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 Hungarian Uprising
Wed 26 Oct 2016
In October 1956 Hungarians took to the streets of Budapest to protest at Soviet rule.
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Shell Shock
Tue 25 Oct 2016
Veterans talk about their experience of 'shell shock' in recordings from the BBC archive
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Marvel Comics and 'The Fantastic Four'
Mon 24 Oct 2016
In 1961 a new generation of comic-book super heroes was launched in the US
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The Aberfan Disaster
Fri 21 Oct 2016
On 21st October 1966, tragedy struck a village in Wales when a landslide crushed a school
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Marcel Duchamp and His Fountain
Thu 20 Oct 2016
The story of the great French conceptualist artist Marcel Duchamp and his art
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The Mau Mau Rebellion
Wed 19 Oct 2016
During the 1950s in Kenya, rebels known as the Mau Mau were fighting against British rule
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Father Charles Coughlin - America's First Radio Priest
Tue 18 Oct 2016
How a controversial Catholic priest had millions of listeners in the 1930s.
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Bugging the US Embassy in Moscow
Mon 17 Oct 2016
The row over hi-tech spying in America's new diplomatic building in the USSR
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The Hoover Free Flights Promotion
Fri 14 Oct 2016
How an advertising campaign for vacuum cleaners went badly wrong.
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The Last Day of Lebanon's Civil War
Thu 13 Oct 2016
In October 1990, Syrian jets ousted their main opponent in Lebanon ending the civil war
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Chile Votes Against Pinochet
Wed 12 Oct 2016
In 1988 Chileans voted to end the brutal 15-year military rule of Gen. Augusto Pinochet.
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The Spanish Influenza Pandemic
Tue 11 Oct 2016
In 1918, more than fifty million people died in a global flu pandemic.
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Irina Ratushinskaya
Mon 10 Oct 2016
The dissident poet was released from a labour camp on the eve of a US-Soviet summit
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Good Vibrations
Fri 7 Oct 2016
In October 1966, the Beach Boys released their "pocket symphony" Good Vibrations.
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Exposing Child Abuse in the Catholic Church
Thu 6 Oct 2016
In 1994, a TV programme in Northern Ireland lifted the lid on clerical child sex abuse.
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Thai University Massacre
Wed 5 Oct 2016
On October 6th 1976 Thai security forces opened fire on student demonstrators in Bangkok.
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The Poisoned Painkiller
Tue 4 Oct 2016
In October 1982 seven people in the US died after taking painkillers laced with cyanide.
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The Founding of Mensa
Mon 3 Oct 2016
In 1946, a chance encounter between two men launched the high IQ club, Mensa
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Sir Stanley Spencer
Fri 30 Sep 2016
He was one of Britain's most admired 20th century painters. His daughters remember him.
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The Mayak Nuclear Disaster
Thu 29 Sep 2016
On September 29th 1957 there was a major nuclear accident in the Soviet Union.
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The Attica Prison Rebellion
Wed 28 Sep 2016
In 1971 inmates rioted and seized control of the US jail, taking guards hostage
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South Africa's 1985 State of Emergency
Tue 27 Sep 2016
In the dying years of Apartheid, the white government was desperate to keep control.
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Outback Internment
Mon 26 Sep 2016
During WWII, Britain deported some civilians classed as 'enemy aliens' to Australia.
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The Curious Story of Mary Toft
Fri 23 Sep 2016
In September 1726, a woman called Mary Toft claimed she was giving birth to rabbits.
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The First Legal 'Physician-Assisted Suicide'
Thu 22 Sep 2016
On September 22nd 1996 an Australian doctor helped a cancer sufferer to die.
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Domestic Violence in Brazil
Wed 21 Sep 2016
In 2006 Brazil passed the ground-breaking "Maria da Penha" law to tackle domestic abuse.
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Voting Against the War on Terror
Tue 20 Sep 2016
Only one Congresswoman voted against the 'war on terror'. Her name was Barbara Lee.
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The West Australian Gold Rush
Mon 19 Sep 2016
In September 1892 gold was discovered in Western Australia
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The Capture of Abimael Guzman
Fri 16 Sep 2016
In September 1992 security forces in Peru arrested the leader of the Shining Path rebels.
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The First Tanks
Thu 15 Sep 2016
Tanks were first used in warfare on 15 September 1916 during the Battle of the Somme
