Witness History Podcast
History as told by the people who were there.
Episodes to download
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South Africa’s first inter-racial marriage
Thu 26 Sep 2024
For almost 40 years, marriage between people from different ethnic backgrounds was banned
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Arrested for "immorality" in South Africa
Wed 25 Sep 2024
Dr Zureena Desai was arrested in South Africa for breaking the Immorality Act
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Why Tupac was fired from Menace II Society
Tue 24 Sep 2024
In 1993, the Hughes brothers released their debut movie
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India's Mars Orbiter Mission
Mon 23 Sep 2024
India placed a satellite into orbit around Mars on its first attempt in 2014
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Designing the Google logo
Fri 20 Sep 2024
Brazilian artist and designer, Ruth Kedar’s story of designing the Google logo.
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The discovery of New Zealand’s first dinosaur
Thu 19 Sep 2024
The discovery of New Zealand's first dinosaur by Joan Wiffen
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India’s plague outbreak
Wed 18 Sep 2024
In 1994, hundreds of thousands of people fled the city of Surat
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Camouflaging Leningrad
Tue 17 Sep 2024
In 1941, landmarks were painted and covered in the Russian city during World War Two
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The invention of the CT scanner
Mon 16 Sep 2024
In 1971, the CT scanner was invented by Allan Cormack and Godfrey Hounsfield
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When Italy gave back Ethiopia’s stolen obelisk
Fri 13 Sep 2024
The Axum Obelisk was looted by Italian soldiers in 1937 on the orders of Benito Mussolini
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Abebech Gobena: Africa's 'Mother Teresa'
Thu 12 Sep 2024
In 1980, Abebech Gobena founded an orphanage in Ethiopia to save children from starvation
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Ardi: The oldest skeleton of a human ancestor
Wed 11 Sep 2024
In 1994, a college student discovered a 4.4 million-year-old skeleton in Ethiopia
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When Emperor Haile Selassie lived in exile in England
Tue 10 Sep 2024
In 1936, the Emperor of Ethiopia Haile Selassie was exiled in Bath in the UK
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Emperor Haile Selassie overthrown
Mon 9 Sep 2024
In September 1974, a military junta launched a coup against Ethiopia's monarchy
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Giant Gonzalez: from NBA star to WWE wrestler
Fri 6 Sep 2024
Jorge Gonzalez was the first Argentinian in an NBA draft. How did he end up wrestling?
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Apollo 13
Thu 5 Sep 2024
In 1970, a Moon mission almost ended in tragedy after an explosion on board the spaceship
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The end of the Irish marriage bar
Wed 4 Sep 2024
Until 1973, married women in Ireland were banned from working in state jobs
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Ramesses II's 'mummy makeover'
Tue 3 Sep 2024
In 1976, the mummy of Ramesses II was flown from Egypt to Paris for a makeover
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I led the 'Umbrella' protests
Mon 2 Sep 2024
In September 2014, Nathan Law led Hong Kong's 'Umbrella' Protests
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The woman who spoke to the space station
Fri 30 Aug 2024
Maggie Iaquinto was the first amateur radio enthusiast to contact Russian cosmonauts
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Guatemala's disappeared
Thu 29 Aug 2024
Jeremias Tecu's two brothers are among the thousands who disappeared in Guatemala
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Waris Dirie: Destined to be famous
Wed 28 Aug 2024
In 1987, Waris Dirie had her first photo-shoot and became a supermodel sensation
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The writer of Mary Poppins
Tue 27 Aug 2024
It's 60 years since the Disney film was released, based on writer PL Travers's book
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Canada’s first UFO landing pad
Mon 26 Aug 2024
In 1967, the town of St. Paul built Canada's first alien UFO landing pad
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Spain's La Tomatina
Fri 23 Aug 2024
In 1945, a spat between teenage boys was the seed for the world's largest tomato fight
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India’s first female bartender
Thu 22 Aug 2024
The story of the woman who became known as India’s first female bartender
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Argentina's five presidents in two weeks
Wed 21 Aug 2024
In 2001, Argentina went through a remarkable political crisis
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The celebrity murder case that divided France
Mon 19 Aug 2024
French actress Marie Trintignant was killed by the rock star Bertrand Cantat in 2003.
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Saving lives after the 2002 Bali bombings
Fri 16 Aug 2024
'Spray-on skin' was used to treat burns victims after bombings on the Indonesian island
