Video: 'February 1987 - Mitch Daniels on Troubles of John McFarlane'
(Monday February 9, 1987, at about 8:00 a.m. EST) — Robert McFarlane, the former White House national security adviser and a prominent figure in investigations of the secret sale of arms to Iran, was admitted to Bethesda Naval Hospital today after taking an overdose of Valium, according to his lawyers. Continue reading Former Reagan NSC advisor Bud McFarlane attempts suicide 30 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Feb 9 1987)
Video: 'The American Presidential Election of 1836'
(Wednesday, February 8, 1837, during the United States presidential election, 1836) — Democratic Rep. Richard Mentor Johnson of Kentucky became the first Vice President of the United States chosen by the Senate today, defeating Whig VP nominee Rep. Francis Granger of New York by a vote of 36 to 16 divided strictly along party lines. Continue reading Senate elects Richard Mentor Johnson as 9th U.S. Vice President 180 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Feb 8 1837)
Video: 'Reshaping the Supreme Court'
(Friday, February 5, 1937, noon EST) — U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt today proposed the Judicial Procedures Reform Bill of 1937, which included a provision to increase the number of Supreme Court justices to obtain favorable rulings regarding New Deal legislation that the court had ruled unconstitutional. Continue reading Roosevelt proposes plan to ‘pack’ Supreme Court 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Feb 5 1937)
Video: '1917 Immigration Act'
(Monday, February 5, 1917; during World War I) — Congress today overrode President Woodrow Wilson’s veto of the Immigration Act of 1917 aimed at preventing “undesirables” and anyone born in the “Asiatic Barred Zone” from entering the U.S. Continue reading Congress overrides President Wilson, passes immigration bill 100 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Feb 5 1917)
Video: '1997 State Of The Union - President Bill Clinton'
(Tuesday, February 4, 1997, 9:15 p.m. EST) — U.S. President Bill Clinton, declaring that Americans “want us to be partners, not partisans,” challenged Congress in his State of the Union address tonight to give the nation’s schools a big spending increase while balancing the budget by 2002. Continue reading President Clinton cites education as top priority in State of Union message 20 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Feb 4 1997)
Video: ‘Who is Dan Quayle? Part 1 of 2’
(Tuesday, February 4, 1947) — Dan Quayle, the 44th Vice President of the United States who served under President George H.W. Bush (1989-1993), was born James Danforth Quayle today in Indianapolis, Indiana. Continue reading U.S. Vice President Dan Quayle born 70 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Feb 4 1947)
(Saturday, February 3, 1917, 2:00 p.m. EST; during the Atlantic U-boat campaign of World War I) — President Woodrow Wilson announced today before a joint session of Congress that the United States had broken off diplomatic relations with Germany, after that nation had announced a policy of unrestricted submarine warfare.
Wilson did not declare that the U.S. would enter the war against Germany, though “preparations for war are being made” as The New York Times reported.
Video: 'President Jimmy Carter Fireside Chat'
(Wednesday, February 2, 1977, 10:00 p.m. EST) — U.S. President Jimmy Carter, wearing a sweater and seated by the fireplace in the White House library, delivered the first “fireside chat” of the television era tonight, softly and calmly called for sacrifice and unity tonight as the answer to the nation’s myriad of economic, energy and bureaucratic problems (click here to watch the full address). Continue reading President Carter urges public sacrifice, unity in ‘fireside chat’ 40 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Feb 2 1977)
Video: 'Vietnam A Television History 10, Homefront 1' (Jan. 31, 1967, at 4:59)
(Tuesday, January 31, 1967; during the Vietnam War, part of the Indochina Wars and the Cold War) — Protestant, Catholic and Jewish clergymen from all parts of the nation appealed to President Lyndon Johnson today to halt the bombing of North Vietnam as part of a “fresh initiative”‘ for peace negotiations.
The appeal was contained in an interfaith statement delivered to the President’s office while upwards of 2,000 ministers, priests and rabbis conducted a silent prayer vigil on the sidewalk in front of the White House.
Video: 'President Reagan's State of the Union Address to the Congress and Nation, January 27, 1987'
(Tuesday, January 27, 1987, 9:03 p.m. EST) — U.S. President Ronald Reagan ended a long seclusion tonight with a State of the Union address in which he lamented that “serious mistakes were made” in the sales of American weapons to Iran, acknowledged that he took a risk that failed and urged the nation and look beyond the worst controversy of his presidency. Continue reading Reagan says errors made in arms deal in annual State of Union address 30 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Jan 27 1987)
