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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Mstislav Rostropovich: Virtuoso cellist
Today
In 1978, Rostropovich lost Soviet citizenship for 鈥渦npatriotic activity鈥
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Nelson Mandela's incarceration at Robben Island
Yesterday
In 1964, Nelson Mandela was put in the maximum security prison on Robben Island
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The creation of Inspector Montalbano
Friday
In March 1994, the first Inspector Montalbano mystery, The Shape of Water, was published
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The protests that sparked the Tiananmen Square massacre
Thursday
How mass student demonstrations in May 1989 led to bloodshed in Beijing
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Australia's first Big Thing
Last Wednesday
In 1963, a giant sculpture of a Scotsman began one of the country's quirkiest phenomena
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The first Irish language television channel
Last Tuesday
In 1996, Ireland launched its first television channel broadcasting exclusively in Irish
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Recording the Eichmann interviews
Last Monday
In the 1950s, a journalist recorded hours of interview with the Nazi Adolf Eichmann
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Filming Titanic in Mexico
Fri 29 May 2026
In 1997, Titanic - one of the most successful films in movie history 鈥 was made in Mexico
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I escaped Mexico's deadly gas explosion
Thu 28 May 2026
In 1984, one of the world's deadliest gas accidents occurred in San Juanico
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I fought for Mexico鈥檚 indigenous women to get political equality
Wed 27 May 2026
In October 2014, millions of indigenous women in Mexico won the right to vote
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Mexico: The election that ended one鈥憄arty rule
Tue 26 May 2026
In 2000, Vicente Fox won the Mexican presidency, ending 71 years of one鈥憄arty rule
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The Mexican song that captivated lovers during World War II
Mon 25 May 2026
In 1944, Besame Mucho topped the charts with its daring plea for a passionate kiss
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Canada's worst E.coli outbreak
Fri 22 May 2026
In 2000, contaminated drinking water triggered one of Canada鈥檚 worst health disasters
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Montenegro votes for independence
Thu 21 May 2026
In 2006, Montenegro achieved independence from Serbia in the final break-up of Yugoslavia
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Exposing King Albert II's secret child
Tue 19 May 2026
In 1999, teenager Mario Danneels wrote a book which exposed a royal scandal in Belgium
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Poland鈥檚 underground newspaper
Mon 18 May 2026
In 1982, Polish dissidents set up Mazovia Weekly to share uncensored news with the public
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The Sami protest song that made Eurovision history
Fri 15 May 2026
In 1980, Norway鈥檚 Eurovision Song Contest entry included a traditional Sami joik song
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When Sweden invented the reality game show
Thu 14 May 2026
In 1997, Sweden launched the world's first reality-based competitive TV show
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Uncovering a lost burial ground in Rio
Wed 13 May 2026
In 1996, Merced dos Anjos unearthed the New Blacks Cemetery under her home in Brazil
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The fossil that revealed the first dinosaur feathers
Tue 12 May 2026
In 1996, a fossil in China showed the first real hint that some dinosaurs had feathers
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Canada鈥檚 Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Mon 11 May 2026
A 2015 report found 'cultural genocide' was committed against Canada's Indigenous people
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Sir David Attenborough's first Zoo Quest
Fri 8 May 2026
In 1954 a new television programme launched the career of the world-famous broadcaster
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Africa's worst stadium disaster
Thu 7 May 2026
In May 2001, 127 people died after a stampede at a football match in the Ghanaian capital
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Finding the world鈥檚 most complete T-rex fossil
Wed 6 May 2026
In August 1990, a team discovered the most complete T-rex fossil in the world
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Norway's WW2 railway sabotage plot
Tue 5 May 2026
In 1942, Norwegian resistance fighters set out to blow up a railway used by the Nazis
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Nuns killed in Algeria
Mon 4 May 2026
In October 1993, two nuns were shot dead near their convent in Algiers
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The origins of World Press Freedom Day
Fri 1 May 2026
In 1991, journalists created the Windhoek declaration leading to World Press Freedom Day
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Inside the Cuban thaw
Thu 30 Apr 2026
In 2014, secret negotiations aimed to improve relations between the US and Cuba
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Peter Singer鈥檚 Drowning Child thought experiment
Wed 29 Apr 2026
In 1972, Peter Singer published one of the most influential ideas in modern philosophy
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Car-free Sundays during the global oil crisis
Tue 28 Apr 2026
In October 1973, the Netherlands became the first country to introduce car-free Sundays