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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The Jane Fonda Workout
Tue 28 Apr 2015
In April 1982, film star Jane Fonda launched her first workout video
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The Mass Trespass on Kinder Scout
Mon 27 Apr 2015
A 1932 protest which helped win the right to roam freely across the English countryside
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The Iran Hostage Rescue Mission
Fri 24 Apr 2015
On 24 April 1980, the US launched a disastrous attempt to free its hostages in Iran
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The Hunt for Saddam's Weapons of Mass Destruction
Thu 23 Apr 2015
In April 1991 weapons inspectors were allowed into Iraq to search for WMDs
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NATO bombs Serbian TV
Wed 22 Apr 2015
In April 1999 Nato bombed the Serbian state TV station in Belgrade, killing 16 people.
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The Death of Einstein
Tue 21 Apr 2015
The great theoretical physicist Albert Einstein died on 18th April 1955
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Carousel - The Musical
Mon 20 Apr 2015
In April 1945 one of the most successful musicals of all time premiered on Broadway.
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Oklahoma City Bombing
Fri 17 Apr 2015
On April 19 1995 a huge truck bomb killed 168 people in a government building in the USA.
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Bloods and Crips truce
Wed 15 Apr 2015
In April 1992, the main black street gangs in Los Angeles started a historic truce.
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Train puts Letchworth Garden City on the Map
Tue 14 Apr 2015
In April 1905 the arrival of a passenger train put Letchworth Garden City on the map
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The Khmer Rouge take power
Mon 13 Apr 2015
In April 1975 the four-year rule of the brutal Khmer Rouge began in Cambodia.
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Glenn Gould Retires
Fri 10 Apr 2015
On 10 April 1964, famously eccentric pianist Glenn Gould gave his last live performance
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The ‘Death of a Princess’ film
Thu 9 Apr 2015
In 1980 a film about a public execution caused a row between Britain and Saudi Arabia
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India's State of Emergency
Wed 8 Apr 2015
In 1975, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared a state of emergency
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The Fall of Idi Amin
Tue 7 Apr 2015
In 1979 Tanzanian troops invaded Uganda and ousted its brutal dictator.
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The Marshall Plan
Fri 3 Apr 2015
In April 1948 the US agreed to spend millions of dollars on rebuilding post-war Europe.
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Tenerife Air Crash
Thu 2 Apr 2015
In 1977 the worst ever air accident took place when two jumbo jets collided in Tenerife.
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1943 Bengal Famine
Wed 1 Apr 2015
In 1943, during WW2, famine stuck Bengal in British-run India, killing millions.
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Unearthing the Terracotta Army
Tue 31 Mar 2015
In March 1974 farmers uncovered an intricately carved clay head whilst digging a well
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The Beeching Report
Thu 26 Mar 2015
In March 1963 the British government announced plans to slash the country's rail network
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The John and Yoko Bed-in
Wed 25 Mar 2015
In 1969 John Lennon of the Beatles and his new wife Yoko Ono staged a bed-in for peace
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A Cure for Tuberculosis
Tue 24 Mar 2015
Professor Denny Mitchison was a pioneer in the search for a cure for tuberculosis.
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The Invention of the Black Box
Mon 23 Mar 2015
The story of the Black Box flight recorder and the man behind it, David Warren
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Algeria's War of Independence
Fri 20 Mar 2015
In March 1962, a ceasefire was agreed in the Algerian war for independence from France
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Escape from East Berlin
Thu 19 Mar 2015
How a student helped East Berliners escape Communism in the boot of a diplomat's car
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The Biggest Art Heist in US History
Tue 17 Mar 2015
Thieves bluff their way into a Boston museum, stealing art worth around $500 million
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British Theatre Trial
Mon 16 Mar 2015
How a play 'The Romans in Britain' caused a scandal in London's National Theatre in 1982
