Video: 'Oct 6, 1996 - 1st Presidential Debate Clinton & Dole'

(Sunday, October 6, 1996, 9:00 p.m. EDT; during the 1996 presidential election campaign) — U.S. President Bill Clinton briskly defended his stewardship tonight as improving the lives of ordinary Americans while former Senator Bob Dole tried to chip at his record by saying that average people had become worse off in the last four years and would prosper with Dole’s proposal for a major tax cut. Continue reading Clinton, Dole spar over Medicare, taxes in first debate 20 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Oct 6 1996) →

Video: 'SYND 5 10 76 AGRICULTURE SECRETARY EARL BUTZ ANNOUNCES HIS RESIGNATION'

(Monday, October 4, 1976, Butz spoke at about 1:00 p.m. EDT/Ford spoke at 1:35 p.m. EDT) — U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Earl Butz resigned today with an apology for the “gross indiscretion” of an obscene joke he’d made that was derogatory to blacks which had generated a growing clamor and threatened to damage President Gerald Ford’s election campaign. Continue reading Agriculture Secretary Butz quits under fire for racist remark 40 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Oct 4 1976) →

(Friday, September 26, 1986, 11:02 a.m. EDT) — William Hubbs Rehnquist took his oath today as the 16th Chief Justice of the United States, and Antonin Scalia took his as the newest Associate Justice. Continue reading Rehnquist, Scalia take their places on U.S. Supreme Court 30 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Sep 26 1986) →

Video: 'President Clinton speaking at the UN (1996)'

(Tuesday, September 24, 1996, 10:03 a.m. EDT) — The United States, represented by President Bill Clinton, and 70 other countries signed a treaty at the United Nations today to end all testing and development of nuclear weapons.

To date, 183 countries have signed the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, but the agreement has yet to enter into force because of the refusal so far of eight nations, including the U.S., to ratify it.

(Thursday, September 23, 1976, 9:30-11:00 p.m. EST; during the United States presidential election, 1976) — President Gerald R. Ford and former Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter met tonight in a generally genteel debate in which Ford sought to portray his Democratic rival as a fuzzy-thinking spendthrift and Carter accused Ford of economic mismanagement and weak leadership. Continue reading Carter, Ford hold first general election presidential debate since ’60 40 years ago this hour (Sep 23 1976) →

Video: 'Remembering JFK Jr., 15 years after his death'

(Saturday, September 21, 1996) — John F. Kennedy Jr., 35, the only surviving son of the late U.S. President John F. Kennedy, married publicist Carolyn Bessette, 30, today in a secret ceremony on Cumberland Island, Georgia. Continue reading John F. Kennedy Jr. marries Carolyn Bessette in Georgia 20 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Sep 21 1996) →

Video: 'Gay Marriage Debate: Bill Clinton Regrets Signing Defense of Marriage Act | The New York Times'

(Saturday, September 21, 1996, 12:50 a.m. EDT) — President Bill Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) today denying federal recognition of same-sex marriages a day after saying the law should not be used as an excuse for discrimination, violence or intimidation against gays and lesbians.

Although never formally repealed, DOMA was effectively overturned by U.S. Supreme Court decisions in 2013 and 2015.

Video: 'Great Speeches: George Washington's Farewell Address'

(Monday September 19, 1796) — With less than six months left of his second and final term of office, U.S. President George Washington’s Farewell Address was published today as an open letter to the public.

In it, America’s first chief executive advised, “Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all.”