History

The Levellers

The political movement during the English Civil War committed to a new idea of equality.

21 May 2026,·55 mins

The Hindenburg Disaster

A marvel of engineering, the Hindenburg airship was intended to revolutionise air travel.

22 May 2026,·24 mins

Sixty Years of Hurt

3. England v Hooligans

David Baddiel tackles the ‘English disease’ of hooliganism.

30 May 2026,·28 mins

Wrong Tools Cost Lives

UK’s “world-beating” Covid tracker failed after using outdated Microsoft Excel.

22 May 2026,·34 mins

History of Spices (Radio Edit)

Join Greg and his guests to learn about the global history of spices and the spice trade.

22 May 2026,·28 mins

Ronnie Biggs

Was the career criminal evil, or genius?

20 May 2026,·38 mins

Real Vikings

9. King Canute’s North Sea Empire

In 1997, Silicon Valley takes inspiration from the Vikings for revolutionary technology.

19 May 2026,·58 mins

1564: The Queen’s Gambit

It's the year 1564. A Scottish envoy has an unexpected musical encounter with Elizabeth I.

30 May 2026,·56 mins

The Fall of the Incas: The Last Emperor (Part 6)

What atrocities would unfold in the final phase of this brutal conquest?

22 May 2026,·66 mins

1939 and 2026: The Furies of War

The story of the residents of Weimar during the rise and reign of Hitler

22 May 2026,·14 mins

Under Fire in the Strait of Hormuz

The workers under fire, stuck or abandoned on ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

25 May 2026,·28 mins

How Did Japan Become A Superpower?

The story of how 19th-century Japan emerged as a formidable global power.

21 May 2026,·47 mins

Rinsed

10. New Tricks

Could the water industry be nationalised?

22 May 2026,·17 mins

Canada's worst E.coli outbreak

In 2000, contaminated drinking water triggered one of Canada’s worst health disasters

22 May 2026,·9 mins

The Making of Kind of Blue

Drummer Jimmy Cobb recalls playing with Miles Davis on the album that changed jazz forever

23 Dec 2014,·15 mins

The Real Outlander

What really happened?

21 May 2026,·62 mins

Belgium’s royal affair and Montenegro gains independence

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week’s Witness History episodes

23 May 2026,·60 mins

El Chapo Part 3: Showdown at the Border

After escaping a hit at Guadalajara Airport, El Chapo disappears from view.

20 May 2026,·32 mins

Ade Edmondson on singer Sandy Denny

Ade Edmondson - star of The Young Ones and much more - chooses the singer Sandy Denny.

18 May 2026,·28 mins

100 Objects #1: The Century Safe

A locked iron safe, sealed for 100 years. What objects did Americans choose to remember?

19 May 2026,·30 mins

Israel and the Palestinians

10: From 2010 to the present day

Jonny Dymond and guests explore the complicated back-story of the Middle East conflict.

13 Apr 2026,·28 mins

A Haunting at Tempsford Hall

A real life Victorian haunted house mystery.

11 May 2026,·62 mins

Hollywood's Shocking First Sex Symbols

Find out about the women who shocked Hollywood.

19 May 2026,·49 mins

Series 4

60. True Crime on Trial

Lucy Worsley puts true crime on trial and asks are we so obsessed with true crime?

17 Feb 2026,·28 mins

The Rise & Fall of Pirate Captain Kidd

Was Captain Kidd a ruthless pirate or a pawn in a royal gamble gone wrong?

18 May 2026,·43 mins

The President's Path: Trump pivots to Cuba

Trump pivots to Cuba and takes on his own party in the primaries

22 May 2026,·24 mins

Rose Heilbron QC and The Cameo Murder

Can the first woman to lead a murder case in England prove herself in court?

31 Mar 2026,·28 mins

The birth and death of Yugoslavia

Misha Glenny returns to the Balkans to report on the birth and death of Yugoslavia.

13 Apr 2026,·42 mins

Shakhtar Donetsk win the UEFA Cup

In 2009, Shakhtar Donetsk was the first club in independent Ukraine to win the UEFA Cup

23 May 2026,·10 mins

May 18th to May 24th

Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life.

20 May 2026,·5 mins