Turkey’s failed coup
On 15 July, over 300 people were killed and more than 2,100 injured when rogue soldiers commandeered warplanes, tanks and helicopters in a f...
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Witness
History as told by the people who were there.
Witness Podcast Guide
Listen to Witness, a Society & Culture podcast by BBC. Stream 2,058 episodes in English, follow new audio stories, and play episodes online on Radio and Podcast.
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Episodes
20 of 2,058 episodesCreating Canada’s largest territory
For generations, Inuit communities lived across the Arctic, travelling with the seasons and relying on the land. But in the mid-20th century...
The Kiss of Life photo that earned a Pulitzer Prize
In 1967, American lineman JD Thompson was working on overhead power lines in Jacksonville, Florida, when his colleague Randall Champion acci...
Dada: The birth of an art movement
In 1916, Zurich was a beacon for refugees. Fleeing the death and destruction of World War I, artists and free-thinkers from all over Europe...
South Sudan celebrates independence
On 9 July 2011, a new flag was raised in the city of Juba as South Sudan became the world's newest nation. It followed a peace deal that end...
Seveso Disaster
On the afternoon of 10 July 1976, there was an explosion at the ICMESA chemical factory near Seveso, in northern Italy. A cloud containing a...
The immigrant workers who refused to pay rent in 1970s France
In the 1970s, thousands of immigrant workers living in "foyers" or workers' hostels across France stopped paying rent. They were protesting...
The making of Oasis’ Wonderwall
In 1995, the British band Oasis released one of their biggest hits as a single from their number one album: (What’s the Story) Morning Glory...
Jackie Kennedy renovates the White House
In 1962, cameras were allowed into the White House for the first televised tour of the American president’s renovated residence. And acting...
Restoring the Statue of Liberty
Between 1984 and 1986, to celebrate 100 years since it was dedicated, the Statue of Liberty underwent a multi-million-dollar restoration pro...
KCOR: The first Spanish-language radio station in the US
In 1946, Mexican American Raoul Cortez launched the first US radio service in Spanish. Based in San Antonio, Texas, he used charm and creati...
Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott
In 1955, Rosa Parks made civil rights history in the US when she refused to give up her seat on the bus. Segregation laws in Montgomery, Ala...
The final journey of Chief Long Wolf
In September 1997, the remains of a Native American chief were returned to the United States, more than a century after his death in England...
Hawaii becomes the 50th American state
On 18 March 1959, Hawaii was brought into the United States of America as the 50th state with the passing of the Hawaiian Admission act. Fiv...
Rata de dos patas: Mexico’s famous insult song
For more than 25 years, Rata de dos patas has been one of Mexico’s most recognisable - and unusual - songs. A relentless string of insults,...
WW1: The Battle of the Somme
In July 1916, Britain led an Allied offensive against German positions on the Western Front near the Somme river in France. The British army...
Sid the seagull and the Slip Slop Slap campaign
In 1981, Australia launched a fight against skin cancer with help from a yellow cartoon seagull and a catchy jingle. The Slip Slop Slap camp...
Brexit: Ireland watches the vote unfold
In June 2016, voters in the UK were asked whether they wanted to remain in the European Union or leave. It was a decision that would divide...
China detains Hong Kong booksellers
It's 10 years since a Hong Kong bookseller who was detained for selling material critical of China’s leaders, was released and went public....
The discovery of Lyme disease
In 1975, a mysterious outbreak of illness struck children in the United States, triggering a medical breakthrough. Prof Allen Steere uncover...