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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Jean-Bédel Bokassa's coronation
Tue 2 May 2023
Jean-Bédel Bokassa crowned himself Emperor of the Central African Republic in 1977
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The king under the car park
Mon 1 May 2023
In 2012, the lost grave of King Richard III was found under a car park in Leicester
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The fight to televise the Queen's Coronation
Fri 28 Apr 2023
How ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ bosses battled with the government for the right to film inside Westminster Abbey
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The Met Gala goes global
Thu 27 Apr 2023
In 1995, Anna Wintour became chair of the Met Gala and changed it forever
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Guatemala's outspoken bishop
Wed 26 Apr 2023
Human rights campaigner Bishop Juan Gerardi was bludgeoned to death on 26 April 1998
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Discovering the secrets of DNA
Tue 25 Apr 2023
James Watson and Francis Crick published their discoveries about DNA on 25 April 1953
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Althea McNish: 'I designed fabrics for the Queen'
Mon 24 Apr 2023
In 1966, Althea McNish designed fabrics for the Queen's visit to Trinidad
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The Russian man who pretended to be a dog
Fri 21 Apr 2023
In 1994, Oleg Kulik posed as a dog to protest conditions in post-Soviet Russia
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Smoky the World War II dog hero
Thu 20 Apr 2023
In 1944, Bill Wynne adopted a Yorkie believed to be one of the first therapy dogs
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Roselle the 9/11 guide dog
Wed 19 Apr 2023
In 2001, Roselle helped his owner escape from the World Trade Center
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The world's first labradoodle
Tue 18 Apr 2023
In 1989, Wally Conron created the world's first labradoodle
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Richard Dimbleby describes Belsen
Fri 14 Apr 2023
Richard Dimbleby was the first broadcaster to report from Belsen concentration camp
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I led the hunt for the Boston Marathon bombers
Thu 13 Apr 2023
On 15 April 2013, two brothers set off bombs at the Boston Marathon
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Mass grave at Sernyky
Wed 12 Apr 2023
An archaeologist travels to Ukraine to excavate a mass grave from World War Two
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The universal recycling symbol
Tue 11 Apr 2023
In 1970, American student Gary Anderson designed a logo for recycled paper products
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Emperor Tewodros II
Mon 10 Apr 2023
In 1868, Tewodros II of Ethiopia prepared to make a last stand against the British army
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The Good Friday Agreement referendum
Fri 7 Apr 2023
In 1998, a referendum was held in Northern Ireland and Ireland on the Belfast Agreement
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Beto Perez: 'I created Zumba by accident'
Thu 6 Apr 2023
In 2001, Colombian born choreographer Beto Perez created Zumba and it was all by accident
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Awaji Kannon: One of the world's tallest statues
Wed 5 Apr 2023
In 1982, a Japanese businessman unveiled the World Peace Giant Kannon in Japan
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Pan-European picnic
Tue 4 Apr 2023
In 1989, a picnic was held as demonstration for European integration
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Escaping national service in Eritrea
Mon 3 Apr 2023
The story of one young Eritrean woman’s attempt to escape compulsory national service
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A Brief History of Time
Fri 31 Mar 2023
A Brief History of Time, written by Prof Stephen Hawking, was published in March 1988
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The first photo sent from a phone
Thu 30 Mar 2023
In 1997, French engineer Philippe Kahn shared the first ever photo from a mobile phone
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Godfather of manicures
Wed 29 Mar 2023
In 1975, Minh Nguyen left behind his macho military life and re-trained as a manicurist
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How Bengaluru became India’s Silicon Valley
Tue 28 Mar 2023
Narayana Murthy, founder of Infosys, describes the city's technology revolution
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The windmill that revolutionised wind power
Mon 27 Mar 2023
In 1978, a group of volunteers in Denmark built their own wind turbine to power a school
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Keiko: Freeing 'Free Willy'
Fri 24 Mar 2023
In 1998, Keiko the Hollywood killer whale was released back into the wild
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The man who lived in an airport
Thu 23 Mar 2023
From 1988, Mehran Karimi Nasseri, from Iran, spent 18 years living in a Paris airport
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DDLJ: India’s longest running movie
Wed 22 Mar 2023
The longest running film in India was released in 1995