Episodes 499
Avg. Duration 50m
Activity Highly Active
Apple Rating 4.3 (559)
Since Aug 2015
Latest Episode Jun 2026

Outreach Signals

Features Guests

Publishing Details

Schedule
Weekly
Format
Episodic
Consistency
87%
Hosting
podcasts.files.bbci.co.uk

Contact & Outreach

About This Podcast

A compilation of the latest Witness History programmes.

Explore Statistics

Recent Episodes

The creation of Inspector Montalbano and Australia's first Big Thing

Jun 06, 2026 1h

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Professor Giuliana Pieri, an expert in Italian noir from Royal Holloway, University…

Mexican history: A love song and a gas explosion

May 30, 2026 1h

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service.Our guest is Michelle Meinhart, a reader in musicology and cultural history at Trinity Laban…

Belgium’s royal affair and Montenegro gains independence

May 23, 2026 1h

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. First, the story of the Belgian teenager who exposed a scandal within the country’s Royal Family…

The first reality game show and a joik performance on Eurovision

May 16, 2026 1h

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service.We start with the launch of Expedition Robinson in Sweden in 1997 and discuss how reality TV…

Sir David Attenborough's first Zoo Quest and a WW2 sabotage mission in Norway

May 09, 2026 1h

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service.We start with the broadcaster and naturalist, Sir David Attenborough. To mark his 100th birthday,…

The world’s first perfume archive and Dutch car-free Sundays in the global oil crisis

May 01, 2026 1h

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. This week, we hear from a perfumer who in 1990 helped create the world’s first perfume archive…

Cleaning up Chernobyl and Canada’s war in the woods

Apr 25, 2026 1h

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. On the 40th anniversary of the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl, we hear from one man involved in…

Winning the Booker Prize and discovering a lost fairytale

Apr 18, 2026 1h

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service.This week, the moment when Irish writer Roddy Doyle discovered he'd won one of the most…

Hitler’s teeth and the Leaning Tower of Pisa

Apr 11, 2026 1h

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Sahar Saleem, an Egyptian paleoradiologist specialising in using medical imaging…

The discovery of the Terra Nova shipwreck and Echo the elephant

Apr 04, 2026 1h

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Dr Sarah Ward, a maritime archaeologist from the Australian National University. …

A papal visit and German reunification

Mar 28, 2026 1h

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Paulina Guzik, International editor with the Catholic wire service, OSV News.We…

The 'Cyprus Emergency’ and India’s nuclear mango deal

Mar 21, 2026 1h

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. We hear from a Cypriot lawyer, imprisoned by the British for almost two years during the "Cyprus…

Movie history: Seven Samurai and Casablanca

Mar 14, 2026 1h

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. Our guest is media, culture and creative industries lecturer Sarah Jilani. We start in 1954…

Sweden and the USA's diplomatic freeze and Elvis in the UK

Mar 07, 2026 1h 1m

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. We hear how a speech by Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme, in 1972, caused a break down in…

Blood diamonds and the meeting between Florence Nightingale and Aga Khan III

Feb 28, 2026 59m

We begin with the trial of the former President of Liberia, Charles Taylor. It was claimed that he traded in arms and ammunition in return for so-called blood diamonds.Our guest, gemmologist James…

The Shetland Bus and toxic shock syndrome

Feb 21, 2026 1h

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Professor Guri Hjeltnes, an author and World War Two historian. We start with Nazi…

Italian history

Feb 14, 2026 1h

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Scottish writer, editor and music programmer Arusa Qureshi.We start in 1989 when…

Creating Mr Men and the Austrian wine scandal

Feb 07, 2026 1h 1m

Max Pearson presents a collection of this week’s Witness History and Sporting Witness episodes from the BBC World Service. What does a tickle look like? That was the question eight-year-old Adam…

Chile’s Penguin Revolution and the 5,000-year-old frozen mummy

Jan 31, 2026 1h

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service.We travel back to Chile in 2006 where more than 600,000 schoolchildren are marching through the…

The priest behind a new airport and Agatha Christie

Jan 24, 2026 59m

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service.Our guest Sugandhi Jayaraman, lecturer in air transport management at the University of…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does The History Hour have?

The History Hour has published 499 episodes since August 2015, covering topics in History, Personal Journals.

Is The History Hour still active?

The History Hour is currently highly active with new episodes weekly. Average episode length is 50m.

How do I contact The History Hour for sponsorship or guest appearances?

Sign up on Grep.FM to access contact details for The History Hour, including email and social media links.

Similar Podcasts