Witness History

On 26 February 1974, geologist Dr Jim Bowler discovered a 42,000-year-old skeleton in New South Wales, Australia.
The remains were nicknamed Mungo Man, as they were found in Lake Mungo.
The discovery rewrote Australia's history, it proved Aboriginal Australians had occupied the continent for tens of thousands of years.
Rachel Naylor speaks to Dr Bowler about Mungo Man's original cremation with ochre and his secret reburial in 2022.
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 explore everything from how the Excel spreadsheet was developed, the creation of cartoon rabbit Miffy and how the sound barrier was broken.
We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: the moment Reagan and Gorbachev met in Geneva, Haitian singer Emerante de Pradines’ life and Omar Sharif’s legendary movie entrance in Lawrence of Arabia.
You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, like the invention of a stent which has saved lives around the world; the birth of the G7; and the meeting of Maldives’ ministers underwater. We cover everything from World War Two and Cold War stories to Black History Month and our journeys into space.
(Photo: A Mutthi Mutthi Elder welcomes Mungo Man back to country during a smoking ceremony in 2017 in Balranald, Australia. Credit: Lisa Maree Williams / Getty Images)

In June 1987, hundreds of women walked towards a ceasefire line that had divided Cyprus since 1974.
The island was split after a coup backed by Greece and a subsequent Turkish military intervention, which left thousands displaced on both sides.
Many of the women were Greek Cypriots who had fled their homes in the north during the conflict.
They hoped their peace walk would draw international attention to the island’s division, as they wanted to return to the homes they had lost more than a decade earlier.
The group held white flags and banners with their slogan ‘We Come In Peace’ in Greek, Turkish and English.
Some media coverage at the time described the protest as potentially provocative and warned it could escalate tensions.
Niki Katsaouni, one of the leading figures of the movement, speaks to Elena Angelides.
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 explore everything from how the Excel spreadsheet was developed, the creation of cartoon rabbit Miffy and how the sound barrier was broken.
We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: the moment Reagan and Gorbachev met in Geneva, Haitian singer Emerante de Pradines’ life and Omar Sharif’s legendary movie entrance in Lawrence of Arabia.
You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, like the invention of a stent which has saved lives around the world; the birth of the G7; and the meeting of Maldives’ ministers underwater. We cover everything from World War Two and Cold War stories to Black History Month and our journeys into space.
(Photo: Women Walk Home march. Credit: University of Cyprus Library)

Half a century ago, an event took place that shook the apartheid regime in South Africa to its foundations - the Soweto Uprising.
It began with a demonstration by schoolchildren against being taught in Afrikaans.
The government met the protesters with brutal force, and the ensuing violence shocked the world.
In 2010, Alan Johnston spoke to one of those former schoolgirls, Bongi Mhkabela, about that pivotal moment.
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 explore everything from how the Excel spreadsheet was developed, the creation of cartoon rabbit Miffy and how the sound barrier was broken.
We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: the moment Reagan and Gorbachev met in Geneva, Haitian singer Emerante de Pradines’ life and Omar Sharif’s legendary movie entrance in Lawrence of Arabia.
You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, like the invention of a stent which has saved lives around the world; the birth of the G7; and the meeting of Maldives’ ministers underwater. We cover everything from World War Two and Cold War stories to Black History Month and our journeys into space.
(Photo: Protesting pupils use the Regina Mundi Church as a refuge during the student uprising in Soweto. Credit: Getty Images)

In 1993, separatist forces took Sukhumi, the capital of the former Soviet territory of Abkhazia.
As Georgian authorities lost control of the region, more than 200,000 people were forced to flee.
Many had no choice but to cross the Caucasus Mountains on foot, and hundreds are believed to have died along the way.
Georgian writer Guram Odisharia speaks to Stefania Gozzer about his harrowing escape from Abkhazia and the heartbreaking scenes he witnessed - experiences he later captured in his book The Pass of the Persecuted.
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 explore everything from how the Excel spreadsheet was developed, the creation of cartoon rabbit Miffy and how the sound barrier was broken.
We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: the moment Reagan and Gorbachev met in Geneva, Haitian singer Emerante de Pradines’ life and Omar Sharif’s legendary movie entrance in Lawrence of Arabia.
You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, like the invention of a stent which has saved lives around the world; the birth of the G7; and the meeting of Maldives’ ministers underwater. We cover everything from World War Two and Cold War stories to Black History Month and our journeys into space.
(Photo: Georgians flee from Abkhazia on foot in 1993. Credit: Jon Jones/Sygma via Getty Images)

In 1970, King Hussein of Jordan survived after gunmen opened fire on his motorcade close to his summer palace. The king remained unharmed, but his driver was wounded. It wasn’t the king’s first near-miss.
Before being crowned, Hussein survived another attempt when his grandfather, King Abdullah, was assassinated by a Palestinian gunman in 1951. Hussein was saved when a medal deflected a stray bullet. And there were other attempts. One would-be assassin used nose drops poisoned with acid. Another time, a cook was given poison to put in the king’s food.
Many of the attempts were because of his pro-Western stance and his efforts to control Palestinian guerrillas. Jane Wilkinson has been through the BBC archives to find out more about the ‘survivor king’, who tells his story in his own words.
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 explore everything from how the Excel spreadsheet was developed, the creation of cartoon rabbit Miffy and how the sound barrier was broken.
We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: the moment Reagan and Gorbachev met in Geneva, Haitian singer Emerante de Pradines’ life and Omar Sharif’s legendary movie entrance in Lawrence of Arabia.
You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, like the invention of a stent which has saved lives around the world; the birth of the G7; and the meeting of Maldives’ ministers underwater. We cover everything from World War Two and Cold War stories to Black History Month and our journeys into space.
(Photo: King Hussein, 1970. Credit: Fred Ihrt/LightRocket via Getty Images)