Witness History
Jul 9, 2025
In 1982, Argentine geneticist Victor Penchaszadeh was living in exile in New York when he received a call that would change the course of his career.
Two founding members of the campaign group, the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo, were asking for his help to find their kidnapped grandchildren.
Between 1976 and 1983, Argentina was under military rule. During this period, thousands of mainly young, left-wing people were forcibly disappeared - taken to clandestine detention centres, where many were tortured and killed. Hundreds of babies were born in captivity. Their mothers were later murdered, and the children were often given to families with ties to the regime - and never told their true identities.
The Grandmothers travelled the world, desperately asking scientists one question: Without the presence of the parents, could their blood be used to identify their lost grandchildren?
Dr Penchaszadeh was the first to say yes.
He tells Vicky Farncombe how that answer led to the creation of the world’s first national genetic data bank—and the eventual reunion of 140 grandchildren with their real families.
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 ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s 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 Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve 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’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.
(Photo: Estela de Carlotto is reunited with her lost grandchild Ignacio Hurban. Credit: Reuters)
