E.T. the Extra Terrestrial and the creator of Star Wars toys
Max Pearson presents a collection of science fiction themed Witness History stories from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Lisa Yaszek, Re...
Radio and PodcastLive Radio & PodcastsSociety & Culture
The History Hour
An hour of historical reporting told by the people who were there.
Episodes
20 of 512 episodesVoting for water and surviving a hurricane
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History episodes. We learn why, in 2004, Uruguayans voted to enshrine water as a hum...
The battle of Mandalay and the New World screwworm
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Dr Elisabeth Fondren, Asso...
The Mau Mau uprising and man-eating lions
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History episodes focussing on Kenya. We hear about Muthoni Kirima, one of the last M...
Taiwan's White Terror and the making of City of God
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History episodes. This week, we hear about the end of decades-long martial law in Ta...
The first Comic Con and making Oasis’ Wonderwall
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. We hear how a comic book fan and his...
Solar-powered flight and the Crazy Horse Memorial
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History episodes. This week, we hear about the first solar-powered flight around the...
The Spanish Civil War and the Birkin bag
Max Pearson presents a collection of this week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. This week, we mark 90 years since th...
Buildings of power and the Dada art movement
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week’s Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Mateja Kurir, associate...
The return of Chief Long Wolf and The Statue of Liberty's facelift
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week’s Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Jan English from the Ame...
The Slip Slop Slap campaign and the Brexit referendum
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week’s Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Devi Sridhar, Professor...
An uprising in South Africa and an exodus in the Caucasus
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week’s Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Professor Rachel E. John...
Opening the archives: A cellist, a playwright and a king
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. And today, we’re celebrating internat...
The creation of Inspector Montalbano and Australia's first Big Thing
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Professor Giuliana Pieri...
Mexican history: A love song and a gas explosion
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Michelle Meinhart, a rea...
The first reality game show and a joik performance on Eurovision
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. We start with the launch of Expeditio...
Sir David Attenborough's first Zoo Quest and a WW2 sabotage mission in Norway
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. We start with the broadcaster and nat...
The world’s first perfume archive and Dutch car-free Sundays in the global oil crisis
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. This week, we hear from a perfumer wh...
Cleaning up Chernobyl and Canada’s war in the woods
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. On the 40th anniversary of the nuclea...
Winning the Booker Prize and discovering a lost fairytale
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. This week, the moment when Irish writ...