Witness History Podcast
History as told by the people who were there.
Episodes to download
-
![]()
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?
-
![]()
Apollo 13
Thu 5 Sep 2024
In 1970, a Moon mission almost ended in tragedy after an explosion on board the spaceship
-
![]()
The end of the Irish marriage bar
Wed 4 Sep 2024
Until 1973, married women in Ireland were banned from working in state jobs
-
![]()
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
-
![]()
I led the 'Umbrella' protests
Mon 2 Sep 2024
In September 2014, Nathan Law led Hong Kong's 'Umbrella' Protests
-
![]()
The woman who spoke to the space station
Fri 30 Aug 2024
Maggie Iaquinto was the first amateur radio enthusiast to contact Russian cosmonauts
-
![]()
Guatemala's disappeared
Thu 29 Aug 2024
Jeremias Tecu's two brothers are among the thousands who disappeared in Guatemala
-
![]()
Waris Dirie
Wed 28 Aug 2024
In 1987, Waris Dirie had her first photo-shoot and became a supermodel sensation
-
![]()
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
-
![]()
Canada鈥檚 first UFO landing pad
Mon 26 Aug 2024
In 1967, the town of St. Paul built Canada's first alien UFO landing pad
-
![]()
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
-
![]()
India鈥檚 first female bartender
Thu 22 Aug 2024
The story of the woman who became known as India鈥檚 first female bartender
-
![]()
Argentina's five presidents in two weeks
Wed 21 Aug 2024
In 2001, Argentina went through a remarkable political crisis
-
![]()
-
![]()
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.
-
![]()
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
-
![]()
How the CIA caught 鈥楥arlos the Jackal鈥�
Thu 15 Aug 2024
One of the world鈥檚 most wanted men had been on the run for decades.
-
![]()
Sukarno: The founding father of Indonesian independence
Wed 14 Aug 2024
In 1945, the nationalist leader declared independence for Indonesia
-
![]()
The last ever Olympic art competition
Tue 13 Aug 2024
From 1912 until 1948, you could win medals in art at the Olympic Games
-
![]()
Clara Nunes: Queen of Samba
Mon 12 Aug 2024
The Brazilian singer who earned the title Queen of Samba
-
![]()
The first televised US presidential debate
Fri 9 Aug 2024
In 1956, US presidential candidates sent female representatives to the first debate on TV
-
![]()
President Richard Nixon resigns
Thu 8 Aug 2024
In 1974, Richard Nixon became the first US president in history to resign
-
![]()
Ronald Reagan and the Moral Majority
Wed 7 Aug 2024
In 1979, the Moral Majority was launched and changed the course of US politics
-
![]()
Bush v Gore: The election decided in the Supreme Court
Tue 6 Aug 2024
The US presidential election of 2000 was one of the most contested in history
-
![]()
The Situation Room photograph
Mon 5 Aug 2024
The story behind the Situation Room photograph during the raid to kill Bin Laden in 2011
-
![]()
-
![]()
The 1965 Freedom Riders of Australia
Fri 2 Aug 2024
The students who challenged the discrimination of Australia's indigenous people
-
![]()
Finding a home for Bulgaria's dancing bears
Wed 31 Jul 2024
In 1998, it became illegal to make bears dance in Bulgaria
-
![]()
Yazidi genocide: A rescue mission on Mount Sinjar
Tue 30 Jul 2024
How Yazidis in Iraq fled to Mount Sinjar to escape genocide in August 2014
-
![]()
The man who smuggled punk rock across the Berlin Wall
Mon 29 Jul 2024
How punk rock band Die Toten Hosen secretly played a concert in East Berlin.
