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
-
![]()
Israel Withdraws From Gaza
Wed 4 Oct 2017
One woman's account of life on the front-line of Israel's occupation of Gaza.
-
![]()
The Raising of the Mary Rose
Tue 3 Oct 2017
King Henry VIII's favourite warship sank in a naval battle in 1545.
-
![]()
The Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art
Mon 2 Oct 2017
Shortly before the Islamic revolution in Iran, a very modern museum opened in the capital
-
![]()
The Sudden Death of Pope John Paul I
Fri 29 Sep 2017
Just 33 days into his reign, Pope John Paul I died unexpectedly in September 1978.
-
![]()
A Bitter Divorce: When Guinea said "No" to France
Thu 28 Sep 2017
How Guinea became the first French West African colony to declare independence in 1958.
-
![]()
Walking the Great Wall of China
Wed 27 Sep 2017
It took 508 days to complete the first expedition along the entire length of the wall.
-
![]()
Britain's Land Girls
Tue 26 Sep 2017
Thousands of women and girls worked on farms throughout WW2 to produce much needed food.
-
![]()
Steve Biko: Black Consciousness Leader
Mon 25 Sep 2017
The activist had died in South African police custody. He was buried on September 25 1977
-
![]()
The Cross Border Horse Race
Fri 22 Sep 2017
A showdown on the American/Mexican border on September 14th 1958.
-
![]()
Roselle - The 9/11 Guide Dog
Thu 21 Sep 2017
The inspiring story of how a Labrador led her blind master out of the World Trade Center.
-
![]()
Australia's Rabbit Plague
Wed 20 Sep 2017
Rabbits infested huge swathes of the Australian countryside in the 1940s and 1950s.
-
![]()
Shark Attack Survivor
Tue 19 Sep 2017
When Rodney Fox survived the jaws of a Great White Shark it inspired him to study them.
-
![]()
The Transatlantic Locust Plague
Mon 18 Sep 2017
Millions of African locusts invaded the Caribbean having flown 5,000 kilometres non-stop.
-
![]()
Sabra and Shatila - A Massacre in Lebanon
Fri 15 Sep 2017
A doctor working in Sabra and Shatila refugee camp in Lebanon recalls the massacre there
-
![]()
The German Schoolboy Arrested for Writing a Letter
Thu 14 Sep 2017
Karl-Heinz Borchardt was arrested at the age of 18 by East German secret police.
-
![]()
The Hippydilly Squat
Wed 13 Sep 2017
A group of hippies occupied a sixty-room mansion in central London in September 1969.
-
![]()
The Collapse of Northern Rock
Tue 12 Sep 2017
Panicked run on bank signals the start of the financial crisis in the UK
-
![]()
Nok Terracottas: Nigeria's Ancient Treasure
Mon 11 Sep 2017
When West African tin miners unearthed evidence of a lost civilization
-
![]()
France's Last Guillotine
Fri 8 Sep 2017
The last man to be executed by guillotine in France was a Tunisian, Hamida Djandoubi.
-
![]()
BBC Proms: Audience Member Rescues Concert
Thu 7 Sep 2017
When the principal singer collapsed, a member of the audience took over his role.
-
![]()
Biosphere 2: Building A New World
Wed 6 Sep 2017
Eight scientists sealed themselves inside a giant greenhouse for an ambitious experiment.
-
![]()
The Fairy Photos
Tue 5 Sep 2017
How two girls' photos convinced Sir Arthur Conan Doyle that fairies exist.
-
![]()
Jamaica's Worst Train Accident
Mon 4 Sep 2017
A survivor recalls the Kendal train crash in September 1957 when more than 200 died.
-
![]()
The Funeral of Princess Diana
Fri 1 Sep 2017
Diana's brother Earl Spencer remembers the emotional speech he made at her funeral.
-
![]()
-
![]()
George Orwell and Animal Farm
Tue 29 Aug 2017
Animal Farm was an allegory about the dangers of Soviet communism and of Joseph Stalin.
-
![]()
The Revolutionary Head Scan
Mon 28 Aug 2017
The summer of 1983 saw a major breakthrough in the treatment of facial deformities.
-
![]()
Notting Hill Race Riot
Fri 25 Aug 2017
The racial disturbances in west London which shocked Britain in 1958.
-
![]()
The Rostock-Lichtenhagen Riots
Thu 24 Aug 2017
A home for asylum seekers was set on fire in the German city of Rostock in August 1992
-
![]()
Medicine In World War One
Wed 23 Aug 2017
Veterans tell the story of how medical care dealt with the horrors of WW1
