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.
Episodes to download
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Attack on the US Embassy in Islamabad
Fri 20 Nov 2015
In late November 1979 a mob set fire to the US Embassy in Islamabad
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The CIA's Cultural War: how the CIA secretly funded the magazine Encounter
Thu 19 Nov 2015
How the CIA secretly funded the hugely influential cultural magazine Encounter.
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Fear of Flying: The Best Selling Book About Sex, Creativity And Love
Wed 18 Nov 2015
Erica Jong, a feminist author from New York, talks about her novel on female sexuality
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Fire: Bollywood Explores Lesbian Love
Tue 17 Nov 2015
Indian film star Shabana Azmi recalls playing a lesbian in the controversial film, Fire
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Kenya鈥檚 Torture Chambers
Mon 16 Nov 2015
In 1986 the Kenyan government began a programme of secretly torturing suspected opponents
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The Fall of the Taliban
Fri 13 Nov 2015
On 13 November 2001, the Taliban administration collapsed in Afghanistan
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East Timor Massacre
Thu 12 Nov 2015
In November 1991 Indonesian troops opened fire on independence activists in East Timor
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Romany: Pioneer Wildlife Broadcaster
Wed 11 Nov 2015
Romany of the 麻豆社 was a pioneer naturalist broadcaster of Roma Gypsy origin
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India Anti-Sikh Riots
Tue 10 Nov 2015
Following the assassination of Indira Gandhi, India was gripped by anti-Sikh riots
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The Amman Bombings
Mon 9 Nov 2015
On 9 November 2005, nearly 60 people were killed in Jordan's worst terror attack
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The Russian Revolution: Alexander Kerensky
Fri 6 Nov 2015
Alexander Kerensky, overthrown by Lenin in 1917, comments on the Russian Revolution
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The Battle of El Alamein
Thu 5 Nov 2015
In 1942, the Allies launched an offensive in Egypt that helped shape the course of WW2
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The Green March
Wed 4 Nov 2015
In November 1975 a huge crowd of Moroccans marched into a Spanish colony in the desert
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Britain's Executioner - Albert Pierrepoint
Tue 3 Nov 2015
Archive interviews with Britain's most famous hangman, who executed more than 400 people.
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The Jarrow Crusade
Mon 2 Nov 2015
In 1936 men from the North of England marched to London to protest at mass unemployment.
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A Jewish Homeland in Siberia
Fri 30 Oct 2015
In 1930 the USSR created a Jewish Region in Siberia, a homeland for Soviet Jews
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The Great Depression: Harry Leslie Smith Remembers
Thu 29 Oct 2015
Harry Leslie Smith grew up in England during the Great Depression of the 1930s
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The First Lady of Cuban Ballet
Wed 28 Oct 2015
World-famous prima ballerina Alicia Alonso talks about founding Cuba's National Ballet
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The Nuclear Spy Alan Nunn May
Tue 27 Oct 2015
In 1945 the English physicist was exposed as a nuclear spy for the Soviet Union.
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The birth of the United Nations
Mon 26 Oct 2015
In October 1945, the United Nations was born, in the hope of preventing future wars
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Iceland's Women Strike
Fri 23 Oct 2015
In October 1975, 90% of all women in Iceland took part in a massive nationwide protest
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Sri Lanka Killings
Thu 22 Oct 2015
In 1995 during Sri Lanka's brutal civil war Tamil rebels attacked a Sinhalese village.
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The Disappearing Sea
Wed 21 Oct 2015
In 1990, the first international conference was held on the shrinking of the Aral Sea
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The Controversial 'God of Vengeance'
Tue 20 Oct 2015
How the cast of an early 20th century Yiddish play found themselves in court in New York.
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Mass Graves in Hue, Vietnam
Mon 19 Oct 2015
US troops discovered victims of the Communist Tet offensive in Hue city in 1968
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The October Crisis in Canada
Fri 16 Oct 2015
When Quebec separatists started to use violence - Canada's government called out the army
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Satyajit Ray: Working with India鈥檚 Cinematic Master
Thu 15 Oct 2015
Sixty years ago the acclaimed director released his awarding winning first film
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Danish Jews Escape the Holocaust
Wed 14 Oct 2015
Almost all of Denmark's Jewish population escaped the Nazis during World War Two
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The White Russians in Shanghai
Tue 13 Oct 2015
A Russian refugee remembers life in Shanghai after fleeing the 1917 revolution
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The Death of Edith Cavell
Mon 12 Oct 2015
On 12 October 1915 a British nurse was executed by German troops during World War One
