Witness History

Witness History is a short BBC World Service podcast about history that takes you inside big moments from the past through first-hand testimony and archive. Each weekday, in around nine minutes, we revisit one moment that helped shape the world and hear it through the voice of someone who was there. Scientists, artists, campaigners, soldiers, leaders and everyday people tell their true stories. When you subscribe to Witness History, you’ll be taken inside turning points in world affairs, from West Africa’s fight back against Boko Haram in 2015, to the behind-closed-doors talks that led to the US-Cuba “thaw” and the surprise announcement of restored relations. You’ll discover what it was like to experience disasters and how people recovered from them, including the Tabasco floods in Mexico, Portugal's worst train disaster, and the huge clean-up after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

You’ll explore culture and ideas too: Sweden’s Expedition Robinson, often credited as the first modern reality TV game show; the friendship between The Beatles’ George Harrison and Indian sitarist Ravi Shankar; and the night a tiger attack brought Las Vegas superstars Siegfried and Roy’s show to a sudden end.

And if you’re curious about inventions, we’ll tell you how air fryers, BlackBerry, YouTube, Alexa, GPS, superglue, the shopping cart (shopping trolley) and bubble tea were created.

If you’re new to Witness History, the appeal is simple: real voices, one strong true story, and a fresh way to understand today through events from history – all in the time it takes to enjoy a cup of tea or a walk around the block. Join millions of BBC World Service podcast listeners around the globe and enjoy the insight, context and detail Witness History will bring you.

Den här podcasten är hämtad från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Den kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(2000)

I escaped Mexico's deadly gas explosion

Just before dawn, on 19 November 1984, an explosion at a gas plant in San Juanico, Mexico killed hundreds of people, injured thousands and destroyed buildings.Virginia Martínez Tellez was a young teen...

28 Maj 10min

I fought for Mexico’s indigenous women to get political equality

In October 2014, indigenous women in Mexico won a landmark victory in their struggle for political rights. It came after years of campaigning by Eufrosina Cruz Mendoza, a Zapotec woman who had been pr...

27 Maj 10min

Mexico: The election that ended one‑party rule

In July 2000 an historic election in Mexico saw a change of government for the first time in 71 years. Vicente Fox of the National Action Party was elected president, defeating the Institutional Revol...

26 Maj 10min

The Mexican song that captivated lovers during World War II

In 1944, as World War II was drawing to a close, the Mexican love song Besame Mucho crossed the Atlantic and became one of the most recognisable melodies of the post-war era. Its lyrics were daring fo...

25 Maj 11min

Canada's worst E.coli outbreak

In 2000, contaminated drinking water in the small Canadian town of Walkerton triggered one of the country’s worst public health disasters.Heavy rainfall washed E. coli bacteria into the town’s water s...

22 Maj 9min

Montenegro votes for independence

Montenegro achieving independence from Serbia in 2006 was the final part of the break-up of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Montenegro and Serbia had been joined since the end of...

21 Maj 9min

Exposing King Albert II's secret child

In 1999, a teenager's debut book unintentionally caused a royal scandal in Belgium that wouldn't be resolved for more than 20 years.Each evening after he'd finished his homework, Mario Danneels dedica...

19 Maj 10min

Poland’s underground newspaper

In 1981, Poland's communist regime imposed martial law and the dissident Solidarity movement was suppressed. In response, Helena Luczywo helped set up an underground newspaper called Mazovia Weekly to...

18 Maj 9min