History

A Man's a Man for a' That: Frederick Douglass in Scotland
Opera singer Andrea Baker explores the impact of Frederick Douglass' time in Scotland.
25 Oct 2015,30 mins
The Raising of Coventry
Telling the story of the bombing of Coventry 80 years ago on November 14th, 1940.
16 Nov 2020,28 mins
Donald Duck Gets Drafted
Gerald Scarfe explores the Walt Disney Studio's activity during the Second World War.
02 Sep 2015,30 mins
The Manchester Ballads
Folk singer Eliza Carthy discovers Manchester's 19th-century broadside ballads.
05 Oct 2015,30 mins
The Frock and the Church
Women bishops? Will the Church of England approve them and can it cope with the fallout?
01 Jul 2012,28 mins
A History of the World Special
The story of the portrait of a private soldier's sweetheart, painted for him in Auschwitz.
18 May 2011,30 mins
Gift Of The Gods
Beekeeper Martha Kearney explores the importance of honey in antiquity.
27 Jan 2017,30 mins
The Frontline Prince
Edward VIII, the king who abdicated, was deeply marked by the Great War.
18 Sep 2017,30 mins
Cymry 1914-1918
Heddwch
Cyfres am Gymry'r Rhyfel Mawr, gan roi pwyslais yn y rhaglen hon ar ddiwedd y gwrthdaro.
16 Nov 2018,27 mins
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The Most Successful Assassination in History
The night Israeli PM Yitzhak Rabin was gunned down - changing the Middle East forever.
02 Nov 2020,28 mins
The Art of Adultery
Natalie Haynes finds out why adultery remains such a regular subject in popular culture.
25 Feb 2016,30 mins
The Vietnam Paris connection
Author Viet Thanh Nguyen, film critic Phuong Le and Peter Salmon join Matthew Sweet
10 Mar 2021,44 mins
The Duke of Edinburgh and Wales: A Tribute
Felicity Evans pays tribute to HRH The Duke of Edinburgh whose death has been announced.
09 Apr 2021,28 mins
Junior Historians
Dunrossness Primary and the Braer Oil Disaster
Pupils from around Scotland delve into local history and produce their own documentary.
12 Nov 2019,28 mins
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The Beat Hotel
How a down-at-heel Parisian hotel became the world's avant-garde headquarters.
29 Nov 2012,30 mins
Aberfan: Covering a Catastrophe
Felicity Evans meets some of the journalists who reported on the Aberfan disaster.
21 Oct 2016,42 mins
Aberfan: Memory and Meaning
Dai Smith asks what meaning might be found in the deaths of so many people at Aberfan.
21 Oct 2016,27 mins
A Slick of Red Lippie
Cathy Macdonald explores the history and glamour of red lipstick.
14 Feb 2017,28 mins
Prescott at Your Service
Exploring a strange coincidence from 1957, when John Prescott was a cruise ship waiter.
31 Jan 2007,30 mins
Atomic: How Dr Strangelove Exploded Pop Culture
How did Stanley Kubrick and Welsh author Peter George change Cold War culture for ever?
29 Apr 2021,27 mins
History on the Edge
Anita Anand uncovers an extraordinary untold refugee story from 1940.
27 Sep 2021,28 mins
Silk
Episode 2
Steph discovers how silk's global spread has driven industrial and technological change.
30 Oct 2013,28 mins
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Past Forward: A Century of Sound
Omnibus 4
Greg Jenner dives into the BBC archive to explore changes over the past century.
16 Dec 2022,57 mins
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Taking Art To The People
Michael Symmons Roberts on the life and legacy of the philanthropist Thomas Horsfall.
02 Nov 2015,30 mins
Good King George
Simon Heffer re-evaluates the reign of George V.
14 Apr 2010,30 mins
HRH The Duke of Edinburgh and Wales: A Tribute
Felicity Evans pays tribute to HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, whose death has been announced.
09 Apr 2021,27 mins
A Wing and a Prayer
Battle of Britain fighter pilots recall the summer of 1940. Presented by Misha Glenny.
24 Mar 2015,28 mins
Witness History - Roselle the 9/11 guide dog
Simon Watts speaks to Michael Hingson, owner of hero 9/11 guide dog Roselle
21 Sep 2017,9 mins
The Secret Catacombs of Paris
Jonathan Glancey investigates Paris's secret underground maze of tunnels.
30 Jan 2012,30 mins
A Voyage on Livingstone's Lake
The story of the MV Ilala, a 60-year-old boat still in use in Malawi and Mozambique.
20 Jan 2009,30 mins