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 capture of President Izetbegovic
Tue 1 May 2012
In May 1992 the Bosnian president was taken captive by Serb soldiers.
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The right to die
Mon 30 Apr 2012
In 2002 a paralysed woman, known as Miss B, was allowed to die in a London hospital.
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Mass Trespass
Fri 27 Apr 2012
How walkers stormed an English peak in 1932 and started a fight for countryside access.
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Studio 54
Thu 26 Apr 2012
It is 35 years since the legendary New York night club opened its doors to cool people.
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Gallipoli
Wed 25 Apr 2012
One New Zealand soldier's account of surviving the Battle of Gallipoli in 1915
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75 years since Guernica
Tue 24 Apr 2012
In April 1937 the Basque town of Guernica was firebombed during the Spanish Civil War.
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The trial of Oscar Wilde
Mon 23 Apr 2012
How a court case ruined the 19th century playwright and wit.
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Rivers of Blood speech
Fri 20 Apr 2012
In April 1968 a politician put race and immigration at the centre of British politics.
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Twenty-five years of the Simpsons
Thu 19 Apr 2012
One of the most successful TV series ever was created by cartoonist Matt Groening.
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Auschwitz Convoy Escape
Wed 18 Apr 2012
How a group of Jews escaped from a train bound for the Auschwitz death camp in 1943.
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Japanese embassy hostage crisis
Tue 17 Apr 2012
In 1997, left-wing rebels held 71 people hostage for over four months in Peru.
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Dissidents Declared Insane
Mon 16 Apr 2012
How dissidents in the USSR were routinely declared insane and kept in mental institutions.
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The sinking of the Titanic
Fri 13 Apr 2012
It is 100 years since the great ocean liner sank on its maiden voyage.
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Pulitzer Prize scandal
Thu 12 Apr 2012
In 1981 a Pulitzer Prize was awarded to a young journalist who had made-up her story.
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The death of Primo Levi
Wed 11 Apr 2012
It is 25 years since the great Italian author and Auschwitz survivor died.
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Fidel Castro in the USA
Tue 10 Apr 2012
Castro met Richard Nixon and addressed large crowds to win over critics of the revolution
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Eichmann on Trial
Mon 9 Apr 2012
In 1961, Adolf Eichmann, the Nazi in charge of concentration camps, was tried in Israel.
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Good Friday Agreement
Fri 6 Apr 2012
The frantic negotiations that led to a historic peace deal for Northern Ireland in 1998.
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Sarajevo peace protests
Thu 5 Apr 2012
How thousands of Bosnians tried to stop their capital falling under siege in 1992.
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Active Birth Movement
Wed 4 Apr 2012
In 1982, women took to the streets to demand the right to give birth naturally
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The Falklands War - Part Two
Tue 3 Apr 2012
An Argentine soldier's account of invading the Falkland Islands in 1982.
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The Falklands War
Mon 2 Apr 2012
It is 30 years since Argentine forces invaded the Falkland Islands.
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Sudan's Lost Boys
Fri 30 Mar 2012
How thousands of children stranded during war in Sudan were finally resettled in the USA.
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Scott of the Antarctic
Thu 29 Mar 2012
A 100 years ago the British explorer died after failing to be the first to the South Pole.
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Apartheid attack
Tue 27 Mar 2012
In 1990 an Anglican priest living in Zimbabwe was the victim of a letter bomb.
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Pope John Paul II Visits Cuba
Mon 26 Mar 2012
The Pope's visit changed relations between the Catholic Church and Cuba's government
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The US Peace Corps
Thu 22 Mar 2012
In 1961 President Kennedy set up a scheme to send idealistic young Americans abroad.
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How Little America was built in Afghanistan
Wed 21 Mar 2012
In the 1950s, US engineers were sent to Afghanistan to build a dam.
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Sarin gas attack in Tokyo
Tue 20 Mar 2012
In March 1995 members of a Japanese cult released nerve gas in the metro.
