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Melvin Belli (1907-1996)

Lawyer Melvin Belli, whose clients included Mohammed Ali, Zsa Zsa Gabor and Mae West.

• 15 mins

The Helms-Burton Bill

Trade with Cuba, and the importance of tobacco to the American south.

• 15 mins

The TWA Flight 800 crash

The aftermath of the TWA flight 800 crash.

• 15 mins

The welfare and healthcare reform debate

The prominence of the welfare debate in presidential campaigns.

• 15 mins

Atlanta Olympics 1996

The economy of sport and the 1996 Olympic Games.

• 15 mins

The 1996 Republican convention

The move away from the convention as a way of choosing a presidential candidate.

• 15 mins

The return of Ross Perot and US social concerns

Third tri-mester abortions and the resurgence of Ross Perot.

• 15 mins

Chicago and the Democratic convention

The history of Chicago as the host city for the Democratic Party convention.

• 15 mins

Cruise missile strike in Iraq

The "unfinished" Gulf War and the use of cruise missiles.

• 15 mins

The Defense Of Marriage Act 1996

The implications of the Defence of Marriage legislation to domestic partnerships.

• 15 mins

OJ Simpson's civil trial

O J Simpson's very different trials.

• 15 mins

Boris Yeltin's heart surgery

A history of governance of by gravely ill leaders.

• 15 mins

The 1996 presidential debates

The beginning of the debates between Bill Clinton and Bob Dole.

• 15 mins

Vice-presidential responsibilites

Bob Dole, Jack Kemp and Dan Quayle are profiled.

• 15 mins

The science of electoral predictions

The difficulty in predicting the outcome of presidential elections.

• 15 mins

Forest fires, tornadoes and earthquakes

An examination of extreme weather in America.

• 15 mins

Halloween, 1996

A chronicle of the origins of Halloween and the economy of pumpkins.

• 15 mins

The 1996 presidential election

Bill Clinton's presidential victory 1996

• 15 mins

US intervention in Rwanda

America intervenes in the Rwandan refugee crisis.

• 15 mins

Sexual harassment in the armed forces

An examination of the revelation of sexual harassment in the US armed forces.

• 15 mins

Thanksgiving in California

From California, Alistair Cooke examines the un-politicised institution of Thanksgiving.

• 15 mins

Permissive California

Cults of California, tolerance in San Francisco, and the permissive parenting backlash.

• 15 mins

Gulf War Syndrome

Madeleine Albright as US Secretary of State, and the cost of Gulf War Syndrome.

• 15 mins

UN Leader Mr Boutros Boutros-Ghali

A tribute to Mr Boutros Boutros-Ghali, former leader of the UN General Assembly.

• 15 mins

A history of Father Christmas

Santa Claus or Father Christmas? The origin of the Patron saint of Christmas is explored.

• 15 mins

The Boston Massacre

How an engraving by Paul Revere exaggerated the 1770 riot at Boston's Customs House.

• 15 mins

The Speaker of the House

An overview of the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives.

• 15 mins

Presidential Inauguration

The presidential inaugurations from George Washington (1789) to Bill Clinton (1997).

• 15 mins

A history of Washington DC

A recollection the work of Pierre Charles L'Enfant in shaping Washington DC.

• 15 mins

Pope John Paul II (1920 – 2005)

How Pope John Paul II's instillation caused excitement in America.

• 15 mins