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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Cardinal Jozsef Mindszenty: 15 years in a foreign Embassy
Wed 5 Sep 2012
In 1956 a Hungarian Cardinal sought refuge in the US Embassy in Budapest.
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The Riot in Chicago in 1968
Tue 4 Sep 2012
The riot that overshadowed the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in 1968
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Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mr Universe
Mon 3 Sep 2012
Arnold Schwarzenegger and bodybuilding in the 1960s.
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The Death of Princess Diana
Fri 31 Aug 2012
The death of Diana, Princess of Wales, killed in a car crash on 31 August 1997.
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East Timor Referendum
Thu 30 Aug 2012
How East Timor's vote for independence in 1999 sparked violence by pro-Indonesia militias.
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Soviet Protest Pioneers
Wed 29 Aug 2012
How seven Soviet intellectuals held a pioneering protest in Moscow in 1968.
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Bobby Fischer
Tue 28 Aug 2012
In 1972, chess makes headlines as volatile American Bobby Fischer becomes world champion.
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The Great Train Robbery
Mon 27 Aug 2012
In August 1963, thieves stole over 拢2 million from a London bound Royal Mail train.
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Hurricane Andrew
Thu 23 Aug 2012
How broadcasting throughout a devastating storm made a Miami weatherman into a local hero.
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Windies Make England Grovel
Wed 22 Aug 2012
The year the England cricket captain said he was going to make the West Indies "grovel".
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Assassination of Leon Trotsky
Tue 21 Aug 2012
The assassination of Russian revolutionary Leon Trotksy in Mexico City in 1940.
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Jacqueline Du Pre
Mon 20 Aug 2012
Jacqueline Du Pre makes one of the most famous classical recordings of the 20th Century.
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The Assassination of Ruth First
Fri 17 Aug 2012
The parcel bomb attack that killed anti-apartheid activist Ruth First in 1982.
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Elvis - The Comeback Special
Thu 16 Aug 2012
How a 1968 television special revived the career of the King of Rock and Roll.
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The Last Viceroy of India
Wed 15 Aug 2012
The daughter of the last British viceroy in India remembers the transfer of power in 1947.
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US Occupation of Japan
Tue 14 Aug 2012
For six years following the end of World War II, Japan was occupied by the US.
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The Founding of Napster
Mon 13 Aug 2012
Shawn Fanning talks about how he founded the file sharing website Napster.
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Abebe Bikila the barefoot runner
Thu 9 Aug 2012
At the 1960 Olympics in Rome an Ethiopian athlete stunned the world.
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Twenty-five years of Botox
Wed 8 Aug 2012
It's quarter of a century since the world's most popular cosmetic treatment was discovered
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Bering Strait Swimmer
Tue 7 Aug 2012
How an American swimmer crossed the "Ice Curtain" between the USA and the Soviet Union.
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Omarska concentration camp
Mon 6 Aug 2012
The story of a survivor of Omarska concentration camp in Bosnia.
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The Death of Marilyn Monroe
Fri 3 Aug 2012
It's 50 years since the death of Marilyn Monroe, Hollywood's ultimate sex symbol.
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The Kon-Tiki adventure
Thu 2 Aug 2012
The story of Thor Heyerdahl's crossing of the Pacific on a balsa wood raft, the Kon-Tiki.
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USS Nautilus: Under the North Pole
Wed 1 Aug 2012
The first voyage to the North Pole under the icecap. Ken Carr remembers Nautilus's mission
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The Battle of Passchendaele
Tue 31 Jul 2012
It was one of the defining battles of the First World War
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Megan's law
Mon 30 Jul 2012
Eighteen years ago a little girl was raped and murdered - her killing changed US law.
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The Farewell dossier
Thu 26 Jul 2012
How a mole in the KGB sent secrets to France and the USA in 1981.
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