History of the BBC
Explore the history of the BBC since its foundation in 1922 to the present day
Explore the BBC’s rich history - uncover the stories behind topical anniversaries, delve into fascinating objects from our diverse collections, or take a deeper look through one of our long‑form articles.
And tell us your memories of what the BBC means to you.
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Anniversaries
October 1930 was a landmark month for music on the BBC - the first broadcast performance by the new BBC Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Adrian Boult. Read more about this and other BBC anniversaries here. -
Woman's Hour at 80
Woman's Hour celebrates 80 years of groundbreaking journalism and pioneering approaches to broadcasting this year. Our exploration of the huge impact of the programme begins here! -
The Third at 80 – a brief history of the unexpected
Professor Emeritus David Hendy explores the fascinating world of Radio 3's predecessor, The Third Programme, launched 80 years ago. -
100 years of Choral Evensong
Choral Evensong has been at the heart of BBC Radio for 100 years and marks its anniversary this month - explore a rich musical heritage here. -
The One Show at 20
Getting the UK talking for two decades, The One Show has reached a milestone! BBC History celebrates 20 years of the iconic show through a rich archive of remarkable images, and memorable moments. -
The Maida Vale Legacy
The BBC at Maida Vale has seen a vast array of performers, a diverse range of musical genres and countless creative individuals pass through its doors since 1934. Join us on a celebratory journey through broadcasting history. -
Attenborough 100
Sir David Attenborough is 100 and to mark the occasion, BBC History has opened up the BBC Archives to bring you some extraordinary insights into the life of the legendary natural history broadcaster. -
Collections of BBC objects
The Corporation is tasked with looking after its own history, and through its partners, such as the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford it is becoming increasingly possible to access these collections through exhibitions and events. Here's a selection from the collection.
Links
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BBC Archive
Hand-picked and popular selections from the BBC archives. -
BBC Archive - Youtube channel
Hop aboard an audiovisual time machine, that will transport you back to the golden age of TV. -
BBC Programme Index
Explore the BBC’s historical listings information from 1922 to the present day. -
Connected Histories of the BBC
A University of Sussex-AHRC research project -
British Entertainment History Project
The UK's largest oral history collection of interviews with professionals from across the film, television, radio and theatre industries. -
BBC Memory Bank
Giving longstanding and retired staff the opportunity to write their part of the unofficial history of the BBC. -
BBC iPlayer from the Archive
The destination to discover the most distinctive content from the BBC's rich archive. -
Archive on Four
Brilliant stories told using archive from the BBC and beyond.
