Witness History Episodes Available now

The discovery of the first exoplanets
In 1992, astronomer Alex Wolszczan discovered the first planets outside our solar system

Favela life: The diary of Carolina Maria de Jesus
In 1960, the diary of a poor Brazilian mum became an international bestseller.

The world’s largest model train set
In 2000, twins Frederik and Gerrit started building Miniatur Wunderland

Dolly Rathebe: South Africa’s first international film star
Jim Comes to Jo’burg, also known as African Jim, launched Dolly Rathebe’s career in 1949

The Battle of the Beanfield
In 1985, police and hippies clashed at the ancient stone circle of Stonehenge, in England

The legacy of The Pirate Bay
In 2006 police raided the popular but controversial file-sharing website The Pirate Bay

Chinua Achebe’s revolutionary book Things Fall Apart
Achebe's English language novel from 1958 about life in Nigeria before colonialism

The Tragically Hip's final gig
In 2015 Canadian rockstar Gord Downie was given months to live, he went on one last tour

'I wrote the Champions League anthem'
The story of how one of the most iconic tunes in sport was created in 1992

Vivian Maier: Secret street photographer
The secret street photography of a US nanny in the 1950s and 1960s