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Witness History

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

Eye-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

PublishesDailyEpisodes2024Founded16 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Society & CultureHistoryPersonal Journals

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Artwork for Witness History

Latest Episodes

In May 2002, former US President Jimmy Carter paid a controversial visit to Cuba, which had been subject to a US trade embargo for more than 40 years.

The trip culminated in a speech, broadcast live on Cuban radio and television, in which Carter cal... more

In April 1980, thousands of Cubans tried to escape the country by claiming asylum at the Peruvian embassy in Havana.

In response, Cuban President Fidel Castro opened the port of Mariel to anyone who wanted to leave, including criminals. From April ... more

In 2007, four British servicemen perched on the wings of an Apache helicopter in Afghanistan, in an audacious mission to rescue a fallen comrade.

Lance Corporal Mathew Ford was part of a unit which had attacked Jugroom Fort - a major Taliban comman... more

In September 1991, two German hikers found a dead body while walking through Europe’s Ötzal Alps. It turned out to be a perfectly preserved 5,000-year-old mummy.

The archaeologist Konrad Spindler inspected the body along with the assemblage of item... more

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Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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People also subscribe to these shows.

The Documentary Podcast
The Documentary PodcastBBC World Service
The History Hour
The History HourBBC World Service
Lives Less Ordinary
Lives Less OrdinaryBBC World Service
The Inquiry
The InquiryBBC World Service

Recent Guests

Yao Chia-wen
A lawyer and pro-democracy activist involved in the Kaohsiung Incident
Episode: The Kaohsiung Incident
Barbara Morgan
Backup teacher for Krista McAuliffe and a NASA astronaut.
NASA
Episode: The Challenger space shuttle tragedy
Pearce Concannon
Community member who worked with Monsignor Horan on the airport project.
Episode: The Irish priest who built an airport
Leydys Crespo
A survivor of the Vargas mudslides
Episode: The deadly Vargas mudslides in Venezuela
Shonichi Yukimuro
Writer for Sazae-san and one of the original creators
Sazae-san
Episode: Sazae-san: World's longest-running cartoon
Jenni Hicks
Mother who lost her daughters in the Hillsborough Disaster
Episode: The Hillsborough disaster
Klaus Teuber
Creator of Catan, a transformative board game
Teuber Family
Episode: Creating the board game Catan
Peg Roberts
Daughter of Kay Zufall and contributor to the story of Play-Doh
Episode: Inventing Play-Doh
Leslie Scott
British toy designer and creator of Jenga
Episode: The invention of Jenga

Host

Rachel Naylor
Host and producer with a focus on historical narratives and personal accounts, bringing stories to life through engaging storytelling.

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 2.9k 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
    Canada3 months ago
  • Highly Recommended

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

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    TWRunner
    United Kingdom5 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 States5 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 States5 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 Kingdom5 months ago

Listeners Say

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

Many reviews highlight the podcast's ability to make lesser-known historical events accessible and interesting, often describing it as both educational and entertaining.
Listeners express strong appreciation for the engaging storytelling and the unique personal insights shared in each episode.
Some users have suggested expanding the topics to include more diverse perspectives from around the world, reflecting a desire for inclusivity in historical narratives.
There is a consistent theme of gratitude for the informative nature of the podcast, with many listeners claiming they learn something new with each episode.

Chart Rankings

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

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

How the hoverboard was created
Q: And who was the first person that you showed it to?
I showed it to my daughter, and she loved it.
How the hoverboard was created
Q: How did it feel?
It felt great and was a sensational experience.
India's disability law
Q: How did you feel when the law was passed?
Javed felt numb and it took until the next day for the reality of the law's passage to sink in.
India's disability law
Q: What made you realise that disabled access in India was poor?
Javed realized the poor state of disabled access in India after experiencing full accessibility at a university in the US, contrasting sharply with his experiences back home.
How Lagos Fashion Week began
Q: What does Omoyemi think the impact of her Fashion Week has been?
Omoyemi believes that Lagos Fashion Week has helped to create awareness of African talent and has significantly impacted how African fashion is perceived globally.

Audience Metrics

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

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Witness History

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

This podcast presents immersive stories from history through personal eyewitness accounts, bringing past events to life in an engaging and accessible format. With each episode lasting around nine minutes, it explores an eclectic range of historical topics including wars, political upheavals, cultural milestones, and scientific breakthroughs, all narrated by those who experienced them firsthand. Key subjects include significant events such as the death of Adolf Hitler, critical moments in the Cold War, and the evolution of iconic films like Jaws. The storytelling approach emphasizes personal narratives, making complex historical developments relatable and vivid for listeners.

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. Lives Less Ordinary
4. The Inquiry
5. From Our Own Correspondent

How many episodes of Witness History are there?

Witness History launched 16 years ago and published 2024 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.

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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. Yao Chia-wen
2. Barbara Morgan
3. Pearce Concannon
4. Leydys Crespo
5. Shonichi Yukimuro
6. Jenni Hicks
7. Klaus Teuber
8. Peg Roberts

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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