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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Angela Merkel
Mon 11 Apr 2016
On April 10 2000, Angela Merkel became the first woman to lead a German political party.
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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.
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The Ogaden War
Thu 7 Apr 2016
In 1977 Somalia invaded Ethiopia in an attempt to take control of disputed territory.
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Mallory on Everest
Wed 6 Apr 2016
In 1999 the body of legendary British mountaineer, George Mallory, was found on Everest.
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Romania's Orphans
Tue 5 Apr 2016
In 1989 news began to emerge of terrible conditions in Romania's orphanages.
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The Execution of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
Mon 4 Apr 2016
On April 4th 1979 Pakistan's first democratically elected Prime Minister was hanged.
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The Yodogo Hijacking
Fri 1 Apr 2016
In March 1970, Japanese left-wing extremists hijacked a plane with samurai swords.
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Pakistan Ban on Alcohol
Thu 31 Mar 2016
In the spring of 1977 the government of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto introduced a ban on alcohol
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The Attempt on Ronald Reagan's Life
Wed 30 Mar 2016
On March 30th 1981 a man tried to assassinate US President Ronald Reagan.
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The Harold Wilson Plot
Tue 29 Mar 2016
In March 1976, the British prime minister Harold Wilson unexpectedly resigned. Why?
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Virginia Woolf
Mon 28 Mar 2016
On March 28th 1941 the British novelist Virginia Woolf took her own life.
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The Easter Rising
Fri 25 Mar 2016
How Irish rebels tried to start a revolution against British rule at Easter 1916.
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Iraqi Shia Uprising - 1991
Thu 24 Mar 2016
At the end of the First Gulf War thousands of Iraqis rose up against Saddam Hussein
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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.
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Namibian Independence
Mon 21 Mar 2016
In March 1990, Namibia became independent from South African rule.
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The Tunnellers of WW1
Fri 18 Mar 2016
Archive recordings of the tunnellers who fought underground in WW1
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Vietnam-China Border War 1979
Thu 17 Mar 2016
Former communist allies China and Vietnam fought a short but bloody war in 1979.
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Mad Cow Disease and CJD
Wed 16 Mar 2016
How a disease affecting cattle was transferred to the human population in Britain.
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The Kasztner Affair
Tue 15 Mar 2016
In March 1957, an Israeli political scandal ended in an assassination.
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Radiocarbon Dating of the Turin Shroud
Mon 14 Mar 2016
In 1988 scientists performed a carbon dating test on the Shroud of Turin.
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The Original Revolutionary Feminist
Fri 11 Mar 2016
Alexandra Kollontai was the leading Marxist feminist in Communist Russia.
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The Release of the Birmingham Six
Thu 10 Mar 2016
In March 1991, six men were freed ending one of Britain's worst miscarriages of justice
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Tenerife Air Disaster
Wed 9 Mar 2016
In March 1977 the worst accident in the history of civil aviation took place in Tenerife.
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Spinsters' Rights
Tue 8 Mar 2016
Millions of women were left single after the men they would have married died in WW1.
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Poisoned in Kosovo
Mon 7 Mar 2016
How Roma Gypsies, who fled ethnic violence in 1999, were settled in a camp on toxic land
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Condemned as a Spy in the USSR
Fri 4 Mar 2016
Flora Leipman, a British Jew, falsely condemned as a spy, was sent to a labour camp
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Marie Stopes: Birth Control Pioneer
Thu 3 Mar 2016
In March 1921, Marie Stopes opened Britain's first birth control clinic in London
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The Polaroid Instant Camera
Tue 1 Mar 2016
In February 1947 Edwin Land unveiled his new invention, the first ever instant camera.
