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 Imprisonment of Irina Ratushinskaya
Tue 11 Jul 2017
The dissident poet was sentenced to 7 years in a Soviet labour camp.
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The First Tamil Suicide Bombing
Fri 7 Jul 2017
In July 1987 Tamil separatist rebels attacked a Sri Lankan army camp.
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The Staffordshire Hoard
Thu 6 Jul 2017
In 2009, a metal detectorist found the largest ever hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver
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No Sex in the USSR
Wed 5 Jul 2017
Why a Russian woman blurted out "We have no sex in the USSR" on international TV.
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Around the World in a Balloon
Tue 4 Jul 2017
In 2002 Steve Fossett succeeded in flying solo around the world in a hot air balloon.
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The Roswell Incident
Mon 3 Jul 2017
It was probably the most famous ever story of an alien spacecraft - on earth
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The Disputed Resort of Taba
Thu 29 Jun 2017
Israel and Egypt both laid claim for years to the Red Sea resort of Taba
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Lonely Planet
Wed 28 Jun 2017
The travel guide that helped tourists make their way around the world on a budget.
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The Hippie Trail
Tue 27 Jun 2017
In the 1960s and 70s, thousands of westerners travelled to India by overland bus.
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The First Budget Flights Across the Atlantic
Mon 26 Jun 2017
How a small Icelandic company broke the mould in air travel in the 1950s.
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Italy's Shame: The Massacre in Ethiopia
Fri 23 Jun 2017
In 1937 Italian forces occupying Addis Ababa murdered thousands of Ethiopian civilians
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The Killing of Vincent Chin
Thu 22 Jun 2017
The movement sparked by the brutal murder of a Chinese-American by 2 white men.
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Persecution of Christians In the Korean War
Wed 21 Jun 2017
In 1950, tens of thousands of Christians were persecuted during the Korean War.
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Body Worlds Exhibition
Tue 20 Jun 2017
In 1995 Tokyo University staged the first exhibition to feature plastinated human corpses
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Italy's 'State-within-a-State'
Mon 19 Jun 2017
In 1982 Italian banker Roberto Calvi was found dead in London in mysterious circumstances
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The Sinking of the Lancastria
Fri 16 Jun 2017
We hear from one of the last survivors of a forgotten World War Two disaster
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The Woman Who Stopped Equal Rights in America
Wed 14 Jun 2017
In June 1982 Phyllis Schlafly defeated a law to guarantee gender equality in the US.
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Algeria's Berbers
Tue 13 Jun 2017
In June 2001 hundreds of thousands of people demonstrated for Berber rights in Algiers.
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The Montserrat Volcano
Mon 12 Jun 2017
In June 1997 a devastating eruption took place on the Caribbean island of Montserrat
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The Six Day War: A Jordanian view
Thu 8 Jun 2017
Captain Nabih El Suhaimat fought to defend East Jerusalem from the Israelis
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The Six Day War: An Israeli view
Wed 7 Jun 2017
In 1967, Israel captured the whole of Jerusalem on the third day of the Six Day War
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The Killing of Robert Kennedy
Tue 6 Jun 2017
The Democrat Senator and Presidential hopeful died on June 6th 1968 after being shot.
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Escape From Slavery
Mon 5 Jun 2017
The story of the Pakistani boy forced into bonded labour at the age of four.
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America's First Female Rabbi
Fri 2 Jun 2017
In June 1972 Sally Priesand became the first woman to be ordained as a rabbi in the USA.
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Alfred Hitchcock's Frenzy
Thu 1 Jun 2017
Actor Barbara Leigh-Hunt on her role in one of the most controversial Hitchcock movies
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Rock Concert for Chernobyl
Wed 31 May 2017
In May 1986, a small group of musicians staged the first charity rock concert in the USSR
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India's "Mr Sanitation"
Tue 30 May 2017
In 1968 Dr Bindeshwar Pathak began his mission to improve toilet facilities for the poor.
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Operation Lifeline: Canada's Refugee Revolution
Mon 29 May 2017
In 1979 Canadians began a revolutionary scheme to aid thousands of Indochinese refugees
