Charleston church shooting
Witness History17 Jun 2025

Charleston church shooting

On 17 June 2015, white supremacist Dylann Roof attended a bible group at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, in the United States. As it was ending, the 21-year-old started shooting and killed nine people.

Polly Sheppard was one of the survivors. She called 911 whilst hiding from Roof. The shootings at the historic African-American church shocked a nation already too used to gun violence. President Barack Obama delivered the eulogy at one of the victim’s funerals and spontaneously started singing Amazing Grace. Ten years on since that day, Polly now 80, tells her harrowing story to Uma Doraiswamy.

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 football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.

(Photo: A memorial outside the Emanuel AME Church. Credit: Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)

Episoder(2000)

The Kaohsiung Incident

The Kaohsiung Incident

On 10 December 1979, pro-democracy activists clashed with police in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.The incident, which happened during Taiwan's martial law period, paved the way for the transition to democracy.Rac...

29 Jan 10min

Chile's 'Penguin Revolution'

Chile's 'Penguin Revolution'

In 2006, hundreds of thousands of school children in Chile took over their schools and marched in the streets, in a protest about inequality in education. It was known as the "Penguin Revolution" bec...

28 Jan 9min

The liberation of Auschwitz

The liberation of Auschwitz

On 27 January 1945, prisoners at the Nazis’ largest death camp were freed by the Soviet Union’s Red Army.General Vasily Petrenko commanded one of the four units that liberated Auschwitz.The Nazis murd...

27 Jan 10min

John Logie Baird invents television

John Logie Baird invents television

On 26 January 1926, John Logie Baird first demonstrated his 'televisor' in public. It was the prototype for television. Many people couldn't believe what they were seeing whilst others thought it was ...

26 Jan 10min

Agatha Christie: best-selling novelist of all time

Agatha Christie: best-selling novelist of all time

On 12 January 1976, author Agatha Christie died peacefully, aged 85.She created the detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple.By the time of her death, Christie had written more than 80 books. Most of...

23 Jan 10min

The Challenger space shuttle tragedy

The Challenger space shuttle tragedy

On 28 January 1986, a space shuttle launch went wrong.Six astronauts and a teacher, Christa McAuliffe, were killed.In 1984, US President Ronald Reagan had announced that Nasa would search for a member...

22 Jan 10min

Operation Mincemeat

Operation Mincemeat

In the early hours of 30 April, 1943, one of the most audacious hoaxes of World War Two has just got underway. Its code-name - Operation Mincemeat.The body of a British naval officer, Major William Ma...

21 Jan 10min

The Irish priest who built an airport

The Irish priest who built an airport

In May 1986, a new airport opened in Knock in the west of Ireland. It was the dream of an Irish priest, Monsignor James Horan, who raised millions to have it built. The location for the airport seeme...

20 Jan 9min

Populært innen Samfunn

rss-spartsklubben
giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
alt-fortalt
aftenpodden-usa
konspirasjonspodden
rss-nesten-hele-uka-med-lepperod
popradet
rss-henlagt-andy-larsgaard
grenselos
wolfgang-wee-uncut
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
fladseth
synnve-og-vanessa
frokostshowet-pa-p5
min-barneoppdragelse
rss-dette-ma-aldri-skje-igjen
relasjonspodden-med-dora-thorhallsdottir-kjersti-idem
rss-dannet-uten-piano
den-politiske-situasjonen