This Week in History

By BBC Radio 4

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

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· History

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FAQs about This Week in History:

How many episodes does This Week in History have?

The podcast currently has 81 episodes available.

This Week in History episodes:

May 11, 2026 May 11th to May 17th
Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life.
16th May 1943 - Operation Chastise: No. 617 Squadron RAF begins the famous Dambusters Raid
13th May 1787 - The First Fleet sets sail for Botany Bay, Australia, with 11 ships and over 700 convicts
17th May 1861 - The first color photograph, of a tartan ribbon is shown by Scottish scientist James Clerk Maxwell to the Royal Institution in London
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6min
May 04, 2026 May 4th to May 10th
Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life.
4th May 1990 - Latvia declares its independence
10th May 1857 - Indian rebellion against British rule by the East India Company begins
10th May 1824 - The National Gallery first opens at 100 Pall Mall
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6min
April 27, 2026 April 27th to May 3rd
Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life.
2nd May 1982 - The Argentine navy cruiser General Belgrano is controversially sunk by a British nuclear submarine during the Falklands War.
1st May 1707 - The Act of Union unites England and Scotland to form Great Britain.
3rd May 1978 - Marketing manager Gary Thuerk sends the first spam email.
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6min
April 20, 2026 April 20th to April 26th
Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life.
23rd April 1984 - The virus which causes HIV/AIDS is discovered.
21st April 1509 - Henry VIII accedes to the English throne.
25th April 1859 - The construction of the Suez canal begins.
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6min
April 13, 2026 April 13th to April 19th
Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life.
13th April 1970 - An explosion on board Apollo 13 threatens the lives of three astronauts.
16th April 1616 - William Harvey begins publicising the pioneering medical theory that blood circulates around the body.
18th April 1930 - Listeners who tuned in to the BBC for the 845pm bulletin were told 'there is no news'.
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6min
April 06, 2026 April 6th to April 12th
Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life.
10th April 1815 - Mount Tambora erupts, the largest in recorded history. For two years particles stay in the air across the globe, inspiring various artworks.
6th April 1994 - A plane carrying President Habyarimana of Rwanda and the Burundian President Ntaryamira is shot down, sparking the start of the Rwandan Genocide.
7th April 1853 - Queen Victoria uses chloroform to relieve the pain of childbirth, a pioneering moment for obstetric medicine.
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6min
March 30, 2026 March 30th to April 5th
Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life.
1st April 2001 - Slobodan Milošević, the former president of The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, surrenders to police special forces.
4th April 1968 - The civil rights activist Martin Luther King is assassinated.
1st April 1748 - The ruins of the Roman city of Pompeii are discovered.
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6min
March 23, 2026 March 23rd - March 29th
Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life.
23 March 1900 - Excavations begin at Knossos, Crete, revealing the Bronze Age Minoan civilisation
27 March 1963 - The Beeching report is published, leading to mass railway closures in the UK
26 March 1778 - Beethoven gives his first concert at the age of 7, he dies on the same day in 1827
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6min
March 16, 2026 March 16th to March 22nd
Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life.
March 21st In 1556 - the first Protestant Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, was burnt at the stake in Oxford during the reign of Queen Mary.
March 17th 1921 - the first family planning clinic opened in Holloway, North London, by Marie Stopes.
March 20th 1966 - the World Cup trophy was stolen from its display in Central Hall, Westminster - only to be discovered by a dog, Pickles, a week after.
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6min
March 09, 2026 March 9th to March 15th
Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life.
March 11th - In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev was named the Soviet Union's new leader.
March 11th - In 1702, Britain's first daily newspaper - The Daily Courant - began publication.
March 15th - In 44BC - the Ides of March - the Roman emperor, Julius Caesar, was assassinated by a group of senators.
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6min

FAQs about This Week in History:

How many episodes does This Week in History have?

The podcast currently has 81 episodes available.