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PODCAST

Witness History

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

10:53

The Peruvian pilots who secretly delivered fighter...

Witness History ·

2026/10/05

In June 1982, 10 Peruvian pilots were tasked with a secret mission: deliver fighter jets to Argentina as it battled the UK over the Falkland Islands.One of those pilots, Rubén Mimbela, tells Stefania Gozzer about the risks they faced and how the mission remained out of the public eye for more than 25 years.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,

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10:48

The first Rubik's Cube world champion

Witness History ·

2026/10/03

On 5 June 1982, a teenage refugee from Vietnam became the first Rubik's Cube world champion. Representing the United States, 16-year-old Minh Thai took on contestants from 18 other countries at the championship in Hungary.He made history by solving the cube in 22.95 seconds.He tells Helen Ledwick about his first encounter with the iconic puzzle, his journey from Los Angeles to Budapest, and a last-minute obstacle that nearly stopped him from taking part.Eye-witness accounts brought to life by

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10:48

Boer War: the siege of Ladysmith

Witness History ·

2026/10/02

The siege of Ladysmith was a key moment in the Boer War, also known as the South African War. In 1899, British troops and civilians were trapped in the besieged South African town for 118 days. Using a BBC archive recording, James Dalton, a British Army bandsman with the Gordon Highlanders, recalls shelling, hunger, disease and the dramatic relief of Ladysmith. Produced by Helen Ledwick in collaboration with BBC Archives.Witness History is a short BBC World Service podcast about history that takes

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10:48

The Dead Sea Scrolls

Witness History ·

2026/10/01

In 1947, a missing goat led to the chance discovery of the first Dead Sea Scrolls. These ancient Jewish manuscripts became one of the most important archaeological finds of the 20th century. British archaeologist Gerald Lankester Harding was one of the key figures in the early investigation of the scrolls. In a BBC recording made in 1949, he describes how they were found, the painstaking excavation that followed and the search to uncover their origins and significance. This episode was produced by

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10:11

Harold Riley: Painting Nelson Mandela

Witness History ·

2026/09/25

Harold Riley was the only artist in the world given the opportunity to paint Nelson Mandela from life.When Mandela agreed to pose for the English artist, it marked the beginning of a remarkable relationship. Over 18 months, the pair met on six occasions in South Africa, resulting in a portrait unveiled in 2005 that later raised more than $1m for children's charities when it was sold at auction in New York.In 2025, Reena Stanton-Sharma used archive recordings of Harold Riley to tell the story behind

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10:20

‘Baby’ computer is invented

Witness History ·

2026/09/22

In June 1948, the ‘Baby’ was invented. It was the first stored-program computer, meaning it was the first machine to work like the ones we have today. It was developed in England at the University of Manchester.The computer was huge; it filled a room that was nearly six metres square. The team who made it are now recognised as the pioneers of modern computing.Gill Kearsley has been looking through the archives to find out more about the 'Baby'.This programme was first broadcast in 2024.Witness

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10:39

The nightclub that changed Manchester

Witness History ·

2026/09/21

In 1962, Nigerian-born Phil Magbotiwan opened a brand-new nightclub in Manchester, England. In part because of his own personal experiences of racism, Phil wanted to create somewhere where everyone would be welcome – Manchester’s first racially inclusive nightclub The Reno was born.The nightclub became a particularly important space for Manchester's mixed heritage community, who felt unwelcome in city centre venues.Phil’s youngest daughter, Lisa Ayegun shared her memories of the Reno and her dad,

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10:48

Stardust: Ireland's deadly nightclub fire

Witness History ·

2026/09/16

In the early hours of 14 February 1981, a fire broke out at the Stardust nightclub in Artane, Dublin which was filled with more than 800 people. The blaze killed 48 people and injured 200. A tribunal in 1983 found the cause to be probable arson. This was rejected by many victims' families and survivors and the ruling was dismissed in 2009. Fresh inquests were granted in 2019. In April 2024, the jury returned a verdict of unlawful killing. The Irish prime minister made a state apology. Antoinette

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10:28

Firefighter: Surviving the 9/11 North Tower collapse

Witness History ·

2026/09/11

On 11 September 2001, firefighter Jay Jonas and his crew were sent into New York's North Tower after a hijacked plane crashed into the World Trade Center.As they climbed the stairs searching for people who needed help, the South Tower collapsed.Realising their rescue mission could no longer continue, the firefighters turned around and began making their way down.On their descent they came across a woman, Josephine Harris."She was crying. She was in distress. And I said, 'Alright, bring her with

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10:48

Star Trek: America's first interracial TV kiss

Witness History ·

2026/09/04

In 1968, American television boldly went where it had never gone before, broadcasting what's claimed to be the country's first interracial kiss in a TV programme. The moment of passion was between Captain Kirk of the starship USS Enterprise and communications officer Lieutenant Uhura, in Star Trek. Nichelle Nichols played Uhura in the cult series, and she was one of the first black women to be featured on American TV in a non-subservient role. Through archive BBC interviews, Nichelle explains the

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10:42

‘Genius’ sci-fi writer Octavia E Butler

Witness History ·

2026/09/02

In 1995, Octavia E Butler became the first author to receive a MacArthur “genius” award for science fiction writing.From a young age she dreamed of writing books, but faced many challenges, including poverty, sexism and racism in the publishing industry.Her sci-fi books are now taught in schools and universities across the United States. She died aged 58 in 2006. Her friend Nisi Shawl spoke to Alex Collins in 2023.Witness History is a short BBC World Service podcast about history that takes you

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10:21

Making Turkish Star Wars

Witness History ·

2026/09/01

When the set fell apart for an ambitious cinematic space opera that was produced on a characteristically small Turkish budget, nationally famed director Çetin İnanç had to think fast to save his film. What resulted was a domestic hit in 1982, originally called The Man Who Saves the World. Now known as Turkish Star Wars, it's a production regularly referenced as the worst movie ever made. Louis Harnett O'Meara uses an archival interview with İnanç, originally recorded by Turkish movie historian Ali

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10:33

'I created the Star Wars toys'

Witness History ·

2026/08/31

In 1976, American toy designer Jim Swearingen was working at Kenner, a mid-sized company in the American Midwest.When a script for a new film called Star Wars landed on his desk, Jim was intrigued. Larger toy companies had already passed on the chance to make the figures."It was difficult from the point of view that it was a movie, could be in and out of theater in weeks, maybe months," he said. "It was science fiction, and toy buyers at that time had been turned off to science fiction because they

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9:38

Hurricane Luis hits Antigua

Witness History ·

2026/08/27

On 4 September 1995, Hurricane Luis hit the Caribbean island of Antigua.Two people were killed and three-quarters of homes were destroyed.Authorities said it set the island back by a decade.Resident Eli Fuller tells Jen Dale about the havoc caused by the hurricane.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

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10:56

Defeating the screwworm

Witness History ·

2026/08/21

In the 1950s, scientist Edward Knipling began what would become one of the most successful eradication campaigns in history: the fight against the New World screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite that caused devastating injuries to livestock and wildlife across the Americas.Edward Knipling proposed breeding and releasing millions of sterile male screwworm flies to prevent the insects from reproducing, an approach that became known as the sterile insect technique.Using archive recordings from the Special

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9:16

Canada's controversial resettlement programme

Witness History ·

2026/08/19

In 1954, a massive government-run resettlement programme began in Canada.This saw the relocation of nearly 30,000 people from isolated ‘outport’ fishing communities in Newfoundland and Labrador to designated ‘growth centres', intended to provide better education and facilities.In some cases this involved physically moving houses with ropes and pullies, then floating them to new locations.Catherine Harvey speaks to Don White, who recalls being resettled from Port Nelson where he grew up, and how this

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10:59

The battle of Mandalay in WW2

Witness History ·

2026/08/18

In March 1945, the British Fourteenth Army were advancing on the city of Mandalay in central Burma, now known as Myanmar, which was held by the Japanese Army. The army was made up of soldiers from across the British Empire, with units from the United Kingdom, India, East and West Africa all fighting side by side. The BBC’s Douglas Cleverdon accompanied those troops into battle, making what is thought to be one of the first ever radio programmes recorded from the front line of a war. Witness

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10:41

Asha Bhosle: The world's most recorded artist

Witness History ·

2026/08/17

In 2011 Asha Bhosle, India’s queen of melody, was officially named the most recorded artist in music history. The Guinness World Record recognised the astonishing scale of her career, having performed up to 11,000 songs in more than 20 Indian languages since 1947.The title previously belonged to her sister Lata Mangeshkar, and together the siblings dominated India’s playback singing world for decades, lending their voices to film soundtracks that actors later lip‑synced onscreen.Reena Stanton-Sharma

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10:54

The last of the Mau Mau fighters

Witness History ·

2026/08/12

In 1963, as Kenya celebrated independence from British rule, one of the last Mau Mau fighters came out of hiding and laid down her arms. Muthoni Kirima was the first and only woman to be appointed field marshall in the Kenya Land and Freedom Army - better known as the Mau Mau. She had been living in the Kenyan forest for 11 years, fighting with other armed rebels to reclaim land taken by European settlers. Thousands died or were imprisoned as Britain tried to crush the uprising. But the rebellion

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10:42

Treetops: The day a princess became a queen

Witness History ·

2026/08/11

In 1952, Princess Elizabeth became queen while staying at the Treetops Hotel in Kenya. But she wouldn't make the discovery until hours later.The 25-year-old Princess Elizabeth and her husband were on five-month royal tour of the Commonwealth, and their first stop was Kenya. The overnight trip to Treetops, a lodge in the Aberdare National Park, was supposed to be a relaxing break. But the princess didn’t yet know that, back in Britain, her father King George VI, had died in his sleep.BBC

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