Thalidomide was developed by the German company Chemie Grünenthal as a non-addictive sedative, and was marketed for morning sickness, anxiety and insomnia in pregnancy even though it had almost no clinical testing on pregnant women. It was licensed in the UK in 1958 under the name Distaval and withdrawn by late 1961, after it became clear that taking it in early pregnancy could cause severe limb and organ damage. Of around 147,000 thalidomide-affected pregnancies worldwide, only about 24,600 resulted in live births. Survivors and mothers have spoken of the trust placed in doctors who did not know the drug's risks.

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.