Sinking of the Lusitania
Witness History7 Maj 2025

Sinking of the Lusitania

On 7 May 1915, the British ocean liner, the Lusitania, was sunk by a German submarine off the Irish coast, as it sailed from New York to Liverpool.

Thousands of passengers were onboard and 1,200 people died.

The attack helped turn American opinion against Germany.

In 2015, Alex Last used BBC archives to tell the story.

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: Sinking of the Lusitania. Credit: Universal History Archive/Getty Images)

Avsnitt(2000)

How Lake Karla in Greece was drained

How Lake Karla in Greece was drained

Lake Karla supported hundreds of families in Thessaly, providing fish for all of the region and beyond. Christos and Ioanna Kotsikas grew up on the shores of the wetland and have mixed memories of the...

9 Apr 20248min

The 2010 Kampala bombings

The 2010 Kampala bombings

In July 2010, two bombs went off at a rugby club in Uganda's capital Kampala. It was where hundreds had gathered to watch the football World Cup final.The attack killed 74 people and injured 85 others...

8 Apr 20248min

Bonus: The Black 14

Bonus: The Black 14

A bonus episode from the Amazing Sport Stories podcast – The Black 14. Sport, racism and protests are about to change the lives of “the Black 14” American footballers. It’s 1969 in the United States. ...

6 Apr 202432min

Sweden's Cinnamon Bun Day

Sweden's Cinnamon Bun Day

Sweden’s most beloved pastry is the cinnamon bun and every year on 4 October, locals celebrate the sweet, spiced snacks.The country’s first official Cinnamon Bun Day (or Kanelbullens dag in Swedish) t...

5 Apr 20249min

The Bluetooth story

The Bluetooth story

In the 1990s, Bluetooth was invented in a lab in Lund, Sweden.The technology is used today to wirelessly connect accessories such as mice, keyboards, speakers and headphones to desktops, laptops and m...

4 Apr 202410min

Sweden's pioneering paternity leave

Sweden's pioneering paternity leave

Fifty years ago Sweden became the first country in the world to offer paid parental leave that was gender neutral.The state granted mothers and fathers 180 days that they could divide between them how...

3 Apr 20249min

The man who invented the seat belt

The man who invented the seat belt

In 1958, the late Swedish engineer Nils Bohlin invented the three-point safety belt for cars. It's estimated to have saved more than one million lives around the world.In 2022, Nils's stepson Gunnar O...

2 Apr 20249min

Fifty years of Abba

Fifty years of Abba

It's 50 years since Swedish pop group Abba won the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest.The victory provided a platform for the band to become one of the most popular and successful musical groups of all time...

31 Mars 20248min

Populärt inom Samhälle & Kultur

podme-dokumentar
badfluence
p3-dokumentar
en-mork-historia
mardromsgasten
aftonbladet-krim
gynning-berg
creepypodden-med-jack-werner
skaringer-nessvold
nemo-moter-en-van
killradet
flashback-forever
hor-har
kod-katastrof
aftonbladet-daily
p3-historia
spar
svenska-fall
vad-blir-det-for-mord
rattsfallen