Category Archives: Cold War

U.S. President Richard Nixon begins historic visit to People’s Republic of China as he arrives in Beijing 50 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Feb 21 1972)

1970s, Cold War, U.S. Presidents


Video: 'Nixon in China: The Week that Changed the World' (Feb. 21, 1972, at 1:51)

(Monday, February 21, 1972, 11:30 a.m. China Standard Time; during the 1972 visit by Richard Nixon to China and the Cold War) — President Richard Nixon and his wife, Pat, arrived in Beijing this morning to mark the end of a generation of hostility between the United States and China and to begin a new but still undefined relationship between the most powerful (the U.S.) and the most populous (China) of nations on Earth.. Continue reading U.S. President Richard Nixon begins historic visit to People’s Republic of China as he arrives in Beijing 50 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Feb 21 1972) →

Captured American U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers exchanged for Soviet spy in Berlin 60 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Feb 10 1962)

1960s, Cold War


Video: '10th February 1962: Captured U-2 spy plane pilot Gary Powers freed in a prisoner exchange'

(Saturday, February 10, 1962, 8:52 a.m. Central European Time; during the 1960 U-2 incident, part of the Cold War) — The Soviet Union exchanged captured American U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers in a well publicized spy swap for Soviet KGB Colonel Vilyam Fisher (aka Rudolf Abel), a Soviet colonel who was caught by the FBI and put in jail for espionage, today in Berlin, at the Glienicke Bridge between Wannsee and Potsdam. Continue reading Captured American U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers exchanged for Soviet spy in Berlin 60 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Feb 10 1962) →

Mikhail Gorbachev, last Soviet leader, resigns 30 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Dec 25 1991)

1990s, Cold War, U.S. Presidents


Video: '25/12/1991 Mikhail Gorbachev Resignation Speech'

(Christmas Day, Wednesday, December 25, 1991, 7:00 p.m. Eastern European Time; during the Dissolution of the Soviet Union; part of the Cold War and the Revolutions of 1989) — Mikhail Gorbachev, the trailblazer of the Soviet Union’s retreat from the Cold War and the spark for the democratic reforms that ended 70 years of Communist tyranny, told a weary, anxious nation tonight that he was resigning as president and closing out the union. Continue reading Mikhail Gorbachev, last Soviet leader, resigns 30 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Dec 25 1991) →

11 former Soviet republics declare end to USSR, form commonwealth 30 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Dec 21 1991)

1990s, Cold War


Video: 'ABC Nightly News December 21 1991 w/Commercials WHAS 11 Louisville KY'

(Saturday, December 21, 1991; during the Dissolution of the Soviet Union; part of the Cold War and the Revolutions of 1989) — Eleven of the 12 former republics of the Soviet Union formally constituted themselves today as the Commonwealth of Independent States, proclaiming the death of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Continue reading 11 former Soviet republics declare end to USSR, form commonwealth 30 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Dec 21 1991) →

Polish government declares martial law in crackdown on Solidarity labor movement 40 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Dec 13 1981)

1980s, Cold War


Video: 'Solidarity Poland 1981' (martial law declared in Poland at 9:28)

(Sunday, December 13, 1981, 12:00 midnight Central European Time; during Martial law in Poland, part of the Soviet reaction to the Polish crisis of 1980–1981) — Poland’s new military leaders issued a decree of martial law today, drastically restricting civil rights and suspending the operations of the Solidarity union. Continue reading Polish government declares martial law in crackdown on Solidarity labor movement 40 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Dec 13 1981) →

UN General Assembly votes to admit mainland China and expel Taiwan in major defeat for U.S. 50 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Oct 25 1971)

1970s, Cold War


Video: 'SYND 26-10-71 DEBATE ENDS ON CHINA'S ENTRY INTO UNITED NATIONS'

(Monday, October 25, 1971, 11:17 p.m. EDT) — In a tense and emotion?filled meeting of more than eight hours, the General Assembly voted overwhelmingly tonight to approve United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758, admitting the communist government of mainland China, known as the People’s Republic of China (PRC), and to expelling the United States-backed Kuomintang (KMT) Nationalist Government, based primarily on the offshore island of Taiwan. Continue reading UN General Assembly votes to admit mainland China and expel Taiwan in major defeat for U.S. 50 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Oct 25 1971) →

U.S. President John F. Kennedy says Western powers will defend Berlin by ‘whatever means’ in address to UN General Assembly 60 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Sep 25 1961)

1960s, Cold War, U.S. Presidents


Video: 'TNC:20 (excerpt) JFK on Nuclear Weapons'

(Monday, September 25, 1961, 11:30 a.m. EDT; during the Cold War) — Six weeks after construction of the Berlin Wall began, U.S. President John F. Kennedy told the United Nations today that’ the United States and its allies have decided to defend West Berlin by “whatever means are forced upon them.” Continue reading U.S. President John F. Kennedy says Western powers will defend Berlin by ‘whatever means’ in address to UN General Assembly 60 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Sep 25 1961) →

Gorbachev returns to Moscow after 1991 Soviet coup d’état attempt fails 30 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Aug 22 1991)

1990s, Cold War


Video: 'Top News Story August 22, 1991'

(Thursday, August 22, 1991, 2:15 a.m. Eastern European Summer Time; during the 1991 Soviet coup d’état attempt; part of the Revolutions of 1989 and Dissolution of the Soviet Union) — A coup by hard-line Communists collapsed yesterday as abruptly as it began, and President Mikhail S. Gorbachev returned to Moscow early this morning to reassert control of the Soviet Union. Continue reading Gorbachev returns to Moscow after 1991 Soviet coup d’état attempt fails 30 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Aug 22 1991) →

1991 Soviet coup d’état attempt begins 30 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Aug 19 1991)

1990s, Cold War


Video: 'CNN - Soviet coup (first reports)' (coverage begins Aug. 18, 1991, at 11:27 p.m. EDT)

(Monday, August 19, 1991, state of emergency declared at 5:57 a.m. Eastern European Summer Time; during the 1991 Soviet coup d’état attempt; part of the Revolutions of 1989 and Dissolution of the Soviet Union) — Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev was tentatively ousted from power today by military and K.G.B. authorities while he was on vacation in the distant Crimea. Continue reading 1991 Soviet coup d’état attempt begins 30 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Aug 19 1991) →

East German soldiers begin placing barbed wire between East and West Berlin to seal border and build massive wall 60 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Aug 13 1961)

1960s, Cold War


Video: 'The Berlin Wall goes up - August 13, 1961'

(Sunday, August 13, 1961, shortly after midnight Central European Time; during the Berlin Crisis of 1961, part of the Cold War) — Construction of the Berlin Wall was commenced by the German Democratic Republic (GDR, East Germany) early this morning as East German soldiers began laying down barbed wire and bricks as a barrier between Soviet-controlled East Berlin and the democratic western section of the city. Continue reading East German soldiers begin placing barbed wire between East and West Berlin to seal border and build massive wall 60 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Aug 13 1961) →