Video: Dec. 22, 1972 (6:47)
(Friday, December 22, 1972; during Operation Linebacker II, part of the Vietnam War) — The target area of “The Christmas Bombings” of North Vietnam today shifted away from Hanoi to the port city of Haiphong and its petroleum storage areas. Continue reading ‘Christmas Bombings’ shift to Haiphong, hospital near Hanoi hit 40 years ago today (1972)
Video: Dec. 20, 1972 (3:38)
(Monday, December 20, 1972; during Operation Linebacker II, part of the Vietnam War) — Four American B-52Gs and three B-52Ds were lost today in the first and third waves of “The Christmas Bombings” of the Hanoi area of North Vietnam. A fourth D model, returning to Thailand, crashed in Laos. Only two of the eight downed crews were recovered by search and rescue aircraft. Continue reading Seven B-52 bombers shot down over North Vietnam 40 years ago today (1972)
Video: Dec. 16, 1972 (at 10:36; labeled as Dec. 15)
(Saturday, December 16, 1972, during the Vietnam War) — Henry A. Kissinger said in Washington today the Vietnam peace talks have not yet produced an agreement “that the president considers just and fair” and blamed Hanoi, which he portrayed as pursuing tactics of delay and sudden, inexplicable changes during secret bargaining in Paris that broke off Dec. 13.
Video: 'AFTER TWO YEARS: A CONVERSATION WITH THE PRESIDENT'
(Sunday, December 16, 1962, evening) — U.S. President John F. Kennedy said today the Cuban Missile Crisis had made a Soviet-American understanding less likely in the foreseeable future. Continue reading Cuban Missile Crisis darkened hope of peace, JFK says 50 years ago today (1962)
Video: Dec. 12, 1972 (10:11)
(Tuesday, December 12, 1972, during the Vietnam War) — South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu proposed today a Christmas peace package providing for a cease-fire and release of all U.S. and Vietnamese prisoners of war, but the Viet Cong quickly rejected it. Continue reading Thieu proposes temporary Christmas truce in Vietnam 40 years ago today (1972)
Video: Dec. 12, 1962 (at 4:33)
(Wednesday, December 12, 1962, afternoon; during the Vietnam War, part of the the Indochina Wars and the Cold War) — U.S. President John F. Kennedy admitted today in a news conference that there is “great difficulty” in fighting the guerilla war against Communist forces in South Vietam, but the situation is not darker than it was a year ago, “and in some ways lighter.” Continue reading JFK warns of ‘great difficultly’ fighting a guerilla war in Vietnam 50 years ago today (1962)
Video: Dec. 2, 1972 (8:13)
(Saturday, December 2, 1972, during the Vietnam War) — U.S. President Richard Nixon and his top security adviser Henry A. Kissinger held “extensive consultations” today in Key Biscayne, Florida, prior to Kissinger’s departure to resume Vietnam War peace talks in Paris.
Video: Nov. 20, 1972 (8:13)
(Monday, November 20, 1972, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. local time, during the Vietnam War) — Henry A. Kissinger, U.S. President Richard Nixon’s national security adviser, and Le Duc Tho of North Vietnam opened another round of negotiations for a Vietnam cease-fire today in Paris. Continue reading Vietnam cease-fire negotiators meet again 40 years ago this hour (1972)
Video: Oct. 26, 1972 (6:32)
(Thursday, October 26, 1972, 11 days before the U.S. presidential election, during the Vietnam War) — Hours after Radio Hanoi broadcast key details of a draft peace agreement, which the South Vietnamese had adamantly rejected a few days before, American presidential advisor Henry Kissinger went on television today and declared “We believe that peace is at hand.” Continue reading ‘Peace Is at Hand’ in Vietnam, Kissinger says 40 years ago today (1972)
Video: October 26, 1962 (at 4:25)
(Friday, October 26, 1962, day eleven of the Cuban missile crisis, part of the Cold War) — A Soviet-chartered freighter is stopped at the quarantine line today and searched for contraband military supplies. None are found and the ship is allowed to proceed to Cuba.
Meantime, ABC News reporter John Scali is approached by Aleksander Fomin of the Soviet embassy staff with a proposal for a solution to the crisis.
Later, a long, rambling letter from Soviet Premier Khrushchev to U.S. President Kennedy makes a similar offer: removal of the missiles in exchange for lifting the quarantine and a pledge that the U.S. will not invade Cuba. Continue reading Krushchev offers deal to remove Soviet missiles from Cuba 50 years ago today (1962)
