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Witness History

Witness History is a short BBC World Service podcast about history that takes you inside big moments from the past through first-hand testimony and archive. Each weekday, in around nine minutes, we revisit one moment that helped shape the world and hear it through the voice of someone who was there. Scientists, artists, campaigners, soldiers, leaders and everyday people tell their true stories.

When you subscribe to Witness History, you’ll be taken inside turning points in world affairs, from West Africa’s fight back against Boko Haram in 2015, to the behind-closed-doors talks that led to the US-Cuba “thaw” and the surprise announcement of restored relations.

You’ll discover what it was like to experience disasters and how people recovered from them, including the Tabasco floods in Mexico, Portugal’s worst train disaster, and the huge clean-up after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

You’ll explore culture and ideas too: Sweden’s Expedition Robinson, often credited as the first modern reality TV game show; the friendship between The Beatles’ George Harrison and Indian sitarist Ravi Shankar; and the night a tiger attack brought Las Vegas superstars Siegfried and Roy’s show to a sudden end.

And if you’re curious about inventions, we’ll tell you how air fryers, BlackBerry, YouTube, Alexa, GPS, superglue, the shopping cart (shopping trolley) and bubble tea were created.

If you’re new to Witness History, the appeal is simple: real voices, one strong true story, and a fresh way to understand today through events from history – all in the time it takes to enjoy a cup of tea or a walk around the block. Join millions of BBC World Service podcast listeners around the globe and enjoy the insight, context and detail Witness History will bring you.

Copyright: © (C) BBC 2024

Latest Episodes:

Pope John Paul I’s sudden death Feb 08, 2023

Show notes

Cardinal Albino Luciani became Pope John Paul I on 26 August 1978. He died unexpectedly 33 days later.

He was discovered in the early morning lying on his bed, a collection of sermons in his hand.

He was considered an excellent communicator, and his warm personality earned him the nickname of "the smiling Pope". But his death shook the Catholic Church.

Rebecca Kesby spoke to Cardinal Beniamino Stella who knew him well.

This programme was first broadcast in 2017.

(Photo: Pope John Paul I. Credit: Getty Images)

Reforming the Catholic Church with Vatican II Feb 07, 2023

Show notes

In January 1959, Pope John XXIII announced a council of all the world's Catholic bishops and cardinals in Rome.

It led to sweeping reforms, including allowing Mass to be said in languages other than Latin and an attempt to build relationships with other denominations and faiths.

But not everyone was happy with the changes.

Monsignor John Strynkowski was a student priest in Rome at the time and told Rebecca Kesby about the excitement and controversy surrounding the council that became known as Vatican II.

This programme was first broadcast in 2019.

(Photo: Pope John XXIII. Credit: Getty Images)

How a Pope is chosen Feb 06, 2023

Show notes

Following the death of Pope John Paul II, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger became Pope Benedict XVI in April 2005. He was elected after four ballots of the papal conclave.

The late Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor took part and told Rebecca Kesby the story of how the new leader of the Catholic Church was chosen by 115 cardinals.

This programme was first broadcast in 2013.

(Photo: Pope Benedict XVI. Credit: Getty Images)

The assassination of Burundian President Melchior Ndadaye Feb 02, 2023

Show notes

In July 1993, Melchior Ndadaye became Burundi’s first democratically elected president.

He was also the first president to come from the country’s Hutu majority.

For decades up to that point, Burundi had been ruled by a small group of individuals drawn from the among the Tutsi minority. President Ndadaye had come to power promising a new vision for Burundi.

But within months he was murdered by soldiers.

Rob Walker hears from Jean-Marie Ngendahayo who was Minister of Communications in President Ndadaye’s government.

(Photo: A relative of Melchior Ndadaye holding a photo of him at his funeral. Credit: Getty Images)

Columbia space shuttle disaster Feb 01, 2023

Show notes

The US space shuttle Columbia broke up on its way back to Earth on 1 February 2003.

It had been in use since 1981.

Iain Mackness spoke to Admiral Hal Gehman who was given the job of finding out what went wrong. The admiral’s report led to the ending of the American space shuttle programme in 2011.

A Made in Manchester production for BBC World Service first broadcast in 2019.

(Photo: Space shuttle Columbia. Credit: Getty Images)

Czechoslovakia's 'Velvet Divorce' Jan 31, 2023

Show notes

30 years ago this month, Czechoslovakia split into the separate states of the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

It was a rare instance of a state separating without a single life being lost. Thanks to this it became known as the ‘Velvet Divorce’.

Rather than putting it to a vote, the country and its assets were divided behind closed doors by the Czech and Slovak leaders, Václav Klaus and Vladimír Mečiar, who became the Prime Ministers of their newly independent states. Ben Henderson speaks to both of them about their memories from the time.

(Photo: Václav Klaus and Vladimír Mečiar negotiate the split. Credit: Zehl Igor/ČTK)

Palestine Post bombing Jan 30, 2023

Show notes

Mordechai Chertoff was the foreign editor on the Palestine Post (precursor to the Jerusalem Post) when it was bombed on 1 February 1948.

He tells Lucy Williamson how, despite the attack, the newspaper still came out the next morning.

This programme was first broadcast in 2010.

(Photo: Palestine Post bombing. Credit: Getty Images)

Invention of the MP3 Jan 27, 2023

Show notes

Professor Karlheinz Brandenburg from Germany spent more than a decade developing MP3 technology, which was developed to convert audio into digital form.

He had been working on it since 1982.

It compressed music into a file size that made it easier to transmit, leading to the first MP3 players and fast music sharing.

Laura Jones has been speaking to Professor Brandenburg.

(Photo: Karlheinz Brandenburg wearing headphones, with his team. Credit: Fraunhofer IIC)

Albert Pierrepoint: Britain's executioner Jan 26, 2023

Show notes

Using archive recordings, Alex Last tells the story of Britain's most famous hangman.

During the 1940s and 1950s, Albert Pierrepoint was responsible for the execution of some of Britain's most notorious murderers and was sent to Germany to hang more than 200 Nazi war criminals after World War Two.

He said he was always determined to treat prisoners with dignity and respect whatever their crime.

This programme was first broadcast in 2015.

(Photo: Albert Pierrepoint. Credit: Getty Images)

Smolensk air disaster Jan 25, 2023

Show notes

In 2010, a plane carrying the Polish president, Lech Kaczyński, crashed near the Russian city of Smolensk, killing everyone on board.

It was one of the most tragic moments in modern Polish history.

The country’s minister of foreign affairs, Radoslaw Sikorski was one of the first people to hear about it. He’s been sharing his memories of the disaster with Matt Pintus.

(Photo: Smolensk air crash wreckage. Credit: Getty Images)

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