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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Making Jaws
Fri 20 Jun 2025
On 20 June 1975 the film premiered, launching summer blockbusters and scaring beachgoers
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The signing of the Treaty of Versailles
Thu 19 Jun 2025
The signing of a peace agreement that marked the end of World War One took place in 1919
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Civil rights swim-in
Wed 18 Jun 2025
In 1964, a civil rights swimming protest ended when acid was poured into the pool
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Charleston church shooting
Tue 17 Jun 2025
Polly Sheppard, a survivor of the 2015 Charleston shooting, describes how it unfolded
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'Tripperburgen' the sexual health clinics that detained women
Mon 16 Jun 2025
In 1977, in the former East Germany, tens of thousands of women and girls were abused
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The Schengen Agreement
Fri 13 Jun 2025
In 1985, five European politicians agreed to scrap border checks between their countries
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Ronald Reagan鈥檚 鈥楾ear down this wall鈥� speech
Thu 12 Jun 2025
In 1987 the US President called on the Soviet Union leader to take down the Berlin Wall
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Lonesome George: The celebrity tortoise
Wed 11 Jun 2025
In 2012, Lonesome George, the last tortoise of his species died
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The woman born in a prisoner of war camp
Tue 10 Jun 2025
The Sino-Indian war in 1962, left a lasting legacy on Indian families of Chinese descent
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World War Two鈥檚 Rome escape line
Mon 9 Jun 2025
How an Irish priest saved thousands of allied prisoners of war and Jews in Rome in WW2
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The discovery of the first exoplanets
Thu 5 Jun 2025
In 1992, astronomer Alex Wolszczan discovered the first planets outside our solar system
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Favela life: The diary of Carolina Maria de Jesus
Wed 4 Jun 2025
In 1960, the diary of a poor Brazilian mum became an international bestseller.
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The world鈥檚 largest model train set
Tue 3 Jun 2025
In 2000, twins Frederik and Gerrit started building Miniatur Wunderland
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Dolly Rathebe: South Africa鈥檚 first international film star
Mon 2 Jun 2025
Jim Comes to Jo鈥檅urg, also known as African Jim, launched Dolly Rathebe鈥檚 career in 1949
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The Battle of the Beanfield
Fri 30 May 2025
In 1985, police and hippies clashed at the ancient stone circle of Stonehenge, in England
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The legacy of The Pirate Bay
Thu 29 May 2025
In 2006 police raided the popular but controversial file-sharing website The Pirate Bay
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Chinua Achebe鈥檚 revolutionary book Things Fall Apart
Wed 28 May 2025
Achebe's English language novel from 1958 about life in Nigeria before colonialism
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The Tragically Hip's final gig
Tue 27 May 2025
In 2015 Canadian rockstar Gord Downie was given months to live, he went on one last tour
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'I wrote the Champions League anthem'
Mon 26 May 2025
The story of how one of the most iconic tunes in sport was created in 1992
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Vivian Maier: Secret street photographer
Fri 23 May 2025
The secret street photography of a US nanny in the 1950s and 1960s
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The founding of Magnum Photos
Thu 22 May 2025
On 22 April 1947, a group of famous war photographers founded the agency.
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Mart铆n Chambi: Peru's pioneering documentary photographer
Wed 21 May 2025
Chambi's dramatic black and white photographs showed indigenous people in a new light.
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Nigerian photographer鈥檚 iconic 'Hairstyles' series
Tue 20 May 2025
J. D. 'Okhai Ojeikere, known as Nigeria鈥檚 top photographer gained international acclaim
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Lunch atop a Skyscraper
Mon 19 May 2025
In 1932, a photo of ironworkers eating lunch at the top of a skyscraper was taken
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Sweden鈥檚 shocking sugar experiment
Fri 16 May 2025
In the 1940s, vulnerable hospital patients were fed sugar to see if their teeth decayed.
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Mexico鈥檚 soda tax: Confronting soft drink giants
Thu 15 May 2025
In 2013 a new tax was approved in one of the world鈥檚 biggest consumers of fizzy drinks
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The founding of the Warsaw Pact
Wed 14 May 2025
On 14 May 1955, eight Soviet countries met to sign the Warsaw Pact.
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Tesla and Edison: Electricity rivals
Tue 13 May 2025
In 1915, two rival electricity pioneers were told they would share a Nobel Prize
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Intervision Song Contest
Mon 12 May 2025
In 1980, Finnish singer Marion Rung won Intervision, the USSR's answer to Eurovision
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Rescuing Palmyra鈥檚 treasures from the Islamic State group
Fri 9 May 2025
In 2015, Khalil Hariri risked his life to save centuries-old archaeology in Syria.