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 and curious about 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 how the Excel spreadsheet was developed, the creation of cartoon rabbit Miffy and how the sound barrier was broken.
We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: the moment Reagan and Gorbachev met in Geneva, Haitian singer Emerante de Pradines鈥� life and Omar Sharif鈥檚 legendary movie entrance in Lawrence of Arabia.
You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, like the invention of a stent which has saved lives around the world; the birth of the G7; and the meeting of Maldives鈥� ministers underwater. We cover everything from World War Two and Cold War stories to Black History Month and our journeys into space.
Episodes to download
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1954 Burma Hijack
Mon 23 Jun 2014
In June 1954 separatist Karen rebels in Burma hijacked a passenger plane.
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The River That Caught Fire
Fri 20 Jun 2014
In 1969 the Cuyahoga River in the US caught fire inspiring new laws for the enviroment
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The Civil Rights Act of 1964
Thu 19 Jun 2014
The passing of the Civil Rights Act through the United States Congress 50 years ago
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The Mysterious Life and Loves of a Russian Baroness
Wed 18 Jun 2014
Russian aristocrat Moura Budberg lived through turbulent times. But was she a Soviet spy?
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Burying a Hungarian Hero
Tue 17 Jun 2014
In 1989 the body of Imre Nagy, Prime Minister during the Hungarian uprising, was reburied
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The OJ Simpson Car Chase
Mon 16 Jun 2014
In June 1994 police chased the American football star through Los Angeles
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Brazil's Tropicalia Movement
Fri 13 Jun 2014
Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso on the 1960s movement that changed Brazilian music
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The Fusca - The Car that Charmed Brazil
Thu 12 Jun 2014
How the Brazilian version of the VW Beetle won a special place in the nation's heart
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The Murder that Shocked Brazil
Wed 11 Jun 2014
In June 2002 investigative journalist, Tim Lopes, was brutally killed by a Rio drug gang
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Building of Brasilia
Tue 10 Jun 2014
How Brazil opened a modernist capital city in its remote central plains in 1960
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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 麻豆社 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
