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 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 the death of Adolf Hitler, the first spacewalk and the making of the movie Jaws, to celebrity tortoise Lonesome George, the Kobe earthquake and the invention of superglue.
We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: Eva Peron – Argentina’s Evita; President Ronald Reagan and his famous ‘tear down this wall’ speech; Thomas Keneally on why he wrote Schindler’s List; and Jacques Derrida, France’s ‘rock star’ philosopher.
You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the civil rights swimming protest; the disastrous D-Day rehearsal ; and the death of one of the world’s oldest languages.
Episodes to download
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Chuquicamata: Chile's abandoned mining town
Yesterday
By 2007, the town lay abandoned after its 25,000 residents left due to pollution concerns
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Cleveland Balloonfest '86
Wednesday
In 1986, one and a half million balloons were released as part of a world record attempt
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Eta’s assassination of Juan Mari Jáuregui
Tuesday
On 29 July 2000, Basque separatists Eta killed the retired Spanish politician
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The Russian revolutionaries nearly stranded in London
Monday
In 1907, a crucial congress in London set the direction of the Russian revolution.
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The invention of Kevlar
Last Thursday
In 1965, a new fibre was discovered by scientist Stephanie Kwolek
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President Clinton plays the sax in Prague
Wed 23 Jul 2025
In January 1994, two presidents jammed together on stage in a Prague jazz club
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The killing of Jean Charles de Menezes
Tue 22 Jul 2025
On 22 July 2005, an unarmed Brazilian man was shot dead by police in London
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Irawati Karve: India’s groundbreaking anthropologist
Mon 21 Jul 2025
Irawati Karve became India’s first female anthropologist
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Italo disco
Fri 18 Jul 2025
In 1983, Dolce Vita by Ryan Paris became one of the biggest hits for Italo disco
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The 'Turbot War'
Thu 17 Jul 2025
In 1995, an international row broke out between Canada and Spain over fishing quotas
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Greece’s debt crisis
Wed 16 Jul 2025
On 6 July 2015, the Greek people decisively rejected the terms of a financial bailout
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The Iran nuclear deal
Tue 15 Jul 2025
In 2015, Iran agreed to limit its nuclear programme in a historic deal
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The start of Voice of America
Mon 14 Jul 2025
The broadcaster Voice of America was created in 1942 to counter Nazi propaganda
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The man who said ‘no’ to Disney
Fri 11 Jul 2025
In 1941, Walt Disney made an offer to Quirino Cristiani in Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Ni Una Menos women’s movement in Argentina
Thu 10 Jul 2025
The start, in 2015, of a movement to stop violence against women in Argentina
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Argentina’s national genetics bank created to identify stolen babies
Wed 9 Jul 2025
In 1984, Argentine grandmothers started using genetics to find their lost grandchildren
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The mystery of Evita’s corpse
Tue 8 Jul 2025
In 1955 the Argentine military stole the body of the revered former first lady, Eva Peron
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Argentina’s 'trial of the juntas'
Mon 7 Jul 2025
In 1985 Argentina’s ex-leaders were accused of torturing and murdering their own people
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Dancing in the Street: David Bowie and Mick Jagger
Fri 4 Jul 2025
In July 1985, music legends Mick Jagger and David Bowie performed a duet for Live Aid
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Drill, baby, drill!
Wed 2 Jul 2025
The story behind the catchy political slogan much loved by US President Donald Trump
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Cecil the lion
Tue 1 Jul 2025
On 1 July 2015, Cecil, a popular lion, was shot in Zimbabwe by an American trophy hunter
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Italian happiness trains
Fri 27 Jun 2025
Between 1945 and 1952, ‘happiness trains’ transported 70,000 children from southern Italy
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The opening of the Medellin Metro
Thu 26 Jun 2025
How a train system helped transform the “murder capital of the world” in 2015
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The funeral train for Robert Kennedy
Wed 25 Jun 2025
In June 1968, Robert Kennedy was killed during his campaign for the presidency
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The Czech Freedom Train
Tue 24 Jun 2025
On 11 September 1951, a Czech train was hijacked and driven into West Germany
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The Gratitude Train: France thanks America
Mon 23 Jun 2025
In 1949, the Gratitude Train arrived in the US, 49 wagons of thank you gifts from France
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Making Jaws
Fri 20 Jun 2025
On 20 June 1975 the film premiered, launching summer blockbusters and scaring beachgoers