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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The Good Friday Agreement referendum
Fri 7 Apr 2023
In 1998, a referendum was held in Northern Ireland and Ireland on the Belfast Agreement
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Beto Perez: 'I created Zumba by accident'
Thu 6 Apr 2023
In 2001, Colombian born choreographer Beto Perez created Zumba and it was all by accident
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Awaji Kannon: One of the world's tallest statues
Wed 5 Apr 2023
In 1982, a Japanese businessman unveiled the World Peace Giant Kannon in Japan
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Pan-European picnic
Tue 4 Apr 2023
In 1989, a picnic was held as demonstration for European integration
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Escaping national service in Eritrea
Mon 3 Apr 2023
The story of one young Eritrean woman鈥檚 attempt to escape compulsory national service
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A Brief History of Time
Fri 31 Mar 2023
A Brief History of Time, written by Prof Stephen Hawking, was published in March 1988
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The first photo sent from a phone
Thu 30 Mar 2023
In 1997, French engineer Philippe Kahn shared the first ever photo from a mobile phone
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Godfather of manicures
Wed 29 Mar 2023
In 1975, Minh Nguyen left behind his macho military life and re-trained as a manicurist
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How Bengaluru became India鈥檚 Silicon Valley
Tue 28 Mar 2023
Narayana Murthy, founder of Infosys, describes the city's technology revolution
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The windmill that revolutionised wind power
Mon 27 Mar 2023
In 1978, a group of volunteers in Denmark built their own wind turbine to power a school
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Keiko: Freeing 'Free Willy'
Fri 24 Mar 2023
In 1998, Keiko the Hollywood killer whale was released back into the wild
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The man who lived in an airport
Thu 23 Mar 2023
From 1988, Mehran Karimi Nasseri, from Iran, spent 18 years living in a Paris airport
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DDLJ: India鈥檚 longest running movie
Wed 22 Mar 2023
The longest running film in India was released in 1995
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Alcatraz: The strangest escape
Tue 21 Mar 2023
Three prisoners escaped from the maximum security US jail, Alcatraz in June 1962
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Kieu Chinh: A real Hollywood story
Mon 20 Mar 2023
In 1974, actress Kieu Chinh found herself on a farm cleaning up after chicken
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Iraq War: US security guards killed my son
Fri 17 Mar 2023
In 2007, private US Blackwater security guards opened fire on Iraqi civilians
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Iraq War: The capture of Saddam Hussein
Thu 16 Mar 2023
On 13 December 2003, Saddam Hussein was captured by United States forces
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Iraq War: 'Most wanted' playing cards
Wed 15 Mar 2023
In April 2003, playing cards were given to US troops to help them identify Iraqi targets
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Iraq War: Refugees escaping
Tue 14 Mar 2023
In March 2003, millions of citizens tried to flee Iraq after the US invasion began
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Iraq War: The beginning
Mon 13 Mar 2023
In March 2003, the Iraq War began as the United States bombed the capital, Baghdad
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Monica McWilliams鈥� role in the Northern Ireland peace process
Thu 9 Mar 2023
Monica McWilliams played a pivotal role in the Northern Ireland peace process
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First all-women peacekeeping unit
Wed 8 Mar 2023
In 2007, the UN deployed its first all-female contingent of peacekeepers in Liberia
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Mexico's first female presidential hopeful
Tue 7 Mar 2023
In 1982, Rosario Ibarra became the first woman to stand for president in Mexico
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Octavia E. Butler: Visionary black sci-fi writer
Mon 6 Mar 2023
She received numerous Hugos and Nebulas - top writing prizes for sci-fi writing
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Zoran Djindjic: The murder of Serbia's prime minister
Fri 3 Mar 2023
In 2003, Serbia's prime minister was assassinated in Belgrade
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The museum at the end of the world
Thu 2 Mar 2023
In 1992, a zoologist opened one of the world's most remote museums, on an Atlantic island
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Grenada's underwater sculpture park
Wed 1 Mar 2023
In 2004, Jason deCaires Taylor built the worlds first underwater gallery in Grenada
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Pink Triangles: Gay men in Nazi concentration camps
Tue 28 Feb 2023
In 2009, Rudolf Brazda returned to the former concentration camp he was in for being gay
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Wounded Knee siege
Mon 27 Feb 2023
Fifty years ago, indigenous American activists staged a protest against the US authorities