PODCAST

The History Hour

BBC World Service

A compilation of the latest Witness History programmes.

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All Episodes

51:32

Whisky wars and the Lord of Sipan

The History Hour ·

2024/03/02

Max Pearson presents a collection of this week’s Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service. We first hear about a bloodless war between Denmark and Canada, that involved whisky. In 1984, the two nations were disputing the ownership of the tiny Hans Island, just off the coast of Greenland. It might be the friendliest territorial dispute ever. We hear from Tom Hoyem and Alan Kessel, politicians on either side. And we have historian Ditte Melitha Kristensen, from the National Museum and

52:09

Skiing and two-headed dogs

The History Hour ·

2024/02/24

Max Pearson presents a collection of this week’s Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service. We hear about the famous ski resort, Whistler Blackcomb. In 2003, the venue won its bid to host the Winter Olympic Games for the first time. Hugh Smythe, known as one of the ‘founding fathers’ of Whistler, has been sharing his memories of the mountain. We also have former Winter Olympian and BBC presenter, Chemmy Alcott, to walk us through the long history of skiing. Plus, how the tiny island

51:55

Letters to Juliet and Saint Valentine’s traditions

The History Hour ·

2024/02/17

Max Pearson presents a collection of this week’s Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service.We hear about the Juliet Club in Verona, Italy. The club has been replying to mail addressed to Shakespeare’s tragic heroine, Juliet since the early 1990s.Professor Lisa Bitel talks about the traditions of Valentine’s Day. Plus, how the small Irish town of Gort became known as ‘Little Brazil’ because it's home to so many Brazilians. The World War Two escape line that fooled the Nazis and the stadium

51:38

Inspirational black women

The History Hour ·

2024/02/10

Max Pearson presents a collection of this week’s Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service telling stories about inspirational black women. In 1973, the Battle of Versailles pit up-and-coming American designers using black models against the more traditional French. We hear from Bethann Hardison, one of those black models, about how the capital of couture, Paris, became the stage for this defining moment in the history of fashion. Professor Adrienne Jones, a fashion expert at the Pratt

52:04

Internet cafes and Doomsday seeds

The History Hour ·

2024/02/03

Max Pearson presents a collection of this week’s Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service.We hear about Cyberia - the first commercial internet café which opened in London in 1994. Director of the Oxford Internet Institute at the University of Oxford, Professor Vicki Nash, talks us through other notable landmarks in the internet’s history. Plus how the Covid N95 mask was invented by a scientist from Taiwan in 1992.Also how Brazilian theologian Leonardo Boff was punished for his writing on

52:52

Traitors and treachery

The History Hour ·

2024/01/27

Max Pearson presents a collection of this week's Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service all about figures branded as traitors.In 1939 Wang Jingwei, once a national hero in China, signed an agreement with Japanese invaders which made his name synonymous with the word ‘Hanjian’, a traitor to China. But Pan Chia-sheng’s memories of living under Wang Jingwei’s government in Nanjing tell a very different story. Our guest Ian Crofton, author of Traitors and Turncoats, explains the nuances

51:50

Lady Tarzan and Ibadan Zoo

The History Hour ·

2024/01/20

Max Pearson presents a collection of this week’s Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service.We’re going wild for animals this week. We find out how the Ibadan Zoo became one of Nigeria’s biggest tourist attractions during the 1970s. Our guest Harriet Ritvo, professor of history at MIT, looks back across the centuries to reveal the fascination that humans have always had for animals. And more on the environmental campaigner who became known as Lady Tarzan for her fight against illegal

51:43

The first lesbian couple to get married and World...

The History Hour ·

2024/01/13

Max Pearson presents a collection of this week's Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service.In 2001, the Netherlands became the first country to legalise gay marriage. Four couples were chosen to take part in a collective wedding at midnight which was broadcast on TV. Hélène Faasen and Anne-Marie Thus talk about the wedding they thought they'd never have.Our guest Lauren Moss, the LGBT & Identity Correspondent at BBC News tells us about the history of gay marriage.Also, the man who

52:19

Hindenburg disaster and wingsuits

The History Hour ·

2024/01/06

Max Pearson presents a collection of this week's Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Barbara Waibel, author of a book on the Hindenburg and Director of Archives at the Zeppelin Museum in Friedrichshafen, Germany. She tells us about the history of airships.We begin with some remarkable archive of the Hindenburg airship disaster in 1937. Then British scientist Jonathan Shanklin describes how he discovered the hole in the ozone layer in 1985.In the second half of the

52:10

Pad Thai, kiwis and the chef Ken Hom

The History Hour ·

2023/12/30

Max Pearson presents a collection of this week’s Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service.This week, we look at the disputed history of pad Thai with food writer Chawadee Nualkhair.We also hear from former fruit exporter Don Turner on why his family changed the name of the Chinese gooseberry to the kiwi fruit.Our expert guest is food historian, Prof Katarzyna Cwiertka, who highlights other moments in history when food and politics combined.We also have an interview with Thomas Chatenier,

51:45

Tsunamis and Caster Semenya

The History Hour ·

2023/12/23

Max Pearson presents a collection of this week’s Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service.This week, we hear from Lumepa Hald who survived the devastating tsunami that hit Samoa in 2009 but suffered a tragic loss.Our expert guest, Prof Tiziana Rossetto, looks back at some of the worst tsunamis in history and how they have shaped our landscapes.Plus we talk to Caster Semenya, the gold medallist who faced questions over her gender at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin.There’s also an

51:50

Mandela's funeral and Tsar's reburial

The History Hour ·

2023/12/16

Max Pearson presents a collection of this week's Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Dr Ongama Mtimka, lecturer in South African politics at the Nelson Mandela University. He tells us about Mandela's life and legacy 10 years on from his death. We start with with Mandela's daughter, Makaziwe, describing her relationship with her father and planning his funeral. Then, the brother of Emanuela Orlandi describes his lifelong mission to unravel the mystery of her

51:32

Doom and Danish brains

The History Hour ·

2023/12/09

Max Pearson presents a collection of this week’s Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service.We hear about two of the most influential computer games of the 1990s with their creators. John Romero was one of the developers of Doom and talks about the concept of a martian military base populated by zombie soldiers. Coder Jan Tian describes how his devotion to working on the football game FIFA 94 landed him in hospital. Our guest, The Guardian newspaper's video games editor Keza MacDonald,

52:54

Saving animals from extinction and Cabbage Patch Kids

The History Hour ·

2023/12/02

Max Pearson presents a collection of this week’s Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service. This week, the bird that defied extinction. In 1969, a Peruvian farmer Gustavo Del Solar received an unusual assignment - finding a bird called the white-winged guan that had been regarded as extinct for a century.The American author and conservationist Michelle Nijhuis is this week's guest. She talks about some of the most interesting attempts in modern history to save animals on the brink of

51:36

Zambia celebrates independence and the invention of...

The History Hour ·

2023/11/25

Max Pearson presents a collection of this week’s Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service.This week, we’re looking at the birth of a new African nation – Zambia - in 1964, and find out how the country got its name. We also learn more about life after independence with our guest Dr Alfred Tembo, head of history of the University of Zambia.Elsewhere, two survivors of a series of terrifying gun attacks in Mumbai talk about their experiences. And there’s a look back to 2003, when the worst

52:22

The Eyjafjallajokull volcano eruption in Iceland and...

The History Hour ·

2023/11/18

Max Pearson presents a collection of this week’s Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Professor Jenni Barclay from the University of East Anglia in the UK. She tells us about some of the most significant volcanic eruptions in history.We start with the eruption of Eyjafjallajokull in 2010, which caused air travel to stop across Europe. Then, memories of the Bolivian Water War in 2000.In the second half of the programme, we hear how the EpiPen was invented by Sheldon

52:17

Pakistani popstars, and the hippo and the tortoise

The History Hour ·

2023/11/11

Max Pearson presents a collection of this week’s Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service. We hear from Zoheb Hassen, one half of a sibling duo from Pakistan who topped the charts in countries all over the world with their dancefloor filler, Disco Deewane.Our guest is BBC radio presenter and Pakistani music fan Raess Khan. He talks about how Pakistani pop music evolved from Zoheb’s success.Entertainment star Debbie McGee, who is best known for being the assistant and wife of British

51:25

Che Guevara's daughter and marrying Freddie Mercury

The History Hour ·

2023/11/04

Max Pearson presents a collection of this week's Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Tony Kapcia, Emeritus Professor at the University of Nottingham's Centre for Research on Cuba. He tells us about the history of Cuban foreign policy.We start with Aleida Guevara's memories of being sent from Cuba to provide medical aid in the Angolan Civil War during the 1980s. Then, the French scientist Francoise Barre-Sinoussi explains how HIV was discovered in 1983.In the second half

51:46

Gezi Park protests and MAD hijack

The History Hour ·

2023/10/27

Max Pearson presents a collection of this week’s Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service.We hear from activist and actor Memet Ali Alabora on how his social media post contributed to the civil unrest following the Gezi Park protests in Turkey in 2013.Our guest, Selin Girit who covers Turkey for BBC World Service, talks to us about Turkey's important position between Europe and Asia. We also learn about the fighting in 1980 between the left and right-wing groups that led to Turkey’s

50:55

Osmondmania! and the launch of Lagos Fashion Week

The History Hour ·

2023/10/20

Max Pearson presents a collection of this week’s Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service.We hear about Osmondmania! The moment in 1973 when teenage fans of American heartthrobs, The Osmonds, caused a balcony at Heathrow to collapse.Also, we find out about the first peace walk in Cambodia and how it united a country torn apart by war.Plus, the birth of Lagos Fashion Week and how it put Nigerian design on the global map.Contributors: Donny Osmond. Josephine McDermott, BBC producer and

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