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 Takeover of NTV in Russia
Fri 14 Apr 2017
NTV was the only nationwide independent TV channel in Russia. It was taken over in 2001.
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America's 504 Disability Rights Protests
Thu 13 Apr 2017
In April 1977, US disabled activists occupied a government building for nearly a month.
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UK Sikhs Fight For Religious Rights
Wed 12 Apr 2017
In 1969 Sikh bus drivers in Wolverhampton won the right to wear turbans on duty.
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The Katyn Massacre
Tue 11 Apr 2017
Tens of thousands of Polish officers were executed in the USSR during World War 2.
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Ethiopia's Red Terror
Mon 10 Apr 2017
In the 1970s Ethiopia's military regime launched a brutal campaign of repression
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Egypt's Facebook Girl
Fri 7 Apr 2017
Israa Abd El Fattah was one of the first Egyptian activists to use Facebook for protests.
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Princess Diana's Handshake with Aids Patient
Wed 5 Apr 2017
In April 1987 Princess Diana opened the UK's first purpose built HIV Aids unit
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The Nagorno-Karabakh war
Tue 4 Apr 2017
One man whose family were made refugees during the Nagorno-Karabakh war tells their story
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The Jane Fonda Workout
Mon 3 Apr 2017
In April 1982 the film star Jane Fonda launched her first workout video.
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The Collapse of the Larsen B Ice Shelf
Fri 31 Mar 2017
Glaciologist Pedro Svarka recalls the massive ice shelf tumbling into the Antarctic seas.
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Teletubbies
Thu 30 Mar 2017
In March 1997 the BBC launched one of the most successful children's TV programmes ever.
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Anthrax Leak in the Soviet Union
Wed 29 Mar 2017
In 1979, an outbreak of anthrax poisoning caused dozens of deaths in the Soviet Union.
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The Flavr Savr Tomato - The World's First Genetically Engineered Food
Tue 28 Mar 2017
In 1994, a tomato became the world's first genetically engineered food on sale
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The Murder of Archbishop Oscar Romero
Mon 27 Mar 2017
The outspoken cleric from El Salvador killed at the altar by a right-wing death squad.
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The Death of King Faisal
Fri 24 Mar 2017
King Faisal of Saudi Arabia was assassinated by his nephew in March 1975
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Ayn Rand
Thu 23 Mar 2017
The Russian-American philosopher whose novels praising capitalism sold in the millions.
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Mass Deportations From Soviet Estonia
Wed 22 Mar 2017
In 1949, Moscow arranged the deportation of tens of thousands of Estonians to Siberia.
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Submarine Warfare in WW1
Tue 21 Mar 2017
The underwater vessels were first used widely in the First World War
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An Assassination in Colombia
Mon 20 Mar 2017
The murder of left-wing opposition politician Bernardo Jaramillo in March 1990.
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Kolkata Sex Workers.
Fri 17 Mar 2017
In March 2001 thousands of Indian prostitutes united to fight for their rights.
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The Germans Occupy Prague
Thu 16 Mar 2017
In March 1939, German troops occupied Prague; hear the story of one young boy who escaped
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The Russian Empire in Colour
Wed 15 Mar 2017
Photographer Sergei Prokudin-Gorskii took the first colour photographs of Russia
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The First Russian Revolution of 1917
Tue 14 Mar 2017
In March 1917 Tsar Nicholas II abdicated ending centuries of autocratic rule in Russia
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The Aids Patient Zero Myth
Mon 13 Mar 2017
How one man was mistakenly identified as the "Patient Zero" of the Aids epidemic
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The Hanafi Hostage Siege in Washington DC
Fri 10 Mar 2017
In March 1977 a group of American Muslims took over 100 people hostage in the US.
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Mexico Slashes Car Use
Wed 8 Mar 2017
How Mexico City's bold plan helped reduce dangerously high pollution levels.
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Kuwaiti Women Secure the Vote
Tue 7 Mar 2017
In 2005 an unprecedented protest by Kuwaiti women won a historic change
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WW1: The Two Women of Pervyse
Mon 6 Mar 2017
The story of two British nurses who set up a first aid station on the Western Front
