The History Hour10 Loka 2025

The evacuation of Tristan da Cunha and Japan surrenders to China at the end of World War Two

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service.

We start with a BBC archive interview where one woman recounts what it was like to survive the earthquake and landside in 1961 following the volcanic eruption in Tristan da Cunha. Our guest is Anne Green, a retired schoolteacher from the island of Tristan da Cunha. She describes what it was like to return to the island in 1963.

Then, the rare eyewitness account from a 105-year-old who is the only Briton alive today, that was at the ceremony when Japan surrendered to China in Beijing at the end of eight years of brutal occupation.

Next, the economist who in 2001 wrote a report about countries set to shape the world economy, accidentally coining the acronym BRICS.

Plus, the man who won the national competition to design the Indian rupee symbol when he was just a student.

Finally, the story of how VHS and Betamax battled over which video recorder would win the home entertainment market.

Contributors: Anne Green - former teacher from Tristan da Cunha Archive interview with Mary Swain - resident of Tristan da Cunha John Stanfield - British Army veteren Jim O'Neill - economist Udaya Kumar Dharmalingam - Professor at Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati Marc Wielage - digital colourist

(Photo: Tristan Da Cunha islanders arriving in England in 1961. Credit: Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Tämä jakso on lisätty Podme-palveluun avoimen RSS-syötteen kautta eikä se ole Podmen omaa tuotantoa. Siksi jakso saattaa sisältää mainontaa.

Jaksot(513)

E.T. the Extra Terrestrial and the creator of Star Wars toys

Max Pearson presents a collection of science fiction themed Witness History stories from the BBC World Service.Our guest is Lisa Yaszek, Regents' Professor of Science Fiction Studies at Georgia Tech i...

6 Syys 1h

Voting for water and surviving a hurricane

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History episodes.We learn why, in 2004, Uruguayans voted to enshrine water as a human right in their constitution - the first country in the wor...

29 Elo 1h

The battle of Mandalay and the New World screwworm

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service.Our guest is Dr Elisabeth Fondren, Associate Professor of Journalism at St John's University in New ...

22 Elo 1h

The Mau Mau uprising and man-eating lions

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History episodes focussing on Kenya.We hear about Muthoni Kirima, one of the last Mau Mau fighters to come out of hiding and lay down her arms.C...

15 Elo 1h

Taiwan's White Terror and the making of City of God

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History episodes.This week, we hear about the end of decades-long martial law in Taiwan and discuss its impact on the country's literature with ...

8 Elo 1h 3min

The first Comic Con and making Oasis’ Wonderwall

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. We hear how a comic book fan and his friends began the very first comic convention in New York in...

1 Elo 59min

Solar-powered flight and the Crazy Horse Memorial

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History episodes.This week, we hear about the first solar-powered flight around the world, and discuss other moments in the history of solar pow...

25 Heinä 1h

The Spanish Civil War and the Birkin bag

Max Pearson presents a collection of this week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service.This week, we mark 90 years since the start of the Spanish Civil War. Our guest is historian Prof...

18 Heinä 1h