Witness History

On 12 January 1976, author Agatha Christie died peacefully, aged 85.
She created the detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple.
By the time of her death, Christie had written more than 80 books. Most of her works were detective novels but she also wrote romances, short stories, poetry and plays.
In 2015, Louise Hidalgo spoke to her grandson, Mathew Prichard.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by 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 the death of Adolf Hitler, the first spacewalk and the making of the movie Jaws, to celebrity tortoise Lonesome George, the Kobe earthquake and the invention of superglue.

We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: Eva Peron – Argentina’s Evita; President Ronald Reagan and his famous ‘tear down this wall’ speech; Thomas Keneally on why he wrote Schindler’s List; and Jacques Derrida, France’s ‘rock star’ philosopher.

You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the civil rights swimming protest; the disastrous D-Day rehearsal; and the death of one of the world’s oldest languages.
(Photo: English detective novelist, Agatha Christie. Credit: Bettman/Getty Images)

On 28 January 1986, a space shuttle launch went wrong.
Six astronauts and a teacher, Christa McAuliffe, were killed.
In 1984, US President Ronald Reagan had announced that Nasa would search for a member of the public to accompany experienced astronauts on the space shuttle Challenger.
Barbara Morgan was chosen as the teacher backup and had trained alongside the Challenger team.
She watched as the shuttle was destroyed a little more than a minute after take-off.
In 2012, Barbara Morgan spoke to Chloe Hadjimatheou.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by 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 the death of Adolf Hitler, the first spacewalk and the making of the movie Jaws, to celebrity tortoise Lonesome George, the Kobe earthquake and the invention of superglue.

We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: Eva Peron – Argentina’s Evita; President Ronald Reagan and his famous ‘tear down this wall’ speech; Thomas Keneally on why he wrote Schindler’s List; and Jacques Derrida, France’s ‘rock star’ philosopher.

You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the civil rights swimming protest; the disastrous D-Day rehearsal; and the death of one of the world’s oldest languages.
(Photo: Launch of Space Shuttle Challenger. Credit: Oxford Science Archive/Print Collector/Getty Images)

In the early hours of 30 April, 1943, one of the most audacious hoaxes of World War Two has just got underway. Its code-name - Operation Mincemeat.
The body of a British naval officer, Major William Martin, has been washed up on a Spanish beach. The dead man is carrying top-secret papers revealing details of a planned Allied invasion, and it’s not long before they fall into enemy hands.
But the plans are false and Major Martin doesn’t exist.
In a daring mission, British naval intelligence has requisitioned a corpse and dressed him in uniform to plant fake information. It works.
But for decades, no-one knew the real name of the man who’d played the biggest part: Major William Martin.
Enter Roger Morgan, an amateur historian. He tells Jane Wilkinson how Operation Mincemeat unfolded and how he uncovered the major’s true identity.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by 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 the death of Adolf Hitler, the first spacewalk and the making of the movie Jaws, to celebrity tortoise Lonesome George, the Kobe earthquake and the invention of superglue.
We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: Eva Peron – Argentina’s Evita; President Ronald Reagan and his famous ‘tear down this wall’ speech; Thomas Keneally on why he wrote Schindler’s List; and Jacques Derrida, France’s ‘rock star’ philosopher.
You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the civil rights swimming protest; the disastrous D-Day rehearsal; and the death of one of the world’s oldest languages.
(Photo: William Martin's ID card. Credit: National Archives, Kew)

In May 1986, a new airport opened in Knock in the west of Ireland. It was the dream of an Irish priest, Monsignor James Horan, who raised millions to have it built.
The location for the airport seemed impossible – set in the boggy, foggy hills of rural County Mayo.
However, Knock attracts more than a million pilgrims every year, who come to visit the supposed site of an apparition by the Virgin Mary and other saints.
So, Horan convinced politicians that this remote western landscape could host a gateway to the world, and service the pilgrims who come to visit the shrine of Knock.
Pearce Concannon was working at the local Knock Shrine when the airport opened and remembers when Horan asked him to quit his job and become a firefighter at his new airport. He speaks to Colm Flynn.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by 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 the death of Adolf Hitler, the first spacewalk and the making of the movie Jaws, to celebrity tortoise Lonesome George, the Kobe earthquake and the invention of superglue.

We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: Eva Peron – Argentina’s Evita; President Ronald Reagan and his famous ‘tear down this wall’ speech; Thomas Keneally on why he wrote Schindler’s List; and Jacques Derrida, France’s ‘rock star’ philosopher.

You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the civil rights swimming protest; the disastrous D-Day rehearsal; and the death of one of the world’s oldest languages.
(Photo: Monsignor James Horan in front of the first plane to arrive at the airport. Credit: Ireland West Airport)

In February 1979, after the Shah left Iran, religious leader Ayatollah Khomeini flew back to Tehran from Paris.
He had been in exile and was greeted by millions of people lining the streets.
In 2011, Mohsen Sazegara who worked for the Ayatollah, spoke to Louise Hidalgo.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by 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 the death of Adolf Hitler, the first spacewalk and the making of the movie Jaws, to celebrity tortoise Lonesome George, the Kobe earthquake and the invention of superglue.
We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: Eva Peron – Argentina’s Evita; President Ronald Reagan and his famous ‘tear down this wall’ speech; Thomas Keneally on why he wrote Schindler’s List; and Jacques Derrida, France’s ‘rock star’ philosopher.
You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the civil rights swimming protest; the disastrous D-Day rehearsal; and the death of one of the world’s oldest languages.
(Photo: Ayatollah Khomeini on the flight back from exile. Credit: Gabriel Duval/AFP via Getty Images)