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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Anthrax Attacks
Wed 14 Sep 2016
Shortly after the 9/11 attacks in the USA someone started posting Anthrax to politicians
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The Great Fire of Smyrna
Tue 13 Sep 2016
In 1922 a huge fire destroyed the ancient city of Smyrna on the Aegean, thousands died
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The Lascaux Caves
Mon 12 Sep 2016
In September 1940 a group of French schoolboys found a network of ancient cave paintings.
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Estonia's Bootleg Vodka Poisoning
Fri 9 Sep 2016
In September 2001, 68 people died after an outbreak of alcohol poisoning in Estonia.
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How Europe won over the British left
Thu 8 Sep 2016
A speech by Jacques Delors helped change British trade unionists' attitude to Europe
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Star Trek - The Early Years
Wed 7 Sep 2016
In September 1966 the cult American science fiction series first went on air.
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Remembering Chairman Mao
Tue 6 Sep 2016
On September 9th 1976 the founding father of Chinese Communism, Mao Zedong, died.
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Italy's Partisan Fighters
Mon 5 Sep 2016
The brother and sister who took part in the struggle to free Italy from fascism in WW2.
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The Day Sweden Turned Right
Fri 2 Sep 2016
In September 1967 Swedish traffic changed to driving on the right-hand side of the road.
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The Mexican American War
Thu 1 Sep 2016
Testimonies from the conflict that changed US-Mexican relations forever
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The Last Case of Smallpox in the UK
Wed 31 Aug 2016
Alasdair Geddes on finding smallpox in Janet Parker in 1978 and the events that followed
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The Fall of Bukhara
Tue 30 Aug 2016
In 1920, the Central Asian Muslim kingdom of Bukhara was taken over by Communists.
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Burning Man
Mon 29 Aug 2016
It's thirty years since the birth of the counter-culture festival Burning Man.
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Fania All Stars - Legends of Salsa
Fri 26 Aug 2016
How a Latin music supergroup helped spread salsa music from New York to the world.
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Helmand Convoy
Thu 25 Aug 2016
An audacious military mission to bring electricity to southern Afghanistan.
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The Dance Theatre of Harlem
Wed 24 Aug 2016
In August 1969, the first classical ballet company to focus on black dancers was formed
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The "Don't Die of Ignorance" Aids Campaign
Mon 22 Aug 2016
In 1986 the British government launched the first ever public health campaign on Hiv Aids
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John Muir and America's Wild Places
Fri 19 Aug 2016
The Scottish-born naturalist considered the father of the National Parks in the USA.
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Conflict over a Tree in the DMZ
Thu 18 Aug 2016
In August 1976, two US soldiers were killed in the zone between North and South Korea.
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Studio Ghibli - Japanese Animation
Wed 17 Aug 2016
In August 1986 the first Studio Ghibli film hit Japanese cinema screens.
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Bibles in US Schools
Tue 16 Aug 2016
In 1963 a third of schools in the US had to change their rules on Bible reading.
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The murder of Federico Garcia Lorca
Mon 15 Aug 2016
How the great poet and dramatist was murdered at the start of the Spanish Civil War.
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The Kray Gang
Fri 12 Aug 2016
Maureen Flanagan on her relationship with London's gangsters Ronnie and Reggie Kray.
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Fleeing Deportation to the USSR
Thu 11 Aug 2016
After WW2, many Soviet citizens who had ended up outside the USSR, refused to go home.
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The Nairobi Embassy Bombing
Wed 10 Aug 2016
In 1998, al-Qaeda killed more than 200 people in attacks on US embassies in East Africa.
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The Excavation of Masada
Tue 9 Aug 2016
Nearly two thousand years ago, Masada in Israel was the site of a mass suicide.
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The Twin Towers High-Wire Walk
Mon 8 Aug 2016
Philippe Petit recalls his daring feat high above the New York streets in August 1974
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American Air Traffic Controllers' Strike
Fri 5 Aug 2016
In August 1981 over 11,000 air traffic controllers were fired after two days on strike.
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Lebanon's Baalbek Festival
Thu 4 Aug 2016
The Middle East's oldest arts festival, in Baalbek in Lebanon, started 60 years ago
