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.
Witness History is a short 麻豆社 World Service podcast about history that takes you inside big moments from the past through first-hand testimony and archive. Each weekday, in around nine minutes, we revisit one moment that helped shape the world and hear it through the voice of someone who was there. Scientists, artists, campaigners, soldiers, leaders and everyday people tell their true stories.
When you subscribe to Witness History, you鈥檒l be taken inside turning points in world affairs, from West Africa鈥檚 fight back against Boko Haram in 2015, to the behind-closed-doors talks that led to the US-Cuba 鈥渢haw鈥� and the surprise announcement of restored relations.
You鈥檒l discover what it was like to experience disasters and how people recovered from them, including the Tabasco floods in Mexico, Portugal's worst train disaster, and the huge clean-up after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
You鈥檒l explore culture and ideas too: Sweden鈥檚 Expedition Robinson, often credited as the first modern reality TV game show; the friendship between The Beatles鈥� George Harrison and Indian sitarist Ravi Shankar; and the night a tiger attack brought Las Vegas superstars Siegfried and Roy鈥檚 show to a sudden end.
And if you鈥檙e curious about inventions, we鈥檒l tell you how air fryers, BlackBerry, YouTube, Alexa, GPS, superglue, the shopping cart (shopping trolley) and bubble tea were created.
If you鈥檙e new to Witness History, the appeal is simple: real voices, one strong true story, and a fresh way to understand today through events from history 鈥� all in the time it takes to enjoy a cup of tea or a walk around the block. Join millions of 麻豆社 World Service podcast listeners around the globe and enjoy the insight, context and detail Witness History will bring you.
Episodes to download
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Harold Riley: Painting Nelson Mandela
Friday
Harold Riley was the only artist in the world granted a sitting with Nelson Mandela
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Kinder Scout mass trespass
Thursday
Walkers trespassed on Kinder Scout to demand access to the countryside in 1932
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The gathering that helped shape decolonisation
Wednesday
In 1945, Manchester's Pan-African Congress helped shape the struggle against colonialism
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The nightclub that changed Manchester
Last Monday
In 1962, the Reno became Manchester's first racially inclusive nightclub
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The discovery of the San Jos茅 shipwreck
Fri 18 Sep 2026
In 2015, the 'holy grail' of shipwrecks was found off the coast of Colombia
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The birth of India's call centre industry
Thu 17 Sep 2026
Pramod Bhasin set up India鈥檚 first call centre in 1997
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Stardust: Ireland's deadly nightclub fire
Wed 16 Sep 2026
In 1981, a fire in a Dublin nightclub killed 48 people
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Connecting homes to the internet using cable TV
Tue 15 Sep 2026
In 1991, Rouzbeh Yassini created technology enabling millions of homes to access the web
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Norway鈥檚 teacher resistance in World War Two
Mon 14 Sep 2026
During the Nazi occupation of Norway, the country鈥檚 teachers resisted teaching propaganda
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Firefighter: Surviving the 9/11 North Tower collapse
Fri 11 Sep 2026
On 11 September 2001, firefighter Jay Jonas was inside the North Tower when it collapsed
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The weather report that changed the date of D-Day
Thu 10 Sep 2026
In 1944, a weather report predicted a storm that changed the course of WW2 history
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Bayeux Tapestry: the lost Nazi archive
Wed 9 Sep 2026
In 1994, a French curator helped recover documents thought lost since World War Two
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The 'moving' statue of Ballinspittle
Tue 8 Sep 2026
In 1985, reports of a moving Virgin Mary statue drew thousands to a small Irish village
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Surviving the Long March
Mon 7 Sep 2026
In 1935, thousands who had followed Mao Zedong on the Long March struggled to survive
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Star Trek: America's first interracial TV kiss
Fri 4 Sep 2026
In 1968, American television broadcast what's claimed to be the first interracial kiss
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The making of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Thu 3 Sep 2026
Peter Coyote reflects on the making of the movie E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
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鈥楪enius鈥� sci-fi writer Octavia E Butler
Wed 2 Sep 2026
In 1995, Octavia E Butler received a MacArthur 鈥済enius鈥� award for science-fiction writing
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How the Star Wars toys were created
Mon 31 Aug 2026
In 1976, toymaker Jim Swearingen had to convince his boss to take a chance on a new film
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The hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73
Fri 28 Aug 2026
In 1986, Pan-American Airways Flight 73 was hijacked at Karachi Airport
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Hurricane Luis hits Antigua
Thu 27 Aug 2026
In September 1995, Hurricane Luis devastated the Caribbean island of Antigua
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Peace People: The Northern Ireland campaign group born from tragedy
Wed 26 Aug 2026
In 1977, Mairead Corrigan and Betty Williams won the Nobel Peace Prize
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Auschwitz: An SS officer鈥檚 photo album
Tue 25 Aug 2026
In 2007, an abandoned photo album revealed the chilling normality of life in Auschwitz
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Uruguay's water referendum
Mon 24 Aug 2026
In 2004, Uruguayans voted to enshrine water as a human right in their constitution.
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Defeating the screwworm
Fri 21 Aug 2026
In the 1950s, Edward Knipling's bold idea launched a historic campaign against screwworm
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'I created the duck cake from Bluey'
Thu 20 Aug 2026
In 1980, an Australian birthday cake book was launched that would inspire generations
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Canada's controversial resettlement programme
Wed 19 Aug 2026
In 1954, thousands from isolated fishing communities were relocated to 'growth centres'
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The battle of Mandalay in WW2
Tue 18 Aug 2026
The story of a crucial battle in the Burma campaign in 1945
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Asha Bhosle: The world's most recorded artist
Mon 17 Aug 2026
Asha Bhosle became the world's most recorded artist in 2011