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In the 1950s, the transformation of the sleepy little town of Benidorm began when Pedro Zaragoza was appointed mayor. \n \nHe started by getting pipes built to allow running water, then went on to pass a decree which allowed women to wear bikinis.\n \nNow, every year millions of tourists arrive in Benidorm, on Spain\u2019s Costa Blanca. \n \nThis episode was produced by Simon Watts in 2018, using recordings of Pedro Zaragoza.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the \u2018Indian Titanic\u2019 and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy\u2019s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and G\xf6rel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they\u2019ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America\u2019s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.

(Photo: Tourists flock to the beaches in Spain. Credit: David Ramos via Getty Images)