25th anniversary of the Ethiopian FamineOctober 23rd marks the 25 anniversary of the BBC broadcast that brought the Ethiopian Famine of 1984 into worldwide attention. The broadcast resulted in the Band Aid charity single and the subsequent Live Aid concert in 1985 which inspired millions of people in the West to donate money and to urge their governments to participate in the relief effort. The event was one of the most widely-viewed television broadcasts in history, with over 400 million viewers worldwide.

In February and March 1983, the first signs of famine had been recognized as poverty-stricken...