This Week in History

By BBC Radio 4

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

... more

· History

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FAQs about This Week in History:

How many episodes does This Week in History have?

The podcast currently has 33 episodes available.

This Week in History episodes:

November 07, 2025 3rd to 9th November
Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life.
This week: 3rd to 9th November
3rd November 1534 - English parliament passes the Act of Supremacy
9th November 1938 - Kristallnacht
4th November 1922 - Discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb
Presented by Jane Steel and Ron Brown
...more
6min
November 03, 2025 3rd to 9th November
Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life.
This week: 3rd to 9th November
3rd November1534 - English parliament passes the Act of Supremacy
9th November 1938 - Kristallnacht
4th November 1922 - Discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb
Presented by Jane Steel and Ron Brown
...more
6min
October 27, 2025 October 27th to November 2nd
Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life.
This week: 27th October to 2nd November
31st October 1984 - Indian Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi is assassinated
28th October 1726 - "Gulliver's Travels" by Jonathan Swift is published.
30th October 1974 - Muhammad Ali defeats George Foreman in 'The Rumble In The Jungle'
Presented by Viji Alles and Caroline Nicholls
Produced by Stuart Ross and Amanda Litherland
...more
6min
October 20, 2025 October 20th - October 26th
Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life.
This week: 20th October to 26th October
- 25th October, 1400 - The death of the 'Father of English Poetry', Geoffrey Chaucer.
- 21st October, 1805 - The Battle of Trafalgar: a British naval victory that would shape the nation's imperial future and identity.
- 21st October, 1966 - A colliery spoil tip collapses in the village of Aberfan, South Wales, engulfing a school and killing 144 people, 116 of them children.
Presented by Ron Brown and Jane Steel.
Producers: Carys John and Sofie Vilcins.
...more
6min
October 13, 2025 October 13th - October 19th
Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life.
This week: The 13th to the 19th of October.
- 19th October 1987 Shares plunge after Wall Street crash - aka Black Monday
- 13th October 1884 International Meridian Conference in Washington establishes Greenwich as the Universal Prime Meridian of longitude
- 14th October 1926 A.A. Milne’s book Winnie-The-Pooh released
Presented by Caroline Nicholls and Jane Steel.
Producers: Chris Pearson and Sofie Vilcins.
...more
6min
October 06, 2025 Oct 6th - Oct 12th
Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life.
This week: the 6th to the 12th October.
8th October 1769 - James Cook and the crew of HMS Endeavour land in New Zealand
9th October 2012 - 15 year old Malala Yousafzai survives a shooting by the Taliban.
9th October 1446 - King Sejong the Great creates the Korean Hangul alphabet.
...more
6min
September 29, 2025 September 29th - October 5th
Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life.
This week: 29th September to 5th October
- 3rd October 1990. East and West Germany were officially reunified.
- 29th September 1829. Formation of The Metropolitan police, London's first official police force.
- 5th October 1962. The first James Bond film, Dr. No, had its world premiere.
...more
6min
September 22, 2025 September 22nd - September 28th
Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life.
This week: 22nd September to 28th September
- 22nd September 1692. The last eight victims are hanged in the Salem Witch trials
- 22nd September 1968. A ceremony takes place to mark the relocation of the ancient Egyptian Abu Simbel temples
- 25th September 1066. King Harold II wins the Battle of Stamford Bridge.
Read by Ron Brown and Caroline Nicholls
Produced by Chris Pearson
...more
6min
September 15, 2025 September 15th - September 21st
Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life.
This week: 15th September to 21st September
- 16th September 1620. The Mayflower sets sail from Plymouth to America
- 19th September 1960. Britain deploys it's first Traffic Wardens
- 21st September 1915. Cecil Chubb purchases Stonehenge
...more
7min
September 08, 2025 September 8th - September 14th
Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life.
This week: 8th - 14th September
- 9th September 1976. Death of Mao Zedong
- 12th September 1846. HMS Terror and HMS Erebus, the British expedition searching for a Northwest Passage, become trapped in ice.
- 12th September 1940. Discovery of the Lascaux Cave Paintings

Presented by Viji Alles and Jane Steel.
Producers: Sofie Vilcins and Luke Doran.
...more
6min

FAQs about This Week in History:

How many episodes does This Week in History have?

The podcast currently has 33 episodes available.