Category Archives: Cold War

U.S. bombs Toksan Dam in North Korea 60 years ago today (1953)


Video: 'Korean War - PART 28, End of the War, 6.25' (May 13, 1953, at 5:09)

(Wednesday, May 13, 1953; during the Korean War, part of the Cold War) — Thunderjets from the U.S. Air Force’s 58 Fighter-Bomber Wing struck the Toksan Dam, near Pyongyang today causing a massive flood. Floodwaters from the breached dam destroyed ten bridges, ruined several square miles of rice crops, flooded over 1,000 buildings and rendered the Sunan Airfield inoperable.

10-year-old American girl receives reply from Soviet leader Andropov about her concerns of nuclear war 30 years ago today (1983)


Video: 'Samantha Smith, is interviewed on Nightline by Ted Koppel on'

(Monday, April 25, 1983; during the Cold War) — 10-year-old Samantha Smith of Manchester, Maine, received a reply today from Soviet leader Yuri V. Andropov to a letter she’d written expressing concern about possible nuclear war. Andropov reassured Samantha that the Soviet Union did not want war, and he invited her to visit his country, a trip Samantha made the following July.

Prisoner exchange started in Korea, 30 Americans freed 60 years ago today (1953)


Video: 'Korean War - PART 28, End of the War, 6.25' (exchange begins at 0:53)

(Monday, April 20, 1953; during the Korean War, part of the Cold War) — 100 United Nations soldiers, including 30 Americans, were freed from communist captivity today as the opponents in the Korean War began the exchange of sick and wounded prisoners under a recently negotiated agreement.

Kennedy says 9,000 Russian personnel have left Cuba 50 years ago this hour (1963)


Video: 'President John F. Kennedy's 53rd Press Conference (April 3, 1963)'

(Wednesday, April 3, 1963, 4:00 p.m. EST; during the Cold War) — U.S. President John F. Kennedy says 9,000 Soviet troops and technical experts have left Cuba since November, about 4,000 of them within the past six weeks.

Expressing hope of further withdrawals, Kennedy told his news conference today that a rough calculation indicates about 12,000 to 13,000 Soviet citizens remain in Cuba. Continue reading Kennedy says 9,000 Russian personnel have left Cuba 50 years ago this hour (1963)

Chinese, North Koreans accept POW trade offer, propose peace talks be resumed 60 years ago today (1953)


Video: 'Korean War - PART 28, End of the War, 6.25' (at 0:42-0:53)

(Saturday, March 28, 1953; during the Korean War, part of the Cold War) — The Chinese and North Korean Communist commanders accepted today a long-standing United Nations proposal for an immediate exchange of sick and wounded prisoners of war by both sides in Korea, and at the same time proposed immediate resumption of suspended armistice talks.

JFK tells Costa Rican students Cuba example of failure of communism 50 years ago today (1963)


Video: 'Kennedy Visits Costa Rica - clip 18656'

(Wednesday, March 20, 1963; during the Cold War) — U.S. President John F. Kennedy, winding up his three-day solidarity meeting presidents of six Central American republics, told an enthusiastic crowd of 10,000 at the University of Costa Rica in San Jose, Costa Rica, today that Cuba is an example of communism’s failure to provide for its people.

Freed American POW captured in Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph 40 years ago today (1973)

(Monday, March 12, 1973; during the Vietnam War, part of the Indochina Wars and the Cold War) — U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Robert L. Stirm, a freed prisoner of the Vietnam War, was joyously greeted today by his family on the tarmac at Travis Air Force Base in California in a scene captured in a Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph by Slava Veder of The Associated Press.

Soviet Union ‘evil empire,’ says Reagan 30 years ago today (1983)


Video: 'President Ronald Reagan - "Evil Empire" Speech'

(Tuesday, March 8, 1983) — In a speech to the National Association of Evangelicals convention today in Orlando, Florida, U.S. President Ronald Reagan referred to the Soviet Union as an “evil empire.”

Thieu angered by interruption at daughter’s wedding 40 years ago today (1973)


Video: Thieu wedding interrupted (at 9:27)

(Friday, January 19, 1973; during the Vietnam War) — South Vietnamese President Thieu became angry today when Ambassador Ellsworth Bunker demanded to see him just as Thieu gave his daughter away in a wedding. Bunker wanted to communicate the latest letter from U.S. President Richard Nixon pressuring Thieu to agree to a peace agreement.

Kissinger tells Nixon Vietnam cease-fire agreement ready 40 years ago today (1973)


Video: Jan. 11, 1973 (6:03)

(Thursday, January 11, 1973; during the Vietnam War) — National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger cabled U.S. President Richard Nixon from Paris today that the agreement to end the Vietnam War was ready. The terms were almost identical to those laid down in October 1972.