Category Archives: Cold War

Johnson urges public to press for tax increase 50 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Oct 6 1967)

1960s, Cold War, U.S. Presidents, Vietnam War


Video: 'Vietnam a Television History Episode 10' (Oct. 6, 1967, at 16:58)

(Friday, October 6, 1967, 12:24 p.m. EDT; during the Vietnam War, part of the Indochina Wars and the Cold War) — At the height of the Vietnam War and his war on poverty at home, President Lyndon Johnson asked today for public pressure to help him get a tax increase and challenged Congress to face that unpleasant task “reasonably, not politically.” Continue reading Johnson urges public to press for tax increase 50 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Oct 6 1967) →

‘Space Age’ begins as Soviets launch Sputnik 1 60 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Oct 4 1957)

1950s, Cold War, space exploration


Video: '1957 - First Satellite in Space (Sputnik)'

(Friday, October 4, 1957; 19:28:34 UTC) — The Soviet Union today (Oct. 5, 1957, at the launch site) launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, into orbit from Baikonur Cosmodrome, a spaceport located in southern Kazakhstan, inaugurating the Space Age. Continue reading ‘Space Age’ begins as Soviets launch Sputnik 1 60 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Oct 4 1957) →

Pete Seeger censored on ‘The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour’ 50 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Sep 10 1967)

1960s, Cold War, Popular Music 1960s, Television 1960s, U.S. Presidents, Vietnam War


Video: 'Pete Seeger - Wimoweh & Flowers Gone'

(Sunday, September 10, 1967, 9:00-10:00 p.m. EDT; during the Vietnam War, part of the Indochina Wars and the Cold War) — The CBS television network censored tonight’s second season premiere of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour by editing out the performance of Pete Seeger’s antiwar song “Waist Deep in the Big Muddy”, taped Sept. 1, 1967, citing the closing verse as a direct insult at President Lyndon Johnson. Continue reading Pete Seeger censored on ‘The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour’ 50 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Sep 10 1967) →

Ex-East German chief gets six years for deaths at Wall 20 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Aug 25 1997)

1990s, Cold War


Video: 'The 50 days of Egon Krenz(english) - ZDF History - 2016'

(Monday, August 25, 1997) — Egon Krenz, the last hard-line Communist leader of East Germany, was convicted today in Berlin of manslaughter for the shooting deaths of people trying to cross the Berlin Wall during the Cold War and sentenced to six years in prison. Continue reading Ex-East German chief gets six years for deaths at Wall 20 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Aug 25 1997) →

First U.S. Marine to be tried for spying convicted 30 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Aug 21 1987)

1980s, Cold War


Video: '007-Rachel Kennedy-Clayton Lonetree'

(Friday, August 21, 1987, evening EDT; during the Cold War) — Sgt. Clayton J. Lonetree became the first U.S. Marine to be convicted of spying against the United States as he was found guilty tonight in Quantico, Virginia, of passing secrets to the KGB. Continue reading First U.S. Marine to be tried for spying convicted 30 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Aug 21 1987) →

Katzenbach defends U.S. actions in Vietnam 50 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Aug 17 1967)

1960s, Cold War, Vietnam War


Video: 'Vietnam a Television History Episode 10' (August 17, 1967, at 10:47)

(Thursday, August 17, 1967; during the Vietnam War, part of the Indochina Wars and the Cold War) — Under Secretary of State Nicholas Katzenbach said today that Congress had authorized President Lyndon Johnson “to use the armed forces of the United States in whatever way was necessary” when it passed the Gulf of Tonkin resolution in August 1964. Continue reading Katzenbach defends U.S. actions in Vietnam 50 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Aug 17 1967) →

U-2 spy pilot Gary Powers killed in helicopter crash 40 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Aug 1 1977)

1970s, Cold War


Video: 'Pilot Gary Powers died here'

(Monday, August 1, 1977, at about 12:40 p.m. PDT; during the Cold War) — Francis Gary Powers, whose U-2 espionage flight over the Soviet Union touched off a crisis in Soviet-American relations in 1960, was killed today with his cameraman, George Spears, when the helicopter he piloted as a reporter for KNBC-TV ran out of fuel and crashed into a field near Encino, Los Angeles. Continue reading U-2 spy pilot Gary Powers killed in helicopter crash 40 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Aug 1 1977) →

134 servicemen killed by fire, explosions aboard USS Forrestal 50 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (July 29 1967)

1960s, Cold War, Vietnam War


Video: 'USS FORRESTAL AIRCRAFT CARRIER FIRE TRIAL BY FIRE MOVIE 1967 42704'

(Saturday, July 29, 1967, 10:51:21 a.m. local time; during the Vietnam War, part of the Indochina Wars and the Cold War) — An accidental rocket launch on the deck of the supercarrier USS Forrestal today in the Gulf of Tonkin resulted in a fire and explosions that killed 134 U.S. Navy sailors and officers. Continue reading 134 servicemen killed by fire, explosions aboard USS Forrestal 50 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (July 29 1967) →

President Truman signs National Security Act of 1947 70 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (July 26 1947)

1940s, Cold War, U.S. Presidents

(Saturday, July 26, 1947, 12:15 p.m. EDT; during the Cold War) — President Harry S. Truman today (aboard his VC-54C presidential aircraft Sacred Cow, the first aircraft used for the role of Air Force One) signed the National Security Act of 1947, which merged the Department of War (renamed as the Department of the Army) and the Department of the Navy into the National Military Establishment (NME), headed by the Secretary of Defense. Continue reading President Truman signs National Security Act of 1947 70 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (July 26 1947) →

Soviets reject Marshall Plan European recovery 70 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Jul 2 1947)

1940s, Cold War


Video: '45 85 Part 2' (July 2, 1947, at 6:33)

(Wednesday, July 2, 1947; during the Cold War) — Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov walked out of a conference with representatives of the British and French governments today in Paris, signaling the Soviet Union’s rejection of the Marshall Plan (officially known as the European Recovery Program, ERP), an American initiative to help rebuild Western European economies after the end of World War II. Continue reading Soviets reject Marshall Plan European recovery 70 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Jul 2 1947) →