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.
Witness History is a short BBC World Service podcast about history that takes you inside big moments from the past through first-hand testimony and archive. Each weekday, in around nine minutes, we revisit one moment that helped shape the world and hear it through the voice of someone who was there. Scientists, artists, campaigners, soldiers, leaders and everyday people tell their true stories.
When you subscribe to Witness History, you’ll be taken inside turning points in world affairs, from West Africa’s fight back against Boko Haram in 2015, to the behind-closed-doors talks that led to the US-Cuba “thaw” and the surprise announcement of restored relations.
You’ll discover what it was like to experience disasters and how people recovered from them, including the Tabasco floods in Mexico, Portugal's worst train disaster, and the huge clean-up after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
You’ll explore culture and ideas too: Sweden’s Expedition Robinson, often credited as the first modern reality TV game show; the friendship between The Beatles’ George Harrison and Indian sitarist Ravi Shankar; and the night a tiger attack brought Las Vegas superstars Siegfried and Roy’s show to a sudden end.
And if you’re curious about inventions, we’ll tell you how air fryers, BlackBerry, YouTube, Alexa, GPS, superglue, the shopping cart (shopping trolley) and bubble tea were created.
If you’re new to Witness History, the appeal is simple: real voices, one strong true story, and a fresh way to understand today through events from history – all in the time it takes to enjoy a cup of tea or a walk around the block. Join millions of BBC World Service podcast listeners around the globe and enjoy the insight, context and detail Witness History will bring you.
Episodes to download
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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
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The Immortal Cells of Henrietta Lacks
Thu 2 Mar 2017
Cells taken from an African American woman in 1951 revolutionised medical science
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Mother Teresa - The Nun Who Became A Saint
Wed 1 Mar 2017
In March 1997 Mother Teresa retired from her charity work in India.
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Obesity
Tue 28 Feb 2017
In 1997 obesity was first recognised as a global problem by the World Health Organisation
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The Origin of Nollywood
Mon 27 Feb 2017
The story of the 1992 film which launched Nigeria's hugely successful movie industry
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The Decapitation of the Little Mermaid
Fri 24 Feb 2017
In 1998 someone vandalised the most famous statue in Denmark.
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Bulgarian Nurses on Trial in Libya
Thu 23 Feb 2017
Valya Chervenyashka was accused of mass murder and tortured in a Libyan jail.
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The German American Bund
Wed 22 Feb 2017
In the 1930s, American Nazi sympathisers held rallies and summer camps across the US.
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The Lost Manuscript of Huckleberry Finn
Tue 21 Feb 2017
In 1990, the manuscript of Mark Twain's classic novel was found in an attic in Hollywood.
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The Trial of Slobodan Milosevic
Mon 20 Feb 2017
The former Serbian President went on trial for war crimes in 2002. Hear from his lawyers.
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The Silver Ring Thing
Fri 17 Feb 2017
In 1995 a US campaign started encouraging teenagers not to have sex before marriage
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Uganda's war on homosexuality
Thu 16 Feb 2017
In 2006, a Ugandan newspaper began printing the names of professionals believed to be gay
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Italy votes for divorce
Wed 15 Feb 2017
In May 1974, Italians defied the Catholic Church and voted overwhelmingly for divorce.
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The Birth of Speed Dating
Tue 14 Feb 2017
In 1998, a Los Angeles rabbi came up with a new way for single people to meet each other.
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The conman who married his victims
Mon 13 Feb 2017
When Giovanni Vigliotto went on trial he said he'd married more than 100 women
