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 – Argentina’s Evita; President Ronald Reagan and his famous ‘tear down this wall’ speech; Thomas Keneally on why he wrote Schindler’s List; and Jacques Derrida, France’s ‘rock star’ 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’s oldest languages.
Episodes to download
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Soweto Uprising
Wed 16 Jun 2010
Schoolchildren protest against Afrikaans as the language of instruction in South Africa
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Petula Clark touches Harry Belafonte's arm
Fri 9 Apr 2010
In 1968, when Petula Clark touched Harry Belafonte's arm, it made US TV history
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Surviving Robben Island
Thu 11 Feb 2010
Ahmed Kathrada's time in prison alongside Nelson Mandela on Robben Island, South Africa
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The Rivonia Trial
Wed 10 Feb 2010
In 1964, Nelson Mandela was put on trial for treason with seven other ANC activists