Witness History
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by 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 the death of Adolf Hitler, the first spacewalk and the making of the movie Jaws, to celebrity tortoise Lonesome George, the Kobe earthquake and the invention of superglue.
We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: Eva Peron – Argentina’s Evita; President Ronald Reagan and his famous ‘tear down this wall’ speech; Thomas Keneally on why he wrote Schindler’s List; and Jacques Derrida, France’s ‘rock star’ philosopher.
You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the civil rights swimming protest, the disastrous D-Day rehearsal, and the death of one of the world’s oldest languages.
- Update frequency
- every day
- Average duration
- 9 minutes
- Episodes
- 2060
- Years Active
- 2017 - 2025
A Chorus Line
It's 50 years since theatre history was made - the premiere of A Chorus Line. It was seen as a seminal moment, turning the spotlight on the people who make the show for the first time.
Baayork Lee tel…
The invention of Kevlar
In 1965, a new fibre was discovered by Polish American scientist Stephanie Kwolek. It was called Kevlar and it was found to be five times stronger than steel.
Since that discovery it’s been used to …
President Clinton plays the sax in Prague
In January 1994, two presidents enjoyed a memorable night in the Czech Republic – ending with an impromptu jazz performance.
Five years after the fall of communism, the US president Bill Clinton visit…
The killing of Jean Charles de Menezes
On 22 July 2005, an unarmed Brazilian man was shot dead by anti-terrorism police at Stockwell Tube station, in London.
Jean Charles de Menezes was shot seven times in the head because he was mistaken …
Irawati Karve: India’s groundbreaking anthropologist
Irawati Karve became India’s first female anthropologist - studying tribes that nobody had investigated, and taking her children on expeditions deep in the rainforest.
In 1927, she dared to defy the …
Italo disco
In the late 1970s, disco died in America and a new wave of Italian producers took advantage of the advances in electronic instruments to craft their own dancefloor fillers.
The result was Italo disco …
The 'Turbot War'
In 1995, an international row broke out between Canada and Spain over fishing quotas. It started with gunfire and ended with a deal.
The dispute began after Canada set up restrictions to protect fish …
Greece’s debt crisis
It was a week that brought the future of Greece and the Eurozone to the brink. Ten years ago, on 6 July the Greek people voted against the terms of a financial bailout which included raising taxes an…
The Iran nuclear deal
On 14 July 2015, Iran agreed to temporarily limit its nuclear programme. The deal was signed in Vienna, the capital of Austria.
Officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), it …
The start of Voice of America
In March 2025, radio frequencies worldwide stopped carrying Voice of America broadcasts for the first time in 83 years.
President Donald Trump’s administration had imposed funding cuts on the US Agen…
The man who said ‘no’ to Disney
In 1941, Walt Disney made a tempting offer to a fellow pioneer of the animation industry, Quirino Cristiani - the author of the first animated feature film.
Cristiani was an Italian immigrant raised i…
Ni Una Menos women’s movement in Argentina
On 3 June 2015, tens of thousands of people gathered in the capital, Buenos Aires, and in dozens of cities and towns demanding an end to violence against women. There were demonstrations in Chile and…
Argentina’s national genetics bank created to identify stolen babies
In 1982, Argentine geneticist Victor Penchaszadeh was living in exile in New York when he received a call that would change the course of his career.
Two founding members of the campaign group, the G…
The mystery of Evita’s corpse
When Eva Peron, Argentina's most famous First Lady, died in 1952, her body was embalmed.
Three years later, her widower, Juan Peron, was deposed in a coup. But military officers feared her corpse wou…
Argentina’s 'trial of the juntas'
In 1985, Argentina’s former military leaders were put on trial accused of kidnapping, torturing and murdering thousands of their own people.
The ‘trial of the juntas’ was the first major prosecution …
Dancing in the Street: David Bowie and Mick Jagger
In July 1985, music legends Mick Jagger and David Bowie were asked to perform a duet with a twist at Live Aid, the biggest concert in pop history.
Utilising the latest satellite technology, Mick woul…
Back to the Future
On 3 July 1985 Back to the Future was released.
The film tells the story of Marty McFly, a 17-year-old high school student, played by Michael J Fox, who is accidentally sent 30 years into the past in…
Drill, baby, drill!
Judging by how often US President Donald Trump has repeated the slogan “Drill, baby, drill”, you might think he coined it. But the phrase actually dates back to 2008.
It was at the Republican Nationa…
Cecil the lion
On 1 July 2015, a much-loved lion was killed in Zimbabwe by an American trophy hunter.
Black-maned Cecil was one of the star attractions at Hwange National Park. He was baited outside the park and sho…
Ai Weiwei: Imprisoned for art
In 2008, an earthquake in China’s Sichuan province killed almost 90,000 people. Many were crushed when school buildings collapsed, exposing their poor construction quality.
To counter perceived gover…