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
-
![]()
The Guinea Pig Club
Wed 10 Apr 2013
How severely burnt Second World War airmen learnt to overcome their terrible injuries.
-
![]()
The Great Famine in China
Tue 9 Apr 2013
When Mao Zedong tried to force an industrial revolution in China millions starved to death
-
![]()
Matabeleland Massacres
Mon 8 Apr 2013
In the early 1980s, thousands of civilians were killed in Zimbabwe by the security forces.
-
![]()
James Brown Concert at the Boston Garden
Fri 5 Apr 2013
Held 24 hours after the death of Martin Luther King, the gig went ahead peacefully
-
![]()
Howard Hughes
Thu 4 Apr 2013
The reclusive American billionaire remembered by one of the few journalists to meet him.
-
![]()
Operation Babylift
Wed 3 Apr 2013
As the Vietnam war ended the US tried to fly thousands of orphans out of the country.
-
![]()
The real Peter Pan
Tue 2 Apr 2013
A family of real boys inspired JM Barrie to write the story of Peter Pan.
-
![]()
Women and the law in Britain
Mon 1 Apr 2013
Over 175 years ago, Caroline Norton began to fight for the rights of married women.
-
![]()
The killing of Archbishop Romero
Fri 29 Mar 2013
On 24 March 1980, Archbishop Oscar Romero was shot dead while saying mass in San Salvador.
-
![]()
American prisoners in Vietnam
Thu 28 Mar 2013
After their release in 1973, former US prisoners of war began to talk about torture.
-
![]()
Unearthing the Terracotta Army
Wed 27 Mar 2013
Discovered by chance by farmers digging a well, the secrets of the Qin Dynasty in China.
-
![]()
Living in Ceausescu's Romania
Tue 26 Mar 2013
The communist dictator ran one of the most feared secret police forces in Eastern Europe.
-
![]()
The Profumo Affair
Mon 25 Mar 2013
Fifty years ago, a sex scandal threatened to engulf the British government.
-
![]()
Iraq: Ten years on - The capture of Saddam Hussein
Fri 22 Mar 2013
In December 2003 the former Iraqi leader was finally caught by American forces.
-
![]()
Iraq: Ten years on - Working for the Americans
Thu 21 Mar 2013
How one Iraqi who took a job with the US military, was threatened with death as a traitor.
-
![]()
Iraq: Ten years on - Looting in Baghdad
Wed 20 Mar 2013
In April 2003, Baghdad descended into chaos as American troops took control of the city.
-
![]()
Iraq: Ten years on - The invasion of Iraq
Tue 19 Mar 2013
John Crawford was part of the US forces that rolled into Iraq in March 2003.
-
![]()
Iraq: Ten years on - The bombardment of Baghdad
Mon 18 Mar 2013
It is a decade since the US and its allies began their invasion of Iraq.
-
![]()
Syrian uprising
Fri 15 Mar 2013
Two years ago Syria's conflict began with demonstrations in the southern city of Daraa.
-
![]()
Giandomenico Picco - Hostage negotiator
Thu 14 Mar 2013
The UN envoy who tried to secure the release of Western hostages in Lebanon.
-
![]()
Marie Stopes, Birth Control Pioneer
Wed 13 Mar 2013
In March 1921 Marie Stopes opened Britain's first birth control clinic in London.
-
![]()
The Theft of Charlie Chaplin's Body
Tue 12 Mar 2013
In March 1978 thieves stole the body of Charlie Chaplin from a cemetery in Switzerland.
-
![]()
The Tibetan uprising
Mon 11 Mar 2013
In 1959 the people of Tibet turned against Chinese occupying forces.
-
![]()
Gay in the US military
Fri 8 Mar 2013
In 1975 a US airman announced he was gay, to test the military's attitude to homosexuals.
-
![]()
Viagra
Thu 7 Mar 2013
Fifteen years ago a new "wonder" drug was approved for use in the United States.
-
![]()
Skiing in the Swat Valley
Wed 6 Mar 2013
One man's mission to bring fun back to the battle-scarred Swat Valley in Pakistan.
-
![]()
Armenia and Azerbaijan
Mon 4 Mar 2013
It is 25 years since violence broke out in the city of Sumgait in Azerbaijan.
-
![]()
The Bethnal Green tube disaster
Fri 1 Mar 2013
It is 70 years since 173 people were crushed to death at an air-raid shelter in London
-
![]()
Choosing a Pope
Thu 28 Feb 2013
Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor tells the story of electing Pope Benedict in April 2005
-
![]()
The standoff at Wounded Knee
Wed 27 Feb 2013
Forty years ago, American Indian activists staged a protest against the US authorities.
