Witness History
BBC World ServiceEye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by and curious about 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 explo... more
| Publishes | Daily | Episodes | 2025 | Founded | 16 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | Personal JournalsSociety & CultureHistory | |||
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Latest Episodes
In April 1991, journalists from 38 African countries came together in Namibia for a week-long seminar to discuss the need for a free, independent and pluralistic press on the continent.
When discussions ended after five days on 3 May, they had creat... more
On 17 December 2014, United States president Barack Obama and the leader of Cuba, Raúl Castro, announced the normalisation of their countries' relations, ending 54 years of hostility.
The announcement was a shock to most except a few trusted aides w... more
In 1971, the region that is now Bangladesh fought for independence from Pakistan. At the time, Peter Singer was a philosophy lecturer at the University of Oxford.
Horrified by the suffering in Bangladesh, Singer wrote an essay in which he put forwa... more
In October 1973, the Netherlands was the only western European country to face a full oil embargo from the Organisation of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries, OAPEC.
During the global oil crisis, they became the first country in Europe to introduce ... more
Key Facts
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Recent Guests
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Reviews
- Great Show
Nice, short digestible bits of history that I always enjoy listening to.
Apple Podcasts5Gobks
United States3 months ago - Why Bother?
Minute long historical news isn’t worth the time.
Apple Podcasts1Ned Tallywhacker
United Kingdom4 months ago - 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 Podcasts5CinderDaxWolf
Canada6 months ago - Highly Recommended
Short, informative accounts of events often now generally forgotten. Keeping these stories alive.
Apple Podcasts5TWRunnerUnited Kingdom8 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 Podcasts5Jslt69United States8 months ago
Listeners Say
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Chart Rankings
How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.
Apple Podcasts | #51 | United States/Society & Culture/Personal Journals |
Apple Podcasts | #18 | United Kingdom/Society & Culture/Personal Journals |
Apple Podcasts | #32 | Canada/Society & Culture/Personal Journals |
Apple Podcasts | #150 | United Kingdom/Society & Culture |
Apple Podcasts | #22 |  Australia/Society & Culture/Personal Journals |
Apple Podcasts | #51 |  Germany/Society & Culture/Personal Journals |
Talking Points
Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
Audience Metrics
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Frequently Asked Questions About Witness History
What is Witness History about and what kind of topics does it cover?
The content is centered on eye-witness accounts that provide a unique perspective on historical events, bringing to life moments that have significantly shaped the world. Each episode, lasting around nine minutes, explores a diverse range of topics including wars, coups, scientific breakthroughs, cultural milestones, and personal stories from notable figures such as leaders, artists, and scientists. The approach of utilizing firsthand narratives makes it both engaging and educational, offering listeners insights into pivotal moments in history from those who experienced them directly. From the creation of the Excel spreadsheet to significant political huddles like Gorbachev and Reagan's meeting, the narratives encapsulate significant contri... more
Where can I find podcast stats for Witness History?
Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Witness History. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Witness History and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.
How many listeners does Witness History get?
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What are the audience demographics for Witness History?
Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Witness History, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.
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 Documentary Podcast
2. The History Hour
3. The Inquiry
4. Lives Less Ordinary
5. From Our Own Correspondent
How many episodes of Witness History are there?
Witness History launched 16 years ago and published 2025 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.
Where can I see ratings and reviews for Witness History?
Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Witness History from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.
View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.
How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Witness History?
Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Witness History. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.
What guests have appeared on Witness History?
Recent guests on Witness History include:
1. Jean Claude Ellena
2. Marco Franco
3. Yuriy Skaletsky
4. Tzeporah Berman
5. Kristian Yakimov
6. Dario Perez Chena
7. Ejnar Askgaard
8. Azwar Abubakar
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.