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 first IVF baby
Tue 24 Jul 2012
In July 1978 the first baby to be conceived in a laboratory was born in England.
-
![]()
Roosevelt in the Amazon
Mon 23 Jul 2012
How the American president Theodore Roosevelt nearly died in the Amazon in 1914.
-
![]()
The arrest of Jack Mapanje
Fri 20 Jul 2012
It is 25 years since the poet was imprisoned without trial in Malawi.
-
![]()
CIA mind control experiments
Thu 19 Jul 2012
Beginning in the 1950s the CIA made attempts to brainwash psychiatric patients.
-
![]()
Miguel Angel Blanco
Wed 18 Jul 2012
How the killing of a young Basque councillor sparked huge anti-ETA protests in Spain.
-
![]()
The Murder of Versace
Tue 17 Jul 2012
In July 1997 the Italian fashion designer, Gianni Versace, was shot dead.
-
![]()
New York Blackout
Mon 16 Jul 2012
It is 35 years since the streets of the Big Apple were plunged into darkness.
-
![]()
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Fri 13 Jul 2012
How working with Paul Simon made South African group Ladysmith Black Mambazo global stars.
-
![]()
Bush House in wartime
Thu 12 Jul 2012
The 蜜芽传媒 World Service is leaving Bush House in central London after 70 years there.
-
![]()
Irving T Bush - Builder of Bush House
Wed 11 Jul 2012
The story of the American businessman who built the home of the 蜜芽传媒 World Service.
-
![]()
Angola Mercenaries
Tue 10 Jul 2012
In July 1976 four foreign mercenaries were executed for their part in Angola's civil war.
-
![]()
-
![]()
London suicide bombings
Fri 6 Jul 2012
On 7 July 2005, London was thrown into chaos by four bomb attacks.
-
![]()
Algerian independence
Thu 5 Jul 2012
It is 50 years since the end of French colonial rule in Algeria.
-
![]()
The Muslim Brotherhood - Hassan al-Banna
Wed 4 Jul 2012
Egypt now has a president from the Muslim Brotherhood - hear how it started 84 years ago.
-
![]()
Mass Wedding in New York City
Tue 3 Jul 2012
In 1982 4,000 people got married in a mass blessing carried out by Reverend Sun Myung Moon
-
![]()
The Disappearance of Amelia Earhart
Mon 2 Jul 2012
In July 1937 the female flyer disappeared in her plane somewhere over the Pacific Ocean.
-
![]()
Hong Kong Handover
Fri 29 Jun 2012
In 1997 Hong Kong was handed back to China after 150 years of British rule.
-
![]()
Bomber Command
Thu 28 Jun 2012
During World War II, Allied bombing raids brought death and destruction to German cities.
-
![]()
Shakespeare's Globe
Wed 27 Jun 2012
It is 15 years since a replica of Shakespeare's Globe theatre was opened in London.
-
![]()
The football war
Tue 26 Jun 2012
It is over 40 years since a brief but bloody war between Honduras and El Salvador.
-
![]()
Anne Frank's Diary
Mon 25 Jun 2012
In June 1947 the diary of Anne Frank was published for the very first time.
-
![]()
Perestroika
Fri 22 Jun 2012
Reform in the Soviet Union, known as perestroika, was launched 25 years ago in 1987.
-
![]()
France under Nazi occupation
Thu 21 Jun 2012
A Frenchwoman remembers life under Nazi occupation during the Second World War.
-
![]()
The Berlin airlift
Wed 20 Jun 2012
In June 1948 Soviet troops cut supply lines around West Berlin in Germany.
-
![]()
Dadaab refugee camp
Tue 19 Jun 2012
The biggest refugee camp in the world was established 21 years ago.
-
![]()
The death of Roberto Calvi
Mon 18 Jun 2012
On June 18, 1982 an Italian banker was found dead in mysterious circumstances in London.
-
![]()
James Joyce and Ulysses
Fri 15 Jun 2012
It is 90 years since one of the most influential novels of the 20th century was published.
-
![]()
The end of the Falklands conflict
Thu 14 Jun 2012
Thirty years ago the war ended between Britain and Argentina over the Falkland Islands.
-
![]()
President Karzai of Afghanistan
Wed 13 Jun 2012
It is 10 years since Hamid Karzai was first appointed as interim President of Afghanistan.
