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’ life and Omar Sharif’s 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’ 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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The battle for Fallujah
Fri 10 Jan 2020
A US Marine's account of the massive operation against Iraqi insurgents in 2004
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The Computers for Schools revolution
Thu 9 Jan 2020
In 2009, Uruguay became the first country to give every schoolchild a laptop computer.
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The murder of environmentalist Chico Mendes
Wed 8 Jan 2020
The killing of the man who'd become a powerful symbol of the fight to save the Amazon
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The exodus of Kashmiri Hindus
Tue 7 Jan 2020
In January 1990 over 100 000 Hindus fled the Kashmir valley
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German atrocities in Poland during WW2
Mon 6 Jan 2020
The memories of a survivor of Nazi atrocities in the final months of the war in Europe
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East Germany's punks
Fri 3 Jan 2020
How the communist secret police, the Stasi, tried to crush a youth subculture.
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Desmond's: A sitcom that changed Britain
Thu 2 Jan 2020
Desmond's was the most successful black sitcom in British TV history
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The book that predicted an end to civilisation
New Year's Day 2020
The Limits to Growth was published in 1972 and suggested global decline from 2020
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Negotiating an end to El Salvador's civil war
Tue 31 Dec 2019
The UN's top negotiator Alvaro de Soto recalls his part in bringing peace to El Salvador
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Vietnam war: Surviving the 'Christmas bombing' campaign
Fri 27 Dec 2019
In December 1972 the US military launched its heaviest bombardment of Hanoi.
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Cirque du Soleil
Boxing Day 2019
The ground-breaking circus was formed by a group of street performers in Quebec in 1984.
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The secret history of Monopoly
Christmas Day 2019
The true story of one of the world's most popular board games, Monopoly.
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The invasion of Afghanistan
Christmas Eve 2019
On 24 December 1979 Soviet troops started pouring into Afghanistan
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Fighting cancer
Mon 23 Dec 2019
Pioneering work in the 60s into combination chemotherapy to try to find a cure for cancer
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Bee crisis: Colony Collapse Disorder
Thu 19 Dec 2019
Why the mysterious loss of honey bees in the US triggered a global panic.
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The Romanian revolution
Wed 18 Dec 2019
In December 1989 a wave of protests finally deposed communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu
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Women and the Sabarimala temple
Tue 17 Dec 2019
How Indian women fought for the right to be allowed into a Hindu holy site
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Black GIs during World War Two
Mon 16 Dec 2019
How soldiers who had been relegated to support roles were asked to volunteer for combat
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The attack on India's parliament
Fri 13 Dec 2019
In December 2001 armed men attacked India's parliamentary compound in broad daylight
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The killing of Amadou Diallo
Thu 12 Dec 2019
When New York police shot a young immigrant 41 times, thousands took to the streets
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The IRA siege at Balcombe Street
Tue 10 Dec 2019
In December 1975, the IRA took a middle-aged couple hostage in Central London.
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The battle of the Louvre pyramid
Mon 9 Dec 2019
How Paris was eventually won round to the Louvre museum's great glass pyramid
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The Cuban writer who defied Fidel Castro
Fri 6 Dec 2019
In 1990 Reinaldo Arenas died of Aids in New York, leaving behind a powerful autobiography
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Jaslyk – Uzbekistan’s infamous prison
Thu 5 Dec 2019
A prison camp in the Uzbek desert became notorious for torture and human rights abuses.
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The British sculptor who won over the world
Wed 4 Dec 2019
Henry Moore revolutionised sculpture by creating immense works and setting them outside.
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Shackleton
Tue 3 Dec 2019
How a doomed Antarctic expedition in 1914 became a legendary story of survival
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The killing of Pablo Escobar
Mon 2 Dec 2019
The Colombian drug trafficker was shot dead by police on December 2nd 1993
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The first confirmed case of HIV in America
Fri 29 Nov 2019
Robert R was a teenager who died of an undiagnosed illness in Missouri in 1969
