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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Hull's 'Headscarf Revolutionaries'
Mon 12 Feb 2018
The British fishermen's wives who fought for better safety standards in their industry
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The Bombing Of Korean Flight 858
Fri 9 Feb 2018
In 1987, 115 people died in an attack ordered by North Korea to disrupt the Olympic Games
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Spying On South Africa's Nuclear Bomb
Thu 8 Feb 2018
Renfrew Christie was jailed and tortured for passing details of the bomb to the ANC
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The Munich Air Disaster
Wed 7 Feb 2018
The 1958 plane crash that killed eight of Manchester United's famous "Busby Babes" team.
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Women in Britain get the right to vote
Tue 6 Feb 2018
On 6th February 1918, women in Britain were given the right to vote for the first time
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Bringing Nazi Leader Klaus Barbie To Justice
Mon 5 Feb 2018
The extradition to France of the man known as 'the butcher of Lyon'
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Banning The Belt
Fri 2 Feb 2018
How two Scottish mothers forced the UK government to end corporal punishment in schools
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The Roots of the Rohingya Crisis
Thu 1 Feb 2018
The complex history behind the world's fastest growing refugee crisis.
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Vietnam War: The Tet Offensive
Wed 31 Jan 2018
How a surprise attack became a turning point in the Vietnam war
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The Bloody Sunday Shootings
Tue 30 Jan 2018
Tony Doherty recalls the murder of his father by British troops in Northern Ireland
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The "Godfather of Gospel Music"
Mon 29 Jan 2018
Thomas A Dorsey is credited with developing Gospel music into a global phenomenon.
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The Invention of the Lego Brick
Fri 26 Jan 2018
How one of the world's most popular toys was invented in a small Danish town in 1958
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The Capture of the USS Pueblo
Tue 23 Jan 2018
A US spy ship was caught by North Korean forces in the Sea of Japan on 23 January 1968.
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Francis Bacon's Studio
Mon 22 Jan 2018
How an influential painter's studio was moved in its entirety from London to Ireland.
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My 10-Year Battle to Adopt in Guatemala
Fri 19 Jan 2018
How Guatemala's changes in law scuppered Ruth Sheehan's attempt to adopt a baby boy
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The Writer With Cerebral Palsy Who Made History
Thu 18 Jan 2018
Christopher Nolan became the first severely disabled person to win the Whitbread prize.
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Eisenhower's Farewell Address
Wed 17 Jan 2018
American president Dwight Eisenhower's great farewell address
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South Africa's Truth And Reconciliation Commission
Tue 16 Jan 2018
After Apartheid, South Africans tried to come to terms with their brutal past.
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How British Women Helped Win World War One
Mon 15 Jan 2018
For the first time women were encouraged to join the workforce to help win the war
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Reaching out After World War Two
Fri 12 Jan 2018
German children were invited to stay in the English town of Reading after WW2 had ended
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When France said 'Non' to Britain joining the EEC
Thu 11 Jan 2018
In 1963, France stopped Britain from joining the European Economic Community, now the EU
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The Algerian Massacres
Wed 10 Jan 2018
The story of one atrocity in Algeria's battle with radical Islamists in the 1990s
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The Boy Who Stayed Awake For Eleven Days
Mon 8 Jan 2018
California high school student Randy Gardner set a world record in 1964.
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Iran Student Protests 1999
Fri 5 Jan 2018
A young man became an unwitting symbol of the anti-government protests
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I Hijacked A Plane To Save My Children
Thu 4 Jan 2018
How one woman fled Brazil's military dictatorship with her kids on a hijacked plane.
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Spelling Bee - The Children's Competition that Grips America
Tue 2 Jan 2018
The first child of South Asian background to become America's Spelling Bee champion.
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Boris Yeltsin's Surprise Resignation
New Year's Day 2018
On New Year's Eve 1999 the Russian President went on TV and said he was leaving office.
