that the link was proven between cigarettes and lung cancer
The Fall of Paris
In June 1940, most of the residents of Paris fled as German soldiers occupied the city
Black in the USSR
Robert Robinson, a black American engineer, spent 43 years in the USSR against his will.
Jackass Penguin Rescue
An oil spill in June 2000 threatened tens of thousands of African penguins.
Space Crash
Michael Foale was on board the Mir space station when a resupply vessel crashed into it
The Bobbitt Story
On 23 June 1993 a young wife cut off her husband's penis in a frenzied attack
The Khobar Towers Bombing - Saudi Arabia
On June 25th 1996 a huge truck bomb was planted at a US housing complex in Saudi Arabia.
Forced Sterilisation in Peru
In the 1990s more than 280,000 women were sterilised in Peru, many against their will.
Date Rape
The first time 'date rape' hit the headlines in the USA.
The Cuyahoga River Fire
In June 1969 the heavily polluted Cuyahoga River, in Ohio in the USA, caught fire
Soviet Imaginary Heroes
A Soviet story of heroic feats of bravery during WWII... that could not have happened.
The Great Plague
In the summer of 1665, London was gripped by one of the worst epidemics in its history
In June 1997, astronauts on the Mir space station faced disaster after a collision.
Ukraine's Wartime Ultra-Nationalists
In 1941, far-right Ukrainians declared independence, hoping for Hitler's support.
Angela Merkel
A look back at the career of the German Chancellor before she became a politician.
World War One: The Battle of the Somme
BBC archive recordings of veterans who fought in one of the bloodiest battles in history
The Trial of Saddam Hussein
On 1 July 2004, Saddam Hussein made his first appearance in a Baghdad courtroom.
Born on the Fourth of July
Ron Kovic is a former US Marine turned peace activist whose story became a Hollywood film
Starbucks: The Early Days
It is 45 years since the multibillion-dollar coffee company opened in Seattle in the USA.
Denmark's second EU Referendum
In 1993, Denmark held a second referendum on greater EU integration
The Renovation of Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper
In 1999, after 20 years of restoration work, the masterpiece was revealed to the public.
The Sale of London Bridge
In July of 1967 London Bridge put up for sale. American Robert P McCulloch bought it
Spanish Republic
The writers and artists who took part in cultural missions during the Spanish Civil War.
Executions in Cuba
In July 1989 four Cuban army officers were convicted of drug trafficking and executed.