Intro

In 1996, a fossil unearthed in China became the first confirmed record of a dinosaur covered in feathers.

Before this discovery, some palaeontologists had suggested that dinosaurs might have developed feathers and eventually evolved into modern birds, but the idea remained controversial due to the lack of concrete evidence.

Canadian palaeontologist Philip Currie was among the first experts to examine the specimen and recognise it as a feathered dinosaur. He tells Stefania Gozzer about the scientific debate the fossil ignited, as well as the challenges of accessing the specimen at a time when it was still difficult for Western researchers to study fossils in China.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by and curious about 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 how the Excel spreadsheet was developed, the creation of cartoon rabbit Miffy and how the sound barrier was broken.

We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: the moment Reagan and Gorbachev met in Geneva, Haitian singer Emerante de Pradines' life and Omar Sharif's legendary movie entrance in Lawrence of Arabia.

You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, like the invention of a stent which has saved lives around the world; the birth of the G7; and the meeting of Maldives' ministers underwater. We cover everything from World War Two and Cold War stories to Black History Month and our journeys into space.

(Photo: A cast of a Sinosauropteryx prima is on display in the Royal Ontario Museum. Credit: Bernard Weil/Toronto Star via Getty Images)