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)
Video: 'Dewey Stassen Debate (1948) First Presidential Election Debate'
(Monday, May 17, 1948, 6:00 p.m. PST/10:00 p.m. EDT; during the Republican Party presidential primaries, 1948) — New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey and former Minnesota Governor Harold Stassen discussed the legal status of the Communist Party of the U.S. during the first audio-recorded presidential debate to ever take place in the United States tonight in Portland, four days before the 1948 Oregon Republican presidential primary. Continue reading First audio-recorded presidential debate in U.S. held 70 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (May 17 1948)
Video: 'CNN, Cold War, Soldiers of God, Afghanistan' (May 15, 1988, at 43:36)
(Sunday, May 15, 1988; during the Soviet–Afghan War, part of the War in Afghanistan and the Cold War) — A long convoy of tanks, trucks and happy Soviet soldiers rumbled through a narrow mountain pass and into Kabul today as the first official step of the withdrawal of 115,000 Soviet troops from Afghanistan. Continue reading Soviets begin withdrawal from Afghanistan 30 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (May 15 1988)
Video: 'Nixon' (May 15, 1958, at 1:48)
(Thursday, May 15, 1958, 11:59 a.m. EDT) — Vice President Richard Nixon received a hero’s welcome today from President Dwight D. Eisenhower and other well-wishers on his return to Washington from a violence-marred tour of Latin America. Continue reading 100,000 welcome Nixon back from stormy tour 60 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (May 15 1958)
Video: 'Vietnam: A Television History - Tet [6/11]' (May 1968 at 52:39)
(Friday, May 10, 1968, 3:00-4:45 p.m. CET; during the Vietnam War, part of the Indochina Wars and the Cold War) — American and North Vietnamese delegates met in formal conference for the first time today in Paris to discuss peace talks, agreeing to open their formal preliminary talks on Monday, May 13, 1968, at the International Conference Center of the French Foreign Ministry, located in the former Hotel Majestic. Continue reading American, North Vietnamese delegates meet in Paris 50 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (May 10 1968)