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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

  •

    Pakistan Ban on Alcohol

    Thu 31 Mar 2016

    In the spring of 1977 the government of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto introduced a ban on alcohol

  • The Attempt on Ronald Reagan's Life

    Wed 30 Mar 2016

    On March 30th 1981 a man tried to assassinate US President Ronald Reagan.

  • The Harold Wilson Plot

    Tue 29 Mar 2016

    In March 1976, the British prime minister Harold Wilson unexpectedly resigned. Why?

  • Virginia Woolf

    Mon 28 Mar 2016

    On March 28th 1941 the British novelist Virginia Woolf took her own life.

  • The Easter Rising

    Fri 25 Mar 2016

    How Irish rebels tried to start a revolution against British rule at Easter 1916.

  • Iraqi Shia Uprising - 1991

    Thu 24 Mar 2016

    At the end of the First Gulf War thousands of Iraqis rose up against Saddam Hussein

  • The Fall of Emperor Tewodros II

    Wed 23 Mar 2016

    In 1868 Tewodros II of Ethiopia prepared to make a last stand against the British army.

  • Viagra

    Tue 22 Mar 2016

    In 1998 a new 'wonder' drug was approved for use in the United States

  • Namibian Independence

    Mon 21 Mar 2016

    In March 1990, Namibia became independent from South African rule.

  • The Tunnellers of WW1

    Fri 18 Mar 2016

    Archive recordings of the tunnellers who fought underground in WW1

  • Vietnam-China Border War 1979

    Thu 17 Mar 2016

    Former communist allies China and Vietnam fought a short but bloody war in 1979.

  • Mad Cow Disease and CJD

    Wed 16 Mar 2016

    How a disease affecting cattle was transferred to the human population in Britain.

  • The Kasztner Affair

    Tue 15 Mar 2016

    In March 1957, an Israeli political scandal ended in an assassination.

  • Radiocarbon Dating of the Turin Shroud

    Mon 14 Mar 2016

    In 1988 scientists performed a carbon dating test on the Shroud of Turin.

  • The Original Revolutionary Feminist

    Fri 11 Mar 2016

    Alexandra Kollontai was the leading Marxist feminist in Communist Russia.

  • The Release of the Birmingham Six

    Thu 10 Mar 2016

    In March 1991, six men were freed ending one of Britain's worst miscarriages of justice

  • Tenerife Air Disaster

    Wed 9 Mar 2016

    In March 1977 the worst accident in the history of civil aviation took place in Tenerife.

  • Spinsters' Rights

    Tue 8 Mar 2016

    Millions of women were left single after the men they would have married died in WW1.

  • Poisoned in Kosovo

    Mon 7 Mar 2016

    How Roma Gypsies, who fled ethnic violence in 1999, were settled in a camp on toxic land

  • Condemned as a Spy in the USSR

    Fri 4 Mar 2016

    Flora Leipman, a British Jew, falsely condemned as a spy, was sent to a labour camp

  • Marie Stopes: Birth Control Pioneer

    Thu 3 Mar 2016

    In March 1921, Marie Stopes opened Britain's first birth control clinic in London

  • The Polaroid Instant Camera

    Tue 1 Mar 2016

    In February 1947 Edwin Land unveiled his new invention, the first ever instant camera.

  • The Siege of Sarajevo

    Mon 29 Feb 2016

    Twenty years ago the siege of Sarajevo ended, the longest siege in modern history

  • The Foxcatcher Story

    Fri 26 Feb 2016

    In 1996 an American multi-millionaire murdered one of the wrestlers he was sponsoring

  • The Caracazo Protests

    Thu 25 Feb 2016

    In February 1989 new austerity measures sparked days of violent protests in Venezuela

  • Philippines People Power Revolution

    Wed 24 Feb 2016

    In 1986, Filipinos took to the streets to overthrow the regime of Ferdinand Marcos

  • The Back to Africa Movement

    Tue 23 Feb 2016

    In the late 1800s thousands of African-Americans tried to emigrate to escape violence

  • The Death of Jonas Savimbi

    Mon 22 Feb 2016

    In February 2002 the controversial Angolan rebel leader was killed by government forces

  • The UK鈥檚 Foot-and-Mouth Epidemic

    Fri 19 Feb 2016

    In 2001 an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease devastated the British farming industry

  • The Battle of Verdun

    Thu 18 Feb 2016

    In 1916, French and German armies began one of the most devastating battles of WW1

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