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 鈥� Argentina鈥檚 Evita; President Ronald Reagan and his famous 鈥榯ear down this wall鈥� speech; Thomas Keneally on why he wrote Schindler鈥檚 List; and Jacques Derrida, France鈥檚 鈥榬ock star鈥� 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鈥檚 oldest languages.
Episodes to download
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The start of Scouting
Today
Scouting, now one of the largest international youth movements, began in the early 1900s
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Omar Sharif stars in Lawrence of Arabia
Friday
Egyptian film star Omar Sharif made his Hollywood debut in Lawrence of Arabia in 1962
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The Aswan High Dam
Thursday
In the 1960s, the construction of one of the world鈥檚 largest dams in Egypt took place
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Egypt criminalises sexual harassment
Wednesday
In 2014, Egypt鈥檚 outgoing president issued a decree criminalising sexual harassment
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Reforming Egypt鈥檚 divorce laws
Last Tuesday
In 1979, Egypt鈥檚 first lady Jehan Sadat campaigned to grant women new rights to divorce
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Mohamed Morsi: Egypt's first democratically elected president
Last Monday
A political rival looks back on Morsi's victory in June 2012
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How the Philippines saved Jews during World War Two
Fri 12 Sep 2025
In 1935, after the Nuremberg Laws were passed, Manila opened its doors to Jewish families
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9/11: The generosity of Gander
Thu 11 Sep 2025
The small Canadian town that helped diverted passengers after the 9/11 terror attacks.
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The story behind The Peter Principle book
Wed 10 Sep 2025
In 1969, a satirical book was published suggesting promotion led to incompetence
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The Enabling Act
Tue 9 Sep 2025
In 1933, the Enabling Act was passed, handing Adolf Hitler unchecked power
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Festac 鈥�77: Nigeria鈥檚 largest festival of African arts and culture
Mon 8 Sep 2025
The 1977 celebration of African culture that attracted half a million visitors
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鈥楬ow I sold my clothes and created a $5 billion Vinted empire鈥�
Fri 5 Sep 2025
In 2008, Lithuanian student Milda Mitkut臈 realised she had too many clothes
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World's first womb transplant baby
Thu 4 Sep 2025
In 2014, the world's first baby born to a mother with a transplanted womb was delivered
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The Chindits
Wed 3 Sep 2025
The Chindits, an unconventional special force was formed during World War Two
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The founding of USAID
Tue 2 Sep 2025
One woman鈥檚 influence on USAID during the 1960s 'Decade of Development鈥�
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Discovering the Titanic
Mon 1 Sep 2025
In September 1985, the wreck of the lost ship was discovered during a joint expedition
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John Lennon's final headline concerts
Fri 29 Aug 2025
In 1972, John Lennon and Yoko Ono performed at the One to One benefit concerts in the US
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The making of the Third Man: A film noir classic
Thu 28 Aug 2025
In 1948, filming began in Austria on one of the greatest British films of all time
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Washington DC鈥檚 Mount Pleasant riot
Wed 27 Aug 2025
In 1991, rioting broke out in the US capital after a police officer shot a Salvadoran man
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Creating CAPTCHA
Tue 26 Aug 2025
In 2000, the Completely Automated Public Turing test was introduced as a security tool
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The creation of the International Criminal Court
Mon 25 Aug 2025
The world's first permanent International Criminal Court was created in 1998
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Geneva Conventions
Fri 22 Aug 2025
In 1864, Henry Dunant came up with a treaty to protect those injured in wartime
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The rise and fall of BlackBerry
Thu 21 Aug 2025
In the early 2000s, BlackBerry was the phone that ruled the world
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The book that changed Norway鈥檚 view of immigrants
Wed 20 Aug 2025
Maria Amelie's 2010 book triggered a change to Norway's immigration regulations
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One man鈥檚 escape from McCarthyism
Tue 19 Aug 2025
In 1951, a US soldier defected to the Soviet Union during the anti-communist crackdown
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Spot the Dog
Mon 18 Aug 2025
In 1978, British artist Eric Hill designed a book about a puppy for his two-year-old son
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Pramoedya Ananta Toer: The banned author of Indonesia
Fri 15 Aug 2025
Indonesian writer, Pramoedya Ananta Toer wrote novels whilst imprisoned on an island
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Jakarta鈥檚 ban on dancing monkeys
Thu 14 Aug 2025
In 2013, Jakarta's governor banned the use of dancing monkeys in Indonesia's capital
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Discovery of the 'Hobbit'
Wed 13 Aug 2025
In 2003, archaeologists in Indonesia discovered the skeleton of a new species of human
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Borobudur Temple
Tue 12 Aug 2025
Borobudur Temple in Indonesia reopened in 1983, following a restoration project
