Witness History Podcast
History told by the people who were there. For nine minutes every weekday, Witness History takes you back to moments which have shaped our world.
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.
Episodes to download
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The Arnhem Parachute Drop
Wed 19 Sep 2018
In 'Operation Market Garden' thousands of Allied troops parachuted into Nazi-held Holland
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The Fifteen Guinea Special
Mon 17 Sep 2018
The train signaled the end of the steam age on Britain's main-line rail network in 1968
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The Truth About Crop Circles
Fri 14 Sep 2018
Thought to be left by UFOs the phenomena was resolved when two men came forward in 1991.
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How I Survived a Fire on a Plane
Thu 13 Sep 2018
One young man was the only passenger to survive a fire on a plane - find out how.
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The Killing of Steve Biko
Wed 12 Sep 2018
The brutal death in custody of the anti-Apartheid activist in September 1977.
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Appeasement
Tue 11 Sep 2018
In September 1938 Neville Chamberlain tried to negotiate with Hitler over Czechoslovakia.
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The Ship that Dumped America's Waste
Mon 10 Sep 2018
How campaigners fought to stop the 'Khian Sea' from off-loading tons of US waste abroad
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WWI: The Hundred Days Offensive
Fri 7 Sep 2018
First-hand accounts of the Allied offensive that finally brought the bloody war to an end
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From Leningrad to St Petersburg
Thu 6 Sep 2018
In a hugely symbolic act Leningrad returned to its historic name of St Petersburg in 1991
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Living Under Gaddafi
Wed 5 Sep 2018
A military coup in Libya in September 1969 brought Muammar Gaddafi to power.
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The Battle for Brick Lane
Tue 4 Sep 2018
In 1978 the racist murder of a young Bengali galvanised an immigrant community in London.
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The First MRI Scan
Mon 3 Sep 2018
Dr Raymond Damadian attempted the first magnetic resonance scan of a human body.
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Surviving the "Death Railway"
Fri 31 Aug 2018
A prisoner of war describes the deadly conditions building the bridge over the River Kwai
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The Mine Disaster That Devastated Post-War Italy
Thu 30 Aug 2018
How an accident at Marcinelle in Belgium killed more than 100 Italian migrant workers.
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The Lake Nyos Disaster
Wed 29 Aug 2018
The mysterious death of villagers and livestock in north-western Cameroon
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Hitler's League Of German Girls
Tue 28 Aug 2018
An elderly German recalls her years as a leader in the Hitler Youth for girls.
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Benidorm
Mon 27 Aug 2018
The story of the mayor who created one of the world's biggest holiday resorts.
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Hitler's Architect
Fri 24 Aug 2018
Albert Speer was Hitler's architect. We talk to a journalist who interviewed him.
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Baba of Karo
Thu 23 Aug 2018
The groundbreaking autobiography of a woman who grew up in 19th century Nigeria
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USSR Wages War on Alcohol
Wed 22 Aug 2018
Sales of alcohol in the USSR were limited in 1985 in a bid to fight drunkenness.
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Prague Spring
Tue 21 Aug 2018
The student who appealed for the world's help when Soviet tanks invaded Czechoslovakia
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The Gladbeck Hostage Crisis
Mon 20 Aug 2018
A bank robbery, a three-day car chase and a journalist who got too close to the story.
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The Invention of Instant Noodles
Fri 17 Aug 2018
The creation in 1958 of a new product that would revolutionise mealtimes worldwide.
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When TV Came To South Africa
Thu 16 Aug 2018
Apartheid South Africa finally launched the country's first TV service in 1976.
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Photographing Martin Luther King and His Family
Tue 14 Aug 2018
Moneta Sleet, the first African American to win a Pulitzer Prize for journalism.
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Vera Brittain: Anti-Bombing Campaigner
Mon 13 Aug 2018
During WW2 the feminist and writer Vera Brittain spoke out against the bombing of Germany
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Israel's Secret Peace Envoy
Thu 9 Aug 2018
In August 1994 Yitzhak Rabin became the first Israeli leader to visit Jordan
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The Azeri-Armenian Village Swap
Mon 6 Aug 2018
How two villages, Armenian and Azeri, managed to avoid ethnic violence by swapping homes
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The First CIA Coup in Latin America
Fri 3 Aug 2018
Guatemala's president was ousted from power by army officers backed by the CIA in 1954.
