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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.

Updated: daily
Episodes available: indefinitely

Episodes to download

  •

    The First Russian Revolution of 1917

    Tue 14 Mar 2017

    In March 1917 Tsar Nicholas II abdicated ending centuries of autocratic rule in Russia

  • The Aids Patient Zero Myth

    Mon 13 Mar 2017

    How one man was mistakenly identified as the "Patient Zero" of the Aids epidemic

  • The Hanafi Hostage Siege in Washington DC

    Fri 10 Mar 2017

    In March 1977 a group of American Muslims took over 100 people hostage in the US.

  • Georgia O'Keeffe

    Thu 9 Mar 2017

    One of the world's most famous female artists died in March 1986.

  • Mexico Slashes Car Use

    Wed 8 Mar 2017

    How Mexico City's bold plan helped reduce dangerously high pollution levels.

  • Kuwaiti Women Secure the Vote

    Tue 7 Mar 2017

    In 2005 an unprecedented protest by Kuwaiti women won a historic change

  • WW1: The Two Women of Pervyse

    Mon 6 Mar 2017

    The story of two British nurses who set up a first aid station on the Western Front

  • Eleanor Roosevelt

    Fri 3 Mar 2017

    America's longest-serving First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt

  • The Immortal Cells of Henrietta Lacks

    Thu 2 Mar 2017

    Cells taken from an African American woman in 1951 revolutionised medical science

  • Mother Teresa - The Nun Who Became A Saint

    Wed 1 Mar 2017

    In March 1997 Mother Teresa retired from her charity work in India.

  • Obesity

    Tue 28 Feb 2017

    In 1997 obesity was first recognised as a global problem by the World Health Organisation

  • The Origin of Nollywood

    Mon 27 Feb 2017

    The story of the 1992 film which launched Nigeria's hugely successful movie industry

  • The Decapitation of the Little Mermaid

    Fri 24 Feb 2017

    In 1998 someone vandalised the most famous statue in Denmark.

  • Bulgarian Nurses on Trial in Libya

    Thu 23 Feb 2017

    Valya Chervenyashka was accused of mass murder and tortured in a Libyan jail.

  • The German American Bund

    Wed 22 Feb 2017

    In the 1930s, American Nazi sympathisers held rallies and summer camps across the US.

  • The Lost Manuscript of Huckleberry Finn

    Tue 21 Feb 2017

    In 1990, the manuscript of Mark Twain's classic novel was found in an attic in Hollywood.

  • The Trial of Slobodan Milosevic

    Mon 20 Feb 2017

    The former Serbian President went on trial for war crimes in 2002. Hear from his lawyers.

  • The Silver Ring Thing

    Fri 17 Feb 2017

    In 1995 a US campaign started encouraging teenagers not to have sex before marriage

  • Uganda's war on homosexuality

    Thu 16 Feb 2017

    In 2006, a Ugandan newspaper began printing the names of professionals believed to be gay

  • Italy votes for divorce

    Wed 15 Feb 2017

    In May 1974, Italians defied the Catholic Church and voted overwhelmingly for divorce.

  • The Birth of Speed Dating

    Tue 14 Feb 2017

    In 1998, a Los Angeles rabbi came up with a new way for single people to meet each other.

  • The conman who married his victims

    Mon 13 Feb 2017

    When Giovanni Vigliotto went on trial he said he'd married more than 100 women

  • Sanctuary Cities in the USA

    Fri 10 Feb 2017

    How American cities like San Francisco became safe havens for undocumented immigrants

  • The True Story of Whisky Galore

    Thu 9 Feb 2017

    How a ship laden with bottles of whisky was wrecked off the Scottish Hebrides

  • Kenya's Hit Record: Jambo Bwana

    Wed 8 Feb 2017

    The story of a 1980 Kenyan pop song which became an unlikely global hit.

  • The Killer Whale that Killed

    Tue 7 Feb 2017

    In February 1991, the captive orca, Tilikum, drowned his trainer, Keltie Byrne in Canada.

  • Rosalind Franklin DNA Pioneer

    Mon 6 Feb 2017

    The scientist produced an x-ray photograph in 1951 that helped show the structure of DNA

  • 1995 Peru-Ecuador Border War

    Fri 3 Feb 2017

    A former Peruvian army officer recalls the last war between Latin American neighbours.

  • The End of Apartheid

    Thu 2 Feb 2017

    In February 1990 the South African president announced the dismantling of apartheid

  • Battle of Mogadishu: Black Hawk Down

    Wed 1 Feb 2017

    In 1993, US forces launched a disastrous raid against the Somali warlord, General Aideed

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