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Witness History

BBC World Service
Icelandic Women's Strike
Carnation Revolution
Christopher Columbus
Dominican Republic
Columbus Lighthouse
Crimea
Vigdís Finnbogadóttir
Gender Equality
Canada
Soviet Union
Two-Headed Dogs
Vladimir Demikhov
Organ Transplantation
Transgender Activism
Military Coup
Human Rights
Honduras
LGBT Rights
Whistler Blackcomb
Ukraine

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 t... more

PublishesDailyEpisodes2023Founded16 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
HistorySociety & CulturePersonal Journals

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Artwork for Witness History

Latest Episodes

On 17 October 2009, the Maldives’ top government officials donned their scuba gear for the world’s first underwater cabinet meeting.

Fish floated around while ministers communicated with hand gestures, white boards and special underwater pencils. M... more

On 13 November 2015, 90 people were shot dead by gunmen at the Bataclan theatre in France during an Eagles of Death Metal concert.

A further 40 people were killed in co-ordinated terror attacks by jihadists across the city on the same night.

Rach... more

In November 1945, the first major war crimes trial in history opened in the German city of Nuremberg.

Senior Nazis who had committed atrocities during World War Two were prosecuted by the victorious Allied powers of Britain, the USA, France and the... more

In November 1975, a summit took place at Rambouillet, France, where the heads of six of the world’s most industrialised nations and their finance ministers came together.

The leaders of the US, France, Germany, Britain, Japan and Italy hoped to sol... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Mohamed Nasheed
Former President of the Maldives
Episode: When Maldives' ministers met underwater
Jean-Pierre Fourcade
French finance minister during the G7 birth
Former finance minister of France
Episode: Birth of the G7
Greg Newby
CEO and director of Project Gutenberg, Michael's best friend
Project Gutenberg
Episode: The ‘father of e-books’
Dee Anderson
Daughter of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, who created Thunderbirds.
Episode: The brains behind Thunderbirds
Hasan Nuhanović
Survivor of the Srebrenica massacre and translator for the UN.
Episode: Srebrenica massacre
Dr. Julio Palmaz
The inventor of the balloon expandable stent
Episode: The invention of the balloon-expandable stent
John Koza
Computer scientist known for inventing the instant scratch card and later contributions to genetic programming.
Scientific Games
Episode: The man who invented the scratch card
Svetlana Mojsov
Scientist who discovered glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1)
Episode: GLP-1: A breakthrough for diabetes and obesity
Cleon Roberts
Daughter of Sonny Roberts, recounting his impact on music history
Episode: The UK’s first black-owned music studio

Host

Rachel Naylor
Presenter of the Witness History Podcast

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 2.8k ratings
  • Love the history

    My mother used to listen to your show on BBC short wave here in Canada, I found you on the podcast and I’ve been listening for years and years. 🥰

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    CinderDaxWolf
    Canadaa month ago
  • Highly Recommended

    Short, informative accounts of events often now generally forgotten. Keeping these stories alive.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    TWRunner
    United Kingdom2 months ago
  • Thank you!

    I just heard the story about the Jewish girl who fled to the Philippines in World War II. What a wonderful woman! So glad that she made it to the United States. And what a beautiful story. Thank you for bringing it.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Jslt69
    United States2 months ago
  • How the Philippines Saved Jews During World War II

    Thank you for sharing in such an engaging fashion this most uplifting story, one that is generally not well known!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    675 AV
    United States2 months ago
  • Brilliant!

    I absolutely love this podcast! BBC World Service at its finest. I love the totally random mixture of stories and voices shared here, and in such manageable bitesize chunks. From the (surprisingly recent) history of ciabatta, to the feud that led to the creation of the Puma brand, there’s nothing else quite like it. One request though: PLEASE stop playing the “from the brilliant and bizarre” ad at the end of episodes. It’s great the first time you hear it, but listening to it multiple times a we... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    KeenBean321
    United Kingdom3 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

There are suggestions for improved outreach or inclusion of diverse perspectives in the storytelling, particularly from non-Western viewpoints.
The concise formats provide easily digestible content, allowing for quick learning and exploration of various historical events.
Listeners appreciate the engaging and informative storytelling style that brings history to life through eyewitness accounts.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

When Maldives' ministers met underwater
Q: Take me back to that moment, because I know some of your ministers did not know how to dive.
Yes, there were a few cabinet ministers who did not know how to dive, but within three days, they learned.
Prosecuting Nazis at the Nuremberg Trials
Q: Can you remember how you felt that day as you stood up to make that opening speech for the prosecution?
Ferencz vividly remembers making it clear that they presented a plea of humanity to law instead of asking for the death penalty.
Prosecuting Nazis at the Nuremberg Trials
Q: And how did you cope with what you saw there?
Benjamin Ferencz explains his coping mechanism was to pretend he didn't see the horrors.
The invention of the balloon-expandable stent
Q: What was that feeling like for you to see that something that you had put an awful lot of your life into was looking promising and looking like it was going to work in the way that you wanted it to?
Dr. Palmaz expressed feelings of fear and concern, unable to fully enjoy early success due to worries about potential late problems.
The UK’s first black-owned music studio
Q: Do you think your father has been somewhat overlooked by music history?
Yes, I think he has been overlooked, especially since he returned to Jamaica, which may have contributed to the lack of recognition in the UK.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
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Age Range
Household Income
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Frequently Asked Questions About Witness History

What is Witness History about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Fascinating stories from the past come alive through first-hand accounts, making historical events accessible and engaging. Episodes span a wide range of topics, including significant historical milestones, cultural movements, and personal narratives, offering unique insights into the lives of notable figures and ordinary people during pivotal moments in history. With a consistent format that delivers richly detailed yet concise content, listeners can expect to explore diverse events—from scientific breakthroughs to wartime experiences—in just nine minutes each day. This podcast is particularly innovative, as it combines archival audio with contemporary storytelling to create a vivid historical tapestry that appeals to history enthusiasts a... more

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How many listeners does Witness History get?

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How many subscribers and views does Witness History have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Witness History has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Witness History?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Witness History:

1. The History Hour
2. The Documentary Podcast
3. From Our Own Correspondent
4. The Inquiry
5. Lives Less Ordinary

How many episodes of Witness History are there?

Witness History launched 16 years ago and published 2023 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Witness History?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

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What guests have appeared on Witness History?

Recent guests on Witness History include:

1. Mohamed Nasheed
2. Jean-Pierre Fourcade
3. Greg Newby
4. Dee Anderson
5. Hasan Nuhanović
6. Dr. Julio Palmaz
7. John Koza
8. Svetlana Mojsov

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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