Witness History Podcast
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by 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 football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.
Episodes to download
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The discovery of New Zealand’s first dinosaur
Yesterday
The discovery of New Zealand's first dinosaur by Joan Wiffen
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Camouflaging Leningrad
Tuesday
In 1941, landmarks were painted and covered in the Russian city during World War Two
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The invention of the CT scanner
Monday
In 1971, the CT scanner was invented by Allan Cormack and Godfrey Hounsfield
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When Italy gave back Ethiopia’s stolen obelisk
Last Friday
The Axum Obelisk was looted by Italian soldiers in 1937 on the orders of Benito Mussolini
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Abebech Gobena: Africa's 'Mother Teresa'
Last Thursday
In 1980, Abebech Gobena founded an orphanage in Ethiopia to save children from starvation
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Ardi: the oldest skeleton of a human ancestor
Wed 11 Sep 2024
In 1994, a college student discovered a 4.4 million-year-old skeleton in Ethiopia
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When Emperor Haile Selassie lived in exile in England
Tue 10 Sep 2024
In 1936, the Emperor of Ethiopia Haile Selassie was exiled in Bath in the UK
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Emperor Haile Selassie overthrown
Mon 9 Sep 2024
In September 1974, a military junta launched a coup against Ethiopia's monarchy
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Giant Gonzalez: from NBA star to WWE wrestler
Fri 6 Sep 2024
Jorge Gonzalez was the first Argentinian in an NBA draft. How did he end up wrestling?
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Apollo 13
Thu 5 Sep 2024
In 1970, a Moon mission almost ended in tragedy after an explosion on board the spaceship
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The end of the Irish marriage bar
Wed 4 Sep 2024
Until 1973, married women in Ireland were banned from working in state jobs
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Ramesses II's 'mummy makeover'
Tue 3 Sep 2024
In 1976, the mummy of Ramesses II was flown from Egypt to Paris for a makeover
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I led the 'Umbrella' protests
Mon 2 Sep 2024
In September 2014, Nathan Law led Hong Kong's 'Umbrella' Protests
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The woman who spoke to the space station
Fri 30 Aug 2024
Maggie Iaquinto was the first amateur radio enthusiast to contact Russian cosmonauts
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Guatemala's disappeared
Thu 29 Aug 2024
Jeremias Tecu's two brothers are among the thousands who disappeared in Guatemala
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Waris Dirie: Destined to be famous
Wed 28 Aug 2024
In 1987, Waris Dirie had her first photo-shoot and became a supermodel sensation
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The writer of Mary Poppins
Tue 27 Aug 2024
It's 60 years since the Disney film was released, based on writer PL Travers's book
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Canada’s first UFO landing pad
Mon 26 Aug 2024
In 1967, the town of St. Paul built Canada's first alien UFO landing pad
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Spain's La Tomatina
Fri 23 Aug 2024
In 1945, a spat between teenage boys was the seed for the world's largest tomato fight
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India’s first female bartender
Thu 22 Aug 2024
The story of the woman who became known as India’s first female bartender
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Argentina's five presidents in two weeks
Wed 21 Aug 2024
In 2001, Argentina went through a remarkable political crisis
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The celebrity murder case that divided France
Mon 19 Aug 2024
French actress Marie Trintignant was killed by the rock star Bertrand Cantat in 2003.
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Saving lives after the 2002 Bali bombings
Fri 16 Aug 2024
'Spray-on skin' was used to treat burns victims after bombings on the Indonesian island
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How the CIA caught ‘Carlos the Jackal’
Thu 15 Aug 2024
One of the world’s most wanted men had been on the run for decades.
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Sukarno: The founding father of Indonesian independence
Wed 14 Aug 2024
In 1945, the nationalist leader declared independence for Indonesia
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The last ever Olympic art competition
Tue 13 Aug 2024
From 1912 until 1948, you could win medals in art at the Olympic Games
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Clara Nunes: Queen of Samba
Mon 12 Aug 2024
The Brazilian singer who earned the title Queen of Samba
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The first televised US presidential debate
Fri 9 Aug 2024
In 1956, US presidential candidates sent female representatives to the first debate on TV