North Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh, 79, dies of heart attack 50 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Sep 2 1969)

1960s, Cold War, Vietnam War


Video: 'Death of Ho Chi Minh'

(Tuesday, September 2, 1969, 9:45 a.m. local time; during the Vietnam War, part of the Indochina Wars and the Cold War) — North Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh, who led the Viet Minh independence movement from 1941 onward, establishing the Communist-ruled Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1945 and defeating the French Union in 1954 at the battle of Dien Bien Phu, died this morning in Hanoi of a heart attack at the age of 79. Continue reading North Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh, 79, dies of heart attack 50 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Sep 2 1969) →

‘The Third Man’ premieres in Hastings, England 70 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Sep 1 1949)

1940s, Movies 1940s


Video: 'The Third Man' trailer

(Thursday, September 1, 1949, 8:30 p.m. BST) — A man’s investigation of a friend’s death uncovers corruption in post-World War II Vienna in The Third Man, a British film noir that premiered today at the Ritz Cinema in Hastings, East Sussex, on the south coast of England. Continue reading ‘The Third Man’ premieres in Hastings, England 70 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Sep 1 1949) →

‘Young Blood’ by Rickie Lee Jones peaks at #40 in USA 40 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Sep 1 1979)

1970s, Popular Music 1970s

(Saturday, September 1, 1979) — “Young Blood” by Rickie Lee Jones peaked at #40 on today’s Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for one week. Continue reading ‘Young Blood’ by Rickie Lee Jones peaks at #40 in USA 40 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Sep 1 1979) →

‘Voulez-Vous’ by ABBA peaks at #80 in USA 40 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Sep 1 1979)

1970s, Popular Music 1970s

(Saturday, September 1, 1979) — “Voulez-Vous” by ABBA peaked at #80 on today’s Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for two weeks. Continue reading ‘Voulez-Vous’ by ABBA peaks at #80 in USA 40 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Sep 1 1979) →

World War II begins as Nazi Germany invades Poland 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Sep 1 1939)

1930s, World War II


Video: 'BBC News 39 - Friday 1 September 1939 - (Part 5 of 14)'

(Friday, September 1, 1939, 4:45 a.m. Central European Time; during the Invasion of Poland in the European theatre of World War II) — World War II, the deadliest conflict in human history, marked by 50 to 85 million fatalities, began this morning as Nazi Germany invaded Poland. Continue reading World War II begins as Nazi Germany invades Poland 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Sep 1 1939) →

Lennon, Harrison, Starr watch Bob Dylan perform at Isle of Wight Festival 50 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Aug 31 1969)

1960s, Popular Music 1960s, The Beatles 1960s


Video: 'The Beatles at Bob Dylan Concert (RARE)'

(Sunday, August 31, 1969, 11:08 p.m. British Summer Time) — John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr of The Beatles and their respective wives watched Bob Dylan and The Band perform tonight at the Isle of Wight Festival at the English town of Wootton. Continue reading Lennon, Harrison, Starr watch Bob Dylan perform at Isle of Wight Festival 50 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Aug 31 1969) →

‘Put a Little Love in Your Heart’ by Jackie DeShannon peaks at #4 in USA 50 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Aug 30 1969)

1960s, Popular Music 1960s

(Saturday, August 30, 1969) — “Put a Little Love in Your Heart” by Jackie DeShannon peaked at #4 on today’s Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for one week. Continue reading ‘Put a Little Love in Your Heart’ by Jackie DeShannon peaks at #4 in USA 50 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Aug 30 1969) →

Soviets test first nuclear bomb, ending American nuclear monopoly 70 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Aug 29 1949)

1940s, Cold War


Video: 'First Soviet atomic blast (1949)'

(Monday, August 29, 1949, 7:00 a.m. local time; during the Cold War) — The Soviet Union conducted its first nuclear weapons test today, exploding the RDS-1 at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in the northeast of the Kazakh SSR, ending the absolute U.S. monopoly on nuclear weapons. Continue reading Soviets test first nuclear bomb, ending American nuclear monopoly 70 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Aug 29 1949) →

U.S. Vice President Hannibal Hamlin born 210 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Aug 27 1809)

1800s, U.S. Presidents


Video: 'Did You Know: Abraham Lincoln's First Vice President'

(Sunday, August 27, 1809) — Hannibal Hamlin, the 15th Vice President of the United States, who served from 1861 until 1865 during the administration of President Abraham Lincoln, was born today in Paris (now in Maine, then a part of Massachusetts). Continue reading U.S. Vice President Hannibal Hamlin born 210 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Aug 27 1809) →

Britain’s Lord Mountbatten assassinated by IRA terrorists 40 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Aug 27 1979)

1970s


Video: 'Mountbatten: Death Of A Royal'

(Monday, August 27, 1979, morning BST) — Earl Mountbatten of Burma, one of the heroes of modern British history, his grandson Nicholas, and two others were killed today by a bomb set by members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army, hidden aboard his fishing boat in Mullaghmore, County Sligo, Ireland. Continue reading Britain’s Lord Mountbatten assassinated by IRA terrorists 40 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Aug 27 1979) →