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 Reclusive JD Salinger
Wed 3 Aug 2016
It's 65 years since JD Salinger's classic novel The Catcher in the Rye was published
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Jacqueline Du Pre
Tue 2 Aug 2016
Jacqueline Du Pre makes one of the most famous classical recordings of the 20th Century
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The University of Texas Shooting
Mon 1 Aug 2016
In August 1966 14 people were shot dead in America's first mass shooting at a university
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Spying for America in Russia
Fri 29 Jul 2016
The story of Russian spy Alexandr Ogorodnik and his CIA handler, Marti Peterson.
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The Tangshan Earthquake
Thu 28 Jul 2016
In 1976, one of the deadliest earthquakes in history hit the city of Tangshan in China
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Meeting Picasso
Wed 27 Jul 2016
In the summer of 1951 art historian John Richardson met Pablo Picasso for the first time.
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The First CIA Coup in Latin America
Tue 26 Jul 2016
In 1954 CIA-backed officers overthrew Guatemala's elected government.
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Race Riots in Liverpool
Mon 25 Jul 2016
In 1981 police used CS gas for the first time in mainland Britain to control race riots
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The Beilis Case: an Anti-Jewish Trial
Fri 22 Jul 2016
In 1913, a Russian Jew, Mendel Beilis, was falsely accused of a murder.
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The Death of Bruce Lee
Wed 20 Jul 2016
The film star and martial arts legend died suddenly in Hong Kong in 1973.
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Medicare
Mon 18 Jul 2016
In July 1966, the US government health insurance programme Medicare came into force.
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Dutch Elm Disease
Fri 15 Jul 2016
In the 1970s Dutch Elm disease killed millions of Elm trees in England, France and the US
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1916: Central Asia Rebels Against the Russian Empire
Thu 14 Jul 2016
In 1916, Muslims in Central Asia rose up against Russian imperial rule.
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Child refugees from the Spanish Civil War
Wed 13 Jul 2016
In 1937, Britain took in 4000 Basque children at the height of fighting in northern Spain
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The Nestle Boycott
Tue 12 Jul 2016
In July 1977 US campaigners launched a boycott against Nestle over the sale of baby milk.
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The Mumbai Train Bombings
Mon 11 Jul 2016
In July 2006, seven coordinated explosions tore through packed commuter trains in Mumbai.
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War in Slovenia
Fri 8 Jul 2016
In 1991, Yugoslav army tanks moved into Slovenia to try to stop it becoming independent
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Executions in Cuba
Thu 7 Jul 2016
In July 1989 four Cuban army officers were convicted of drug trafficking and executed.
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The Sale of London Bridge
Wed 6 Jul 2016
In July of 1967 London Bridge put up for sale. American Robert P McCulloch bought it
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Denmark's second EU Referendum
Tue 5 Jul 2016
In 1993, Denmark held a second referendum on greater EU integration
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Born on the Fourth of July
Mon 4 Jul 2016
Ron Kovic is a former US Marine turned peace activist whose story became a Hollywood film
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Ukraine's Wartime Ultra-Nationalists
Thu 30 Jun 2016
In 1941, far-right Ukrainians declared independence, hoping for Hitler's support.
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The Great Plague
Wed 29 Jun 2016
In the summer of 1665, London was gripped by one of the worst epidemics in its history
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The Cuyahoga River Fire
Tue 28 Jun 2016
In June 1969 the heavily polluted Cuyahoga River, in Ohio in the USA, caught fire
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Forced Sterilisation in Peru
Mon 27 Jun 2016
In the 1990s more than 280,000 women were sterilised in Peru, many against their will.
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The Khobar Towers Bombing - Saudi Arabia
Fri 24 Jun 2016
On June 25th 1996 a huge truck bomb was planted at a US housing complex in Saudi Arabia.
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The Bobbitt Story
Thu 23 Jun 2016
On 23 June 1993 a young wife cut off her husband's penis in a frenzied attack
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Space Crash
Wed 22 Jun 2016
Michael Foale was on board the Mir space station when a resupply vessel crashed into it
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Black in the USSR
Mon 20 Jun 2016
Robert Robinson, a black American engineer, spent 43 years in the USSR against his will.
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The Fall of Paris
Fri 17 Jun 2016
In June 1940, most of the residents of Paris fled as German soldiers occupied the city
