First Speech Broadcast by Satellite
On August 12, 1960, NASA launched the world's first satellite into orbit. A message previously recorded by President Eisenhower was bounced off the Echo 1 and picked up by radio operators across the nation.
Related Speeches & Audio (10)
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First Speech Broadcast by Satellite
First Speech Broadcast by SatelliteAudio Clip (1:49)
Audio Clip (1:49)
On August 12, 1960, NASA launched the world's first satellite into orbit. A message previously recorded by President Eisenhower was bounced off the Echo 1 and picked up by radio operators across the nation.
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Eisenhower on the Salk Polio Vaccine
Eisenhower on the Salk Polio VaccineAudio Clip (2:43)
Audio Clip (2:43)
Two years after American medical researcher Jonas Salk reported that he had successfully tested a vaccine against poliomyelitis, polio vaccinations were still not widely available in the United States. To assuage the public's concerns, President Eisenhower holds a press conference on May 4, 1955, and explains the need for further testing.
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Ford Phones Apollo Astronauts
Ford Phones Apollo AstronautsAudio Clip (8:14)
Audio Clip (8:14)
On July 17, 1975, President Gerald Ford speaks by telephone to the Apollo astronauts following their rendezvous and docking with the Russian Soyuz spacecraft. This was the first joint orbital mission between the two superpowers, and it helped pave the way for further cooperation in the exploration of space.
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Eisenhower on the Suez Canal Crisis
Eisenhower on the Suez Canal CrisisAudio Clip (4:05)
Audio Clip (4:05)
In October 1956, Britain and France entered into a coalition with Israel, and the three nations launched a military attack against Egyptian forces in the Suez Canal. On October 31, in a speech to the nation, President Eisenhower expresses the United States' opposition to the military action.
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Eisenhower Proclaims Alaska the 49th State
Eisenhower Proclaims Alaska the 49th StateAudio Clip (1:03)
Audio Clip (1:03)
On January 3, 1959, President Eisenhower presides over the ceremony welcoming the territory of Alaska into the Union as the 49th and largest state.
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Eisenhower Proclaims Hawaii the 50th state
Eisenhower Proclaims Hawaii the 50th stateAudio Clip (0:25)
Audio Clip (0:25)
Eight months after Alaska became a U.S. state, President Eisenhower signs the official proclamation on August 21, 1959, admitting Hawaii into the Union as the 50th state and delivers a welcoming speech.
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Eisenhower Welcomes Khrushchev to the U.S.
Eisenhower Welcomes Khrushchev to the U.S.Audio Clip (1:38)
Audio Clip (1:38)
On September 15, 1959, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, promising an open heart and good intentions, began an unprecedented tour of the United States. President Eisenhower expresses his hopes upon Khrushchev's arrival for improved relations between the two superpowers.
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Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. on Abraham Lincoln
Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. on Abraham LincolnAudio Clip (1:33)
Audio Clip (1:33)
As the principal speaker at the National Republican Club's 1957 Lincoln Day Dinner, Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. discusses the continuing appeal of the 16th president.
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Eisenhower on the Second Berlin Crisis
Eisenhower on the Second Berlin CrisisAudio Clip (1:11)
Audio Clip (1:11)
In November 1958, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev demanded that Western forces pull out of West Berlin in six months. On March 16, 1959, in a radio and television report to the American people, President Eisenhower speaks of the escalating Cold War tensions over Berlin, stressing that the United States will not give in to pressure from the USSR.
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Eisenhower Returns From Cancelled Summit Meeting
Eisenhower Returns From Cancelled Summit MeetingAudio Clip (4:19)
Audio Clip (4:19)
On May 1, 1960, an American U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft was shot down over central Russia. As a result, the Paris Summit Conference, scheduled 13 days later, collapsed. Upon his return from the failed conference on May 20, President Eisenhower addresses the welcoming crowd at Andrews Air Force Base.
Related Videos (10)
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Eisenhower Defeats Stevenson
Eisenhower Defeats StevensonVideo Clip (1:51)
Video Clip (1:51)
Eisenhower defeats Adlai Stevenson to become the 33rd President.
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Einstein Letter Advocates Atomic Bomb
Einstein Letter Advocates Atomic BombVideo Clip (3:46)
Video Clip (3:46)
In this "10 Days" video, learn how with the stroke of a pen, Albert Einstein, one of the greatest physicists in history, changed the world. On July 16, 1939, Einstein signed a letter urging President Franklin D. Roosevelt to develop the atomic bomb.
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Campaign Spot: Taxi Driver and the Dog (1956)
Campaign Spot: Taxi Driver and the Dog (1956)Video Clip (4:21)
Video Clip (4:21)
In 1956, America was facing the threat of Communism, conflict in the Middle East over the Suez Canal, and domestic issues of wages, education, and family values. This spot dramatizes a regular guy out on his nightly walk with his dog aiming to assure that Eisenhower is a neighbor who just happens to have the most important job in the world, and would make the right choices, keeping Americans safe and prosperous.
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Campaign Spot: Ike For President (1952)
Campaign Spot: Ike For President (1952)Video Clip (1:03)
Video Clip (1:03)
Up until Eisenhower, presidential candidates used tv for 30-minute speeches only. The idea for the celebrated WWII generals spots came from Madison Avenue ad exec Rossier Reeves, who had created M&Ms Melts in your mouth, not in your hands campaign. Reeves convinced Eisenhower that short spots placed before or after popular tv shows, such as I Love Lucy, would reach more viewers.
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Republicans Nominate Eisenhower
Republicans Nominate EisenhowerVideo Clip (2:18)
Video Clip (2:18)
Watch as General Dwight D. Eisenhower becomes the Republican nominee for President, in this History Channel video. He adds Richard Nixon as his running mate in this presidential race. Nixon was the youngest VP candidate in history.
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Campaign Spot: Best Qualified (1960)
Campaign Spot: Best Qualified (1960)Video Clip (1:01)
Video Clip (1:01)
After some misinterpreted comments by President Eisenhower about Nixon that JFK used in a campaign ad against his opponent (Nixons Experience), Eisenhower fully endorses Nixon. But it was too little, too late. JFK won the election, by a slim margin.
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Campaign Spot: China (1972)
Campaign Spot: China (1972)Video Clip (1:02)
Video Clip (1:02)
One of Nixons lasting legacies was his trip to China to normalize relations between the two countries which had been cut off for 20 years. No American president had ever visited China. Nixons tip signaled a major change -- for both America and Chinas policies. And for Republicans, a huge reason to re-elect their candidate.
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Campaign Spot: Peace (1976)
Campaign Spot: Peace (1976)Video Clip (0:30)
Video Clip (0:30)
Gerald Ford took office after Nixon resigned in 1973. Ford attempted to distance himself from the Nixon presidency, showcasing himself as a normal guy. His campaign focused on an upbeat, positive view of America.
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Frank Drake and the Founding of SETI
Frank Drake and the Founding of SETIVideo Clip (3:27)
Video Clip (3:27)
Using a radio antenna focused on two stars, Frank Drake began a search for extra-terrestrial intelligence.
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America's Book of Secrets Sneak Preview
America's Book of Secrets Sneak PreviewVideo Clip (1:58)
Video Clip (1:58)
This new series from H2 takes you behind the scenes of some of America's most mysterious groups, institutions and landmarks.
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