The discovery of the coelacanth
Witness History10 Joulu 2025

The discovery of the coelacanth

In 1938, South African museum curator Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer discovered a coelacanth, a fish that was believed to have been extinct for 65 million years.

It is thought to be our ancestor and the missing link between how fish evolved into four-legged amphibians.

This was produced and presented by Rachel Naylor, in collaboration with BBC Archives.

Eyewitness 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.

Jaksot(2000)

'Kimchi war'

'Kimchi war'

In the run-up to the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, in the United States, a row broke out between Japan and South Korea over who would supply the athletes' village with kimchi.The two countries also t...

26 Joulu 202410min

Chef to five presidents

Chef to five presidents

Cristeta Comerford has cooked for some of the most powerful people in the world. She spent almost three decades as a chef in the White House, serving five presidents from Bill Clinton to Joe Biden. On...

25 Joulu 20249min

When instant noodles came to India

When instant noodles came to India

The arrival of instant noodles in India was a turning point in culinary history. In 1983, before Maggi 2-Minute Noodles launched, the country’s food culture centred around chapati, lentils and rice an...

24 Joulu 20249min

'I created MasterChef'

'I created MasterChef'

In 1990, a cookery programme launched on BBC TV that would become a global phenomenon. Today, MasterChef airs in 70 countries around the world and has an estimated audience of one billion people.Briti...

23 Joulu 20249min

Australian republic referendum

Australian republic referendum

On 6 November 1999, voters in Australia were asked if they wanted to break ties with the British monarchy and become a republic.The No campaign won with 55% of the vote.Rachel Naylor speaks to former ...

20 Joulu 202410min

Poland's bleak Christmas

Poland's bleak Christmas

In 1981, the communist government of Poland declared martial law in an attempt to suppress rising protests and strikes.The civil unrest had been sparked by Solidarity, a trade union which became a soc...

19 Joulu 20249min

Ceefax: the start of interactive television

Ceefax: the start of interactive television

In 1974, the BBC launched the world's first teletext service.It provided information, like news and weather, through our TV screens, whenever users wanted, at the push of a button.Rachel Naylor speaks...

18 Joulu 202410min

Surviving Andes plane crash

Surviving Andes plane crash

When a plane carrying a team of young rugby players crashed into the Andes mountains in 1972, search teams soon gave up hope. But two months later, 16 passengers of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 emer...

17 Joulu 20249min

Suosittua kategoriassa Yhteiskunta

olipa-kerran-otsikko
siita-on-vaikea-puhua
gogin-ja-janin-maailmanhistoria
kolme-kaannekohtaa
i-dont-like-mondays
poks
antin-palautepalvelu
sita
aikalisa
yopuolen-tarinoita-2
kaksi-aitia
rss-murhan-anatomia
meidan-pitais-puhua
rss-ootsa-kuullut-tasta
rss-nikotellen
mamma-mia
ootsa-kuullut-tasta-2
lahko
rss-palmujen-varjoissa
taskula-trishin