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 Last of the Red Hot Mamas
Mon 8 Feb 2016
The larger than life vaudeville star - Sophie Tucker - died on February 9th 1966.
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Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Wed 3 Feb 2016
In 1938, the first animated feature film was released, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
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The ‘Abscam’ Corruption Investigation
Tue 2 Feb 2016
The FBI sting operation that ensnared corrupt politicians using a fictitious Arab sheikh.
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Spanish Embassy Killings
Mon 1 Feb 2016
In January 1980, 37 people died as police stormed Spain's embassy in Guatemala
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The First Batman TV Series
Fri 29 Jan 2016
In January 1966 Batman and Robin appeared on the small screen for the first time
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Sharia Returns to Nigeria
Thu 28 Jan 2016
In 2000, Zamfara became the first Nigerian state to implement full Sharia law
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The Challenger Disaster
Wed 27 Jan 2016
On 28 January 1986 The Challenger space shuttle launch went horribly wrong
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The First Fleet Lands in Australia
Tue 26 Jan 2016
Britain established a penal colony in Australia.In January 1788
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The Wapping Dispute
Mon 25 Jan 2016
In January 1986 newspaper owner Rupert Murdoch took on the British print unions.
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The Funeral of Jan Palach
Fri 22 Jan 2016
Hundreds of thousands of people mourned the student activist in Prague in January 1969.
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The Poisoning of Viktor Yushchenko
Thu 21 Jan 2016
In 2004, a Ukrainian presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko was mysteriously poisoned
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The Soldier Who Never Surrendered
Wed 20 Jan 2016
In 1972 a Japanese soldier was found hiding in the jungle on the Pacific island of Guam.
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Mexico's Tequila Crisis
Tue 19 Jan 2016
In January 1995 Mexico was forced to seek a multi-billion dollar bailout from the US
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The Adventures of Tintin
Mon 18 Jan 2016
One of the most famous cartoon characters in history was born in January 1929 - Tintin.
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Nigeria's First Coup
Fri 15 Jan 2016
In 1966 a small group of Nigerian army officers launched the country's first ever coup
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The Freedom Tower in Tehran
Thu 14 Jan 2016
Hossein Amanat was the young architect employed to build a tower for Iranian royalty.
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The First Alzheimer's Patient
Wed 13 Jan 2016
The tragic case that led to the discovery of Alzheimer's disease.
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Russia's Forbidden Art
Tue 12 Jan 2016
The Russian painter who created a world-famous collection of forbidden Soviet art
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A Mass Shooting in America
Mon 11 Jan 2016
In October 2006 a man killed five Amish schoolgirls and injured five more in Pennsylvania
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Chairman Mao's Little Red Book
Thu 7 Jan 2016
How the thoughts of China's communist leader became an unexpected global best-seller
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Fidel Castro Takes Havana
Wed 6 Jan 2016
In Jan 1959 leftist revolutionaries ended decades of rule by Cuba's US-backed dictator
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The start of the Open University
Mon 4 Jan 2016
A new university in Britain offers a radically different approach to higher education.
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Vietnamese Boat People Arrive in Britain
New Year's Day 2016
Some of the first Vietnamese refugees arrive in Britain after a dramatic rescue at sea.
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The Millennium Bug
Thu 31 Dec 2015
How the world waited for a potential global computer meltdown on New Year's Eve 1999
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The Poster Boy for the Communist System
Wed 30 Dec 2015
In 1935, Alexei Stakhanov, a coal miner, became a Soviet celebrity.
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Rasputin
Tue 29 Dec 2015
In 1916, the infamous holy man Grigori Rasputin, was murdered by Russian aristocrats
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The Donner Party
Mon 28 Dec 2015
In 1846, a group of US pioneers were trapped in the mountains over the winter.
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The Beagle 2 Mission to Mars
Christmas Day 2015
On Christmas Day 2003, a British space craft was due to land on Mars to look for life
