The ‘army’ that taught Cuba to read and write

In 1961, Fidel Castro launched a campaign aimed to eradicate illiteracy in Cuba.

• 9 mins

Cuba's boxing ban

In 1962, Fidel Castro banned professional boxing in Cuba, causing some amateurs to defect

• 9 mins

Founder of the Cuban National Ballet

In 1959, Cuba’s most famous ballet dancer formed Cuba’s National Ballet Company

• 9 mins

Indonesia’s indigenous people take a stand

The first ever Congress of Indigenous People of the Archipelago of Indonesia in 1999

• 9 mins

The Iranian Revolution and women

We hear what life was like during, and after the Iranian Revolution in 1979

• 9 mins

Theatre siege in Moscow

It is 20 years since Chechen rebels took an entire theatre full of people hostage

• 9 mins

Arrested for wearing trousers in Sudan

In 2002, Amiera Osman Hamed was put on trial after being arrested for wearing trousers

• 9 mins

Julia Gillard’s misogyny speech

Former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard's career-defining speech in 2012

• 9 mins

The Little Black Book survival guide

In 1985, a guide was written for young black men in the US who were stopped by the police

• 9 mins

Albania’s Stalinist purges

In the 1970s, Albania’s Stalinist leader, Enver Hoxha, launched a series of purges

• 9 mins

Campaigning against sex-selection in India

A first-hand account of the 1980s campaign against the sex-selective abortion of girls

• 9 mins

Dame Carmen Callil: Feminist publisher

Dame Carmen Callil, who died in October this year, founded a feminist publisher in 1972

• 9 mins

Umuganda: Rwanda's community work scheme

In 1975, President Habyarimana introduced Umuganda, compulsory, weekly community work

• 9 mins

Polynesian Panthers

Polynesians in 1970s New Zealand fight back against dawn raids by the police

• 9 mins

First rape crisis centres in the US

Activist Sue Lenaerts helped start up one of the first rape crisis centres in the US

• 9 mins

The assassination of Pim Fortuyn

It has been 20 years since the controversial Dutch politician was murdered

• 9 mins

Māori protests stops South African rugby tour

Māori anti-racism activists disrupt the South African rugby tour of New Zealand in 1981

• 9 mins

The child evacuees of World War Two

The thousands of children moved out of UK cities away from the risk of German bombs

• 9 mins

Formation of the United Arab Emirates

A new country, the United Arab Emirates, was formed in 1971.

• 9 mins

Burj Khalifa: Designing the world’s tallest building

The tallest building in the world opened in 2010

• 9 mins

Inventing robot camel jockeys

In 2003, a Qatari engineer came up with the idea for a robot jockey in camel racing

• 9 mins

First Emirati female teacher

A young woman who became the first female teacher in the United Arab Emirates

• 9 mins

Qatar's first female published author

Kaltham Jaber's anthology of short stories was published in 1978

• 9 mins

The invention of the seat belt

In 1958, Swedish engineer Nils Bohlin invented the three-point safety belt for cars

• 9 mins

First women’s minister in Iran

Iran’s first ever minister for women’s affairs was appointed in 1975

• 9 mins

When Sweden’s roads went right

In 1967, Swedish traffic swapped to driving on the right-hand side of the road

• 9 mins

The corruption and sodomy trials of Anwar Ibrahim

In 1998, Anwar Ibrahim was arrested and then jailed a year later

• 9 mins

How cat's eyes were invented

In 1934, Percy Shaw invented cat's eyes, the reflective studs in the road

• 9 mins

Mombasa terror attacks

Journalist Kelly Hartog describes the moment terrorists targeted Israeli tourists in Kenya

• 9 mins

CrossFit: The fitness phenomenon that changed the industry

In 2000, an American personal trainer invented CrossFit

• 9 mins