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
-
![]()
U2 Spy Plane
Tue 3 May 2016
In May 1960 Gary Powers was taken captive by the Soviets when his spy plane was shot down
-
![]()
The Salem Witches
Mon 2 May 2016
In 1692 nineteen men and women were convicted of witchcraft and executed in America.
-
![]()
The Creation of the Mini
Fri 29 Apr 2016
In 1959 the British Motoring Corporation unveiled a very small new family car - the Mini
-
![]()
The McCarthy Era
Thu 28 Apr 2016
In spring 1950, an American academic was wrongly named as the main Soviet agent in the US
-
![]()
The Funeral of Charles Darwin
Wed 27 Apr 2016
The great English naturalist Charles Darwin is buried at Westminster Abbey in April 1882
-
![]()
Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster
Tue 26 Apr 2016
In April 1986 a reactor exploded at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine
-
![]()
Yves Saint Laurent and Morocco
Mon 25 Apr 2016
In 1966 the great French fashion designer went to Morocco for the first time
-
![]()
Shakespeare's Jubilee
Fri 22 Apr 2016
How actor David Garrick organised the first national celebration of Shakespeare in 1769
-
![]()
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
Thu 21 Apr 2016
An industrial disaster in New York in 1911 led to huge social reforms.
-
![]()
Fighting for Castro at the Bay of Pigs
Wed 20 Apr 2016
A member of Cuba's communist militia recalls battling US-backed invaders in April 1961
-
![]()
The Harrier in the Falklands War
Tue 19 Apr 2016
A Harrier pilot remembers the air battle over the Falklands in 1982
-
![]()
Haile Selassie In Jamaica
Mon 18 Apr 2016
On 21 April 1966 Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia arrived in Jamaica
-
![]()
The Spanish Republic
Fri 15 Apr 2016
How writers and artists campaigned to bring culture to every corner of 1930s Spain
-
![]()
Executed for Being Too Capitalist
Thu 14 Apr 2016
In 1961, in Soviet Central Asia, 21 managers were executed for using capitalist methods.
-
![]()
The Amritsar Massacre of 1919
Wed 13 Apr 2016
On 13 April 1919, the British Indian Army fired on an unarmed crowd, killing hundreds
-
![]()
-
![]()
Angela Merkel
Mon 11 Apr 2016
On April 10 2000, Angela Merkel became the first woman to lead a German political party.
-
![]()
A Japanese Royal Wedding
Fri 8 Apr 2016
In a change to tradition Japan's Crown Prince Akihito married a non-royal, in April 1959.
-
![]()
The Ogaden War
Thu 7 Apr 2016
In 1977 Somalia invaded Ethiopia in an attempt to take control of disputed territory.
-
![]()
Mallory on Everest
Wed 6 Apr 2016
In 1999 the body of legendary British mountaineer, George Mallory, was found on Everest.
-
![]()
Romania's Orphans
Tue 5 Apr 2016
In 1989 news began to emerge of terrible conditions in Romania's orphanages.
-
![]()
The Execution of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
Mon 4 Apr 2016
On April 4th 1979 Pakistan's first democratically elected Prime Minister was hanged.
-
![]()
The Yodogo Hijacking
Fri 1 Apr 2016
In March 1970, Japanese left-wing extremists hijacked a plane with samurai swords.
-
![]()
Pakistan Ban on Alcohol
Thu 31 Mar 2016
In the spring of 1977 the government of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto introduced a ban on alcohol
-
![]()
The Attempt on Ronald Reagan's Life
Wed 30 Mar 2016
On March 30th 1981 a man tried to assassinate US President Ronald Reagan.
-
![]()
The Harold Wilson Plot
Tue 29 Mar 2016
In March 1976, the British prime minister Harold Wilson unexpectedly resigned. Why?
-
![]()
Virginia Woolf
Mon 28 Mar 2016
On March 28th 1941 the British novelist Virginia Woolf took her own life.
-
![]()
The Easter Rising
Fri 25 Mar 2016
How Irish rebels tried to start a revolution against British rule at Easter 1916.
-
![]()
Iraqi Shia Uprising - 1991
Thu 24 Mar 2016
At the end of the First Gulf War thousands of Iraqis rose up against Saddam Hussein
-
![]()
The Fall of Emperor Tewodros II
Wed 23 Mar 2016
In 1868 Tewodros II of Ethiopia prepared to make a last stand against the British army.
