Video: '1948 HUAC Hearing with Alger Hiss'
(Thursday, August 5, 1948; during the Second Red Scare and the Cold War) — Former U.S. State Department official Alger Hiss voluntarily appeared before the House Un-American Activities Committee today and denied under oath that he had ever been a communist. Continue reading Hiss denies he was ever a communist 70 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Aug 5 1948)
Video: 'President Richard Nixon's Legacy' (Aug. 3, 1948 at 20:08)
(Tuesday, August 3, 1948; during the Second Red Scare and the Cold War) — Time magazine editor Whittaker Chambers testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee today that he had been part of a Communist underground organization prior to his leaving the movement in 1937. Continue reading Chambers accuses Hiss of being a communist spy 70 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Aug 3 1948)
Video: 'Vietnam: The Ten Thousand Day War - The Village War [10/13]' (July 18, 1968, at 25:22)
(Thursday, July 18, 1968, 4:55 p.m. HST; during the Vietnam War, part of the Indochina Wars and the Cold War) — U.S. President Lyndon Johnson welcomed South Vietnam President Nguyen Van Thieu today at Hickam Air Force Base for the first of two days of high level talks, assuring Thieu America’s “pledge to help your people defeat aggression stands firm against all obstacles and against any deception.” Continue reading Johnson reassures Thieu in welcome at Honolulu 50 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Jul 18 1968)
Video: 'American Experience The Berlin Airlift' (Berlin Airlift at 9:15)
(Saturday, June 26, 1948; during the Berlin Blockade, part of the Cold War) — Two days after the Soviets halted land and water access to the sectors of Berlin under Western control in the multinational occupation of post–World War II Germany, American planes began flying milk, flour and medical supplies today to alleviate the plight of 2.5 million residents affected by the Russian effort to squeeze out the Western Allies. Continue reading U.S. mobilizes planes to supply West Berlin 70 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Jun 26 1948)
Video: 'The Berlin Blockade (10m)'
(Thursday, June 24, 1948; during the Cold War) — The Berlin Blockade began today in the multinational occupation of post–World War II Germany as the Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies’ land and water access to the sectors of Berlin under Western control. Continue reading Soviets impose land, water blockade of West Berlin 70 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Jun 24 1948)
Video: 'Dr Benjamin Spock defends Himself 1968
(Friday, June 14, 1968, 7:58 p.m. EDT; during the Opposition to the Vietnam War) — Dr. Benjamin Spock, an American pediatrician famous to two generations for the child-raising guide The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care, was convicted tonight by a 12-man federal jury in Boston of conspiring to encourage young men to evade the draft during the Vietnam War, along with three of his four co-defendants. Continue reading Dr. Spock convicted in anti-draft plot 50 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Jun 14 1968)
Video: 'Cold War 22of24 Star Wars' (May 31, 1988, at 44:31)
(Tuesday, May 31, 1988, 11:10 a.m. Moscow Daylight Time; during the Moscow Summit (1988), part of the Cold War) — U.S. President Ronald Reagan, standing within the fortress walls of the Kremlin with a smiling Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev at his side, said today that he no longer sees the Soviet Union as “the evil empire.” Continue reading Reagan recants ‘evil empire’ description 30 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (May 31 1988)
Video: 'U.S. v O'Brien'
(Monday, May 27, 1968, part of the Opposition to the Vietnam War) — The U.S. Supreme Court, in United States v. O’Brien, upheld today the conviction of David O’Brien for destroying his draft card outside a Boston courthouse on Mar. 31, 1966, ruling that the act was not protected by the First Amendment’s guarantee of free speech. Continue reading High court backs ban on draft card burning 50 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (May 27 1968)
Video: 'Vietnam: The Ten Thousand Day War - Tet! [7/13]' (May 23, 1968, at 41:41)
(Thursday, May 23, 1968, 11:38 a.m. EDT; during the Battle of Khe Sanh, part of the Vietnam War, the Indochina Wars and the Cold War) — President Lyndon Johnson said today the marine defense of Khe Sanh greatly strengthen the American initiative toward peace talks “for they vividly demonstrated to the enemy the utter futility of his attempts to win a military victory in the South.” Continue reading LBJ defends decision to hold Khe Sanh 50 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (May 23 1968)
Video: 'USS Scorpion (SSN-589) (documentary)'
(Wednesday, May 22, 1968, 6:44 p.m. GMT; during the Cold War) — The American nuclear-powered submarine USS Scorpion sank today 400 miles from the Azores in the North Atlantic Ocean, killing all 99 of its crew. Continue reading Nuclear-powered sub sinks with 99 men aboard 50 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (May 22 1968)
