Thalidomide was a sedative sold in the late 1950s, widely prescribed in Europe and elsewhere for morning sickness. Clinical testing was very limited, and nobody knew it could harm a foetus. It caused thousands of babies to be born with severe limb differences and other damage. There were no scans or antenatal tests then, so neither staff nor parents expected it, and mothers were often left isolated and waiting days to learn what had happened to their baby. Even after the cause became clear in 1961, information and support were slow to reach families.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.