Witness History Folgen

On 18 March 1992, white South Africans overwhelmingly backed a mandate for political reforms to end apartheid and create a power-sharing multi-racial government. It was a high-stakes referendum coming on the back of three by-elections where the ruling National Party had lost to the right wing Conservative party. In a speech after the polling victory, President FW de Klerk said: “Today we have closed the book on apartheid”. His communications adviser, David Steward speaks to Josephine McDermott.(Photo: President FW de Klerk with news of the referendum win. Credit: AP)

Major Charity Adams was the first African-American woman to lead a World War Two battalion. It was known as the Six-Triple-Eight (6888).The 6888 was a majority African-American women’s unit, the women sorted through mountains of post across Europe, using the motto: 'No Mail, Low Morale'.Charity went on to become lieutenant colonel, the highest possible rank for women in her unit. She died in 2002.Her son, Stanley Earley, speaks to Marverine Cole.This was a Soundtruism production for the BBC World Service.(Photo: American Women's Army Corps Captain Mary Kearney and American Commanding Officer Major Charity Adams inspect the first arrivals to the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion Credit. Archive Photos/Getty Images)

On 18 April 2014, an avalanche on Mount Everest killed 16 men, who were carrying supplies for commercial expeditions to higher camps.The sherpas were on the Khumbu Icefall, just above Base Camp in Nepal, when the avalanche happened.It resulted in the climbing season being cancelled and sherpas demanding better working conditions on the mountain.Lakpa Rita Sherpa helped dig bodies of his dead colleagues out of the ice, before transporting them home to their families.He speaks to Laura Jones.(Photo: The south-west face of Mount Everest and the Khumbu icefall. Credit: Eye Ubiquitous/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)