The History Hour

A compilation of the latest Witness History programmes.

World Service,484 episodes

Episodes

ListGrid

The Spanish Civil War and the Birkin bag
An hour of historical reporting told by the people who were there
18 Jul 2026,60 mins
Buildings of power and the Dada art movement
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History episodes
11 Jul 2026,61 mins
The return of Chief Long Wolf and The Statue of Liberty's facelift
A compilation of the week's Witness History episodes
04 Jul 2026,61 mins
The Slip Slop Slap campaign and the Brexit referendum
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History episodes
27 Jun 2026,60 mins
An uprising in South Africa and an exodus in the Caucasus
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History episodes
20 Jun 2026,60 mins
Opening the archives: A cellist, a playwright and a king
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History episodes
13 Jun 2026,60 mins
The creation of Inspector Montalbano and Australia's first Big Thing
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History episodes
06 Jun 2026,60 mins
Mexican history: A love song and a gas explosion
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History episodes
30 May 2026,60 mins
Belgium’s royal affair and Montenegro gains independence
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week’s Witness History episodes
23 May 2026,50 mins
The first reality game show and a joik performance on Eurovision
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History episodes
16 May 2026,60 mins
Sir David Attenborough's first Zoo Quest and a WW2 sabotage mission in Norway
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History episodes
09 May 2026,60 mins
The world’s first perfume archive and Dutch car-free Sundays in the global oil crisis
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History episodes
02 May 2026,60 mins
Cleaning up Chernobyl and Canada’s war in the woods
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week’s Witness History episodes
25 Apr 2026,60 mins
Winning the Booker Prize and discovering a lost fairytale
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History episodes.
18 Apr 2026,60 mins
Hitler’s teeth and the Leaning Tower of Pisa
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History episodes
11 Apr 2026,60 mins
The discovery of the Terra Nova shipwreck and Echo the elephant
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History episodes
04 Apr 2026,60 mins
A papal visit and German reunification
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week’s Witness History episodes
28 Mar 2026,60 mins
The 'Cyprus Emergency’ and India’s nuclear mango deal
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week’s Witness History episodes
21 Mar 2026,60 mins
Movie history: Seven Samurai and Casablanca
A globally influential Japanese movie and a Hollywood classic
14 Mar 2026,60 mins
Sweden and the USA's diplomatic freeze and Elvis in the UK
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week’s Witness History episodes
07 Mar 2026,61 mins
Blood diamonds and the meeting between Florence Nightingale and Aga Khan III
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews
28 Feb 2026,59 mins
The Shetland Bus and toxic shock syndrome
Max Pearson presents a collection of Witness History and Sporting Witness episodes
21 Feb 2026,60 mins
Italian history
Pink Floyd's controversial 1989 concert in Venice, and film star Gina Lollobrigida
14 Feb 2026,60 mins
Creating Mr Men and the Austrian wine scandal
Max Pearson presents a collection of Witness History and Sporting Witness episodes
07 Feb 2026,61 mins
Chile’s Penguin Revolution and the 5,000-year-old frozen mummy
Children march in protest in Chile and a perfectly preserved mummy is found in the Alps
31 Jan 2026,60 mins
The priest behind a new airport and Agatha Christie
An hour of historical reporting told by the people who were there
24 Jan 2026,59 mins
The birth of the modern fitted kitchen and the creation of Cluedo
A compilation of the latest Witness History programmes
17 Jan 2026,60 mins
The House of the Spirits and Tracey Emin's unmade bed
Isabel Allende's debut novel in 1982 and a controversial piece of art in 1999
10 Jan 2026,61 mins
The American Freedom Train and the invention of text messaging
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History episodes
03 Jan 2026,60 mins
The history of toys
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week’s Witness History episodes
27 Dec 2025,61 mins