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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War of Canudos in Brazil
Mon 9 Jun 2014
How troops crushed a rebellion by peasants in the arid backlands of north-east Brazil
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Broadcasting D-Day
Fri 6 Jun 2014
Original 蜜芽传媒 reports of the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France, 6 June 1944
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The Tiananmen Square Massacre
Wed 4 Jun 2014
In June 1989 the Chinese authorities crushed a huge pro-democracy protest in Beijing.
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Native American Occupation Of Alcatraz
Tue 3 Jun 2014
In June 1971, an 18-month long occupation of Alcatraz by Native Americans came to an end.
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The Nepali Royal Massacre
Mon 2 Jun 2014
In June 2001 the Crown Prince of Nepal killed his parents and other members of his family
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The Fall of Addis Ababa
Fri 30 May 2014
In May 1991 rebels took control of Ethiopia's capital ending decades of war
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Britain's first women's refuge
Thu 29 May 2014
In 1971 the first refuge for women escaping domestic violence opened in Britain.
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Monkeys in Space
Wed 28 May 2014
For the first time America sends two monkeys into space and brings them back alive.
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The Death of Nehru
Tue 27 May 2014
In May 1964 India's first prime minister and the man who led India to independence died.
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The MIT Blackjack Scam
Mon 26 May 2014
In the 1990s teams of elite American students won millions by card counting in casinos
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The Pope and the Jews
Fri 23 May 2014
In April 1986 Pope John Paul II made a historic visit to a Rome synagogue
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Saving Russia's Soldiers in Chechnya
Thu 22 May 2014
In May 1995 thousands of young Russian conscripts were battling separatists in Chechnya
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Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi
Wed 21 May 2014
The assassination of the former Indian Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi
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Uprising in South Korea
Tue 20 May 2014
South Korean military put down a popular uprising in the city of Gwangju in May 1980
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The Trisakti Shootings, Indonesia 1998
Mon 19 May 2014
Police killed students protesting against President Suharto, triggering days of riots
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The Black Consciousness Movement in South Africa
Fri 16 May 2014
Steve Biko led the Black Consciousness Movement before he was killed in police custody
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Jailed for Speaking his Mind in China
Thu 15 May 2014
In 1957 Chairman Mao encouraged criticism of Communism, soon after he jailed thousands
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Mods and Rockers
Wed 14 May 2014
How thousands of youths from rival gangs clashed at the resort of Brighton in 1964
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Fleeing Hitler on the St Louis
Tue 13 May 2014
In May 1939 more than 900 Jews fled Nazi Germany aboard a luxury cruise liner
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Willy Brandt's Spy Scandal
Mon 12 May 2014
In May 1974, the West German chancellor resigned after an aide was revealed as a spy
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Abba Win Eurovision
Fri 9 May 2014
The Swedish group made it to international pop stardom with their song Waterloo in 1974
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The Execution of Habib Elghanian
Thu 8 May 2014
The shooting of a prominent Jewish businessman in post-revolution Iran on 9 May 1979
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Paul Robeson's Comeback Concert
Wed 7 May 2014
In May 1958 the great African-American singer performed at Carnegie Hall
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Once I was President of Crimea
Tue 6 May 2014
Yuri Meshkov, who was once the president of Crimea, remembers his removal from office
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The Crow
Mon 5 May 2014
In 1994, 'The Crow' was released, despite lead actor Brandon Lee dying during filming.
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The Sinking of the Belgrano
Fri 2 May 2014
In May 1982 the Argentine cruiser the General Belgrano was sunk by British torpedoes
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Mao's Long March
Thu 1 May 2014
In 1934 Mao Zedong led tens of thousands of his followers on an epic march across China
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Abuse at Abu Ghraib
Wed 30 Apr 2014
In April 2004, photographs emerged showing American soldiers abusing Iraqi prisoners
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The Death of Mussolini
Tue 29 Apr 2014
The fascist dictator Benito Mussolini is killed and his body strung up in a Milan square
