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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Windscale - Britain's worst nuclear accident
Wed 13 Apr 2011
In 1957 a nuclear reactor in the north of England caught fire
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Yuri Gagarin
Tue 12 Apr 2011
The first man in space became a hero and a poster boy for Soviet achievement
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The Rwandan genocide
Wed 6 Apr 2011
A plane crash on 6 April 1994, set off a wave of killing in Rwanda which lasted 100 days
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The death of Kurt Cobain
Tue 5 Apr 2011
Thirty years ago, the lead singer of the rock band Nirvana was found dead in his home
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Poll tax riots
Thu 31 Mar 2011
The anti-poll tax demonstration of March 1990 brought thousands onto the streets of London
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War in East Pakistan
Mon 28 Mar 2011
In 1971, war began between East and West Pakistan - leading to the creation of Bangladesh
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Posh and Becks - the wedding
Fri 25 Mar 2011
In July 1999 two members of British celebrity royalty tied the knot
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The ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Russian service
Thu 24 Mar 2011
For 65 years the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ World Service has broadcast in Russian, this weekend it stops
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Leonardo da Vinci v Michelangelo
Wed 23 Mar 2011
Over 500 years ago in Renaissance Italy, a battle was underway between two great painters.
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Tokaimura nuclear accident
Mon 21 Mar 2011
In September 1999 there was a nuclear accident at Tokaimura in Japan
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Isherwood in Berlin
Fri 18 Mar 2011
The English author Christopher Isherwood lived in Berlin throughout the 1930s.
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Ordination of Women Priests
Thu 17 Mar 2011
Angela Berners-Wilson on her experiences that day, and her long fight to become a priest
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Halabja
Wed 16 Mar 2011
In March 1988 Iraqi forces attacked the Kurdish town of Halabja with chemical weapons
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Air strikes on Libya 1986
Mon 14 Mar 2011
It is almost 25 years since the US decided to take military action against Libya
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Dunblane school shooting
Thu 10 Mar 2011
The lasting emotional impact of a gun attack at a small Scottish school in 1996
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Zeebrugge ferry disaster
Wed 9 Mar 2011
Survivors recall when a Belgian ferry capsized and killed more than 190 people
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Political Activist Rosa Luxemburg
Tue 8 Mar 2011
A revolutionary theorist and feminist icon, Lenin called her the Eagle of the Revolution
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Witness: Weathermen radicals in the USA
Fri 4 Mar 2011
The inside story of how three Weatherman revolutionaries died in New York in March 1970
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Rhodesian republic
Thu 3 Mar 2011
In 1970, the white minority thought they could rule Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, for ever
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The Krakow Ghetto
Wed 2 Mar 2011
In March 1941 the Nazi authorities in Krakow moved the city's Jews into a ghetto