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PODCAST

Witness History

BBC World Service

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

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All Episodes

10:56

The Tabasco floods

Witness History ·

2026/04/24

In 2007, the Mexican state of Tabasco experienced its worst flooding in 50 years, with more than a million people affected. Eighty per cent of the region was under water, with people having to be rescued from the roofs of their homes by boat. The flooding occurred after heavy rain caused rivers in the state to break their banks. Marco Franco worked as an emergency coordinator for the Red Cross during the floods. He speaks to Tim O’Callaghan about his memories of that time. Eye-witness accounts

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10:47

The introduction of Sharia law in Aceh, Indonesia

Witness History ·

2026/04/16

Aceh in Sumatra is the only Indonesian province where Sharia Law, Islamic religious law, is in force. It followed years of conflict between Aceh and the central government.In Arabic, Sharia means "the clear, well-trodden path to water". It is derived from the Quran, Islam's holy book and from the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad.Interpretation of Islamic law is nuanced according to local culture and customs, which means the application of Sharia Law may look quite different from country to

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9:00

The assassination of Thomas Sankara

Witness History ·

2026/04/15

In October 1987, one of Africa's most radical leaders, Captain Thomas Sankara, was gunned down in a coup in Burkina Faso.His overthrow was orchestrated by his old friend, Blaise Compaore. Thomas Sankara's brother, Paul, spoke to Alex Last in 2013.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

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9:53

Roddy Doyle: Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha

Witness History ·

2026/04/14

In 1993, the Irish writer Roddy Doyle won the prestigious Booker Prize for Fiction. His novel, Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha, was remarkable for the way it conveyed gritty drama through the eyes of a 10-year-old boy. Roddy tells Ben Henderson about his inspiration for Paddy Clarke, how he balanced writing with becoming a father and teaching, and the emotions of the night he won the award.Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by and curious about the past

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10:46

The creation of My Little Pony

Witness History ·

2026/04/13

My Little Pony first appeared in shops in the United States in 1983 and in that decade alone more than 100 million would be sold. But American toymaker Bonnie Zacharle tells Josephine McDermott how her idea to make a pony you could play with like a doll was turned down several times. She reveals the toys she liked to play with as a child living in Japan, how she updated Mr Potato Head and how her pony design first hit the market as a much bigger, harder model called My Pretty Pony. She says she told

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10:57

The turtle freed after 41 years in captivity

Witness History ·

2026/04/10

In 1984, loggerhead sea turtle Jorge became trapped in fishing nets and was moved to an aquarium in Mendoza. He was kept in captivity for more than 40 years until legal action and a campaign led to the closure of the aquarium and his release in 2025. But, where is he now?Megan Jones asks marine biologist Alejandro Saubidet, who was in charge of his rehabilitation.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

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10:12

Khula Manch, the victory rally

Witness History ·

2026/04/09

On 9 April 1990, people gathered at Khula Manch, an open stage in Kathmandu. They were celebrating the end of Nepal’s party-less Panchayat system and the beginning of multi-party democracy.Among the crowd was Durga Thapa, who had spent weeks organising and coordinating the protests.A photo of her in a sea of men, leaping up and giving the peace sign, her hands covered in red paint, came to mark the movement.She speaks to Ribika Moktan about that day and her role in Nepal’s 1990 democracy

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10:37

Hitler's teeth

Witness History ·

2026/04/08

On 8 May 1945, Yelena Rzhevskaya was handed a small box covered in red satin. The box had once held perfume but now inside – so she said – were Adolf Hitler’s teeth. Yelena later claimed this marked the beginning of the search for Hitler’s dental records and, with it, official confirmation that the Soviet Red Army had found the burnt corpse of the German leader.According to her memoir, the hunt took the young war interpreter on a car ride through Berlin in the dying days of the Second World War

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10:40

Marcel Duchamp and the urinal that changed art

Witness History ·

2026/04/07

In October 1942, the great French conceptualist artist Marcel Duchamp helped put on the first major surrealist exhibition in New York. Carroll Janis's parents were friends of Duchamp.Louise Hidalgo spoke to him in October 2016 about the exhibition, the man and his art, including his famous urinal, Fountain.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

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9:44

Straightening the Leaning Tower of Pisa

Witness History ·

2026/04/06

On 15 December 2001, the Leaning Tower of Pisa reopened to the public after an unprecedented 11-year closure. Famous worldwide for its dramatic lean, the tower also became, during the 1990s, the most closely monitored building on Earth. Engineers and scientists watched anxiously as the tilt worsened year by year, raising the very real possibility that the tower could topple. The lengthy restoration effort — invisible to tourists but watched closely by experts — was a race against time, during which

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10:44

The first commercially successful electronic cigarette

Witness History ·

2026/04/03

In the summer of 2003, pharmacist Hon Lik was one of millions of smokers in China.He was coughing a lot and having problems with his breathing and wondered if he could make an alternative cigarette.After various experiments, he created a vape prototype. It went on sale in May 2004 and was instantly a hit - selling 100,000 in China.Hon tells Megan Jones how he brought it to market.Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by and curious about the past

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10:47

Spain welcomes Picasso’s Guernica

Witness History ·

2026/04/02

In 1981 one of the world’s most iconic works of art – Guernica - was finally handed to Spain after a 44-year exile.Pablo Picasso had created the huge mural in 1937 followed the bombing of the Basque town of Guernica during the Spanish civil war. And, after being shown in Paris, the painting went on tour in Europe and America, where it was loaned to the Museum of Modern Art in New York.At the time, Picasso swore the painting would never hang in Spain until the country returned to democracy.It wasn't

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10:22

New Nordic cuisine

Witness History ·

2026/04/01

In 2004, Danish food entrepreneur Claus Meyer launched the ‘Nordic Kitchen Manifesto’, kick-starting a revolution in Nordic cooking focused on local seasonal ingredients. The new approach was most famously embodied by the Copenhagen restaurant Meyer founded, Noma, which was anointed the world’s best restaurant five times. New Nordic cuisine is credited with shifting global dining away from the importation of products, and towards its core tenets - freshness, seasonality and localism. Claus Meyer

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10:57

The discovery of the Terra Nova shipwreck

Witness History ·

2026/03/31

In 2012, a team of researchers discovered one of the most famous polar shipwrecks - the Terra Nova.The ship was famous for carrying Britain’s doomed explorers in their race to reach the South Pole more than a century ago.It was later sunk - laying unseen on the seabed for decades.Oceanographer Leighton Rolley tells Megan Jones how he and the rest of his crew used sound waves to find the hidden wreck.Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by and

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4:40

Recommending: 13 Minutes Presents Artemis II

Witness History ·

2026/03/30

Humans are returning to the Moon - hear all about it on the BBC’s space podcast. 13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II is following Nasa’s mission to loop around the Moon, with a new episode every day. Starts on Monday 30 March 2026. Search for 13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II wherever you get your BBC podcasts. Follow or subscribe now so you don’t miss an episode.Nasa plans to return to the Moon for the first time in more than half a century. Its Artemis II mission aims to send four astronauts to loop

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10:35

Echo and the elephants

Witness History ·

2026/03/30

In 1972, the world’s longest-running study of wild elephants was first launched in Kenya, making a star of one of its subjects – Echo.For decades, the Amboseli Elephant Research Project followed Echo and the rest of the park’s population to learn more about their behaviour, communication and social bonds. And in 1990, when the project began to attract wider attention, a documentary TV crew asked to film one of the groups. It was the start of Echo’s life in front of the camera. The grand old

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10:58

Anthony Bourdain's Don't Eat Before Reading This

Witness History ·

2026/03/27

In April 1999, Anthony Bourdain's essay Don't Eat Before Reading This was published. It was an unfiltered look into restaurant kitchen culture. It launched his career as a celebrity chef. He changed the way television told stories about food. Surya Elango speaks to Philip Lajaunie, his friend and former boss at Les Halles restaurant, in New York.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

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9:31

The first Great Wall of China trek

Witness History ·

2026/03/26

In May1984, three friends starting trekking along the Great Wall of China. It took 508 days for them to complete and they became the first people to do it. They finally reached their destination at the Jiayu Pass on 24 September 1985, having documented the condition of the wall every step of the way. The men became national heroes, as the press followed their progress. Dong Yaohui spoke to Rebecca Kesby in 2017 about the inspiration for their journey.Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive

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10:42

How a Maasai community in Kenya overcame a deadly...

Witness History ·

2026/03/25

In 2013, after losing most of their cattle, a Maasai community in Kajiado County formed an organisation to protect their land and culture.It's called ‘Ildalalekutuk Maasai Action for Development' and was formed by Dalmas Tiampati.He tells Megan Jones how the aim was to help the community become more resilient and find ways to protect the culture. 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

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10:41

The only Pope to visit New Zealand

Witness History ·

2026/03/24

In November 1986, Pope John Paul II visited New Zealand as part of his longest ever world tour.He gave an open-air mass at Auckland Domain in front of thousands of people.He remains the only Pope to have visited the country.Jen Dale speaks to Michael Jarka who was in the crowd and performed as part of a Polish cultural dance group for the pontiff.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

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