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 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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Creating Alexa
Fri 3 Jan 2025
In 2000, two Polish students started creating a smart speaker which sounded human
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Klaus Fuchs: Oppenheimer’s atomic spy
Thu 2 Jan 2025
In 1950, Klaus Fuchs admitted passing top secret nuclear secrets to the Soviet Union
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Robert Ripley and the ‘Believe It or Not’ empire
New Year's Day 2025
During the Great Depression, cartoonist Robert Ripley made millions from freaky facts
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Indian Ocean tsunami - Aceh
Tue 31 Dec 2024
In 2004, a deadly tsunami swept away entire communities around the Indian Ocean
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Indian Ocean tsunami - Tamil Nadu
Mon 30 Dec 2024
On 26 December 2004, communities around the Indian Ocean were swept away by a tsunami
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Dinner for One: How an English comedy became a German tradition
Fri 27 Dec 2024
The sitcom Dinner for One, recorded in 1963, has become a German New Year's Eve tradition
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'Kimchi war'
Boxing Day 2024
In the 1990s, a diplomatic dispute broke out between Japan and South Korea over kimchi
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Chef to five presidents
Christmas Day 2024
Cristeta Comerford was the first woman and person of colour to the White House's top chef
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'I created MasterChef'
Mon 23 Dec 2024
In 1990, the cookery programme MasterChef launched on 91Èȱ¬ TV
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Australian republic referendum
Fri 20 Dec 2024
On 6 November 1999, voters in Australia were asked if they wanted to become a republic
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Poland's bleak Christmas
Thu 19 Dec 2024
In 1981, the communist government of Poland declared martial law to suppress civil unrest
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Ceefax: the start of interactive television
Wed 18 Dec 2024
In 1974, the 91Èȱ¬ launched the world's first teletext service
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Surviving Andes plane crash
Tue 17 Dec 2024
In 1972, 16 people survived for two months in the Andes mountains after a plane crash
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Peshawar school massacre
Mon 16 Dec 2024
In 2014, one of Pakistan’s worst terror attacks took place at Peshawar Army School
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The birth of reggaeton
Fri 13 Dec 2024
In the 1980s, Leonardo Renato Aulder pioneered a movement in Panama with his friends
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The handover of the Panama Canal
Thu 12 Dec 2024
In 1999 the Panama Canal was handed over from US to Panamanian rule.
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The Purple Heart Warriors
Wed 11 Dec 2024
In WW2, a Japanese American troop was one of the most decorated army units in US history
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Castro's Cuban revolution attempt
Mon 9 Dec 2024
In 1953, Fidel Castro attempted to revolutionise Cuba by attacking military barracks
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India’s 1998 nuclear tests
Fri 6 Dec 2024
Nalini Malani made an artwork protesting against India's nuclear tests
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Julia Gillard speaks out on sexism
Thu 5 Dec 2024
In 2012, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard made a landmark speech on misogyny
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The ‘Three Marias’
Wed 4 Dec 2024
In 1974, a judge decided if three Portuguese women should be jailed for writing a book
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The discovery that led to Covid vaccines
Tue 3 Dec 2024
In 2005, Dr Katalin Karikó published research that eventually won her the Nobel Prize
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Gloria Steinem: The start of Ms. Magazine
Mon 2 Dec 2024
In 1972, Gloria Steinem co-founded Ms. Magazine in the United States
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The Iran-Contra Affair
Sun 1 Dec 2024
In 1986, Oliver North was accused of orchestrating the illegal sale of weapons to Iran
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The end of the US HIV travel ban
Fri 29 Nov 2024
In 2010, a travel and immigration ban stopping people with HIV entering the US was lifted
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The deepest man-made hole in the world
Thu 28 Nov 2024
In the 1970s and 1980s, scientists in Russia managed to dig a 12,000-metre deep hole
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Thich Quang Duc: Buddhist monk who set himself on fire
Wed 27 Nov 2024
In June 1963, Thich Quang Duc set himself alight in protest against the government
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Strictly Come Dancing
Mon 25 Nov 2024
Television extravaganza Strictly Come Dancing debuted in 2004 in the UK
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Arrested for "immorality" in South Africa
Sun 24 Nov 2024
Dr Zureena Desai was arrested in South Africa for breaking the Immorality Act