Obama Nominates Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court
On May 26, 2009, President Barack Obama announces his nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court. When Sotomayor was sworn in on August 8, she became the first Hispanic justice to serve on the Supreme Court.
Related Speeches & Audio (10)
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Obama Nominates Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court
Obama Nominates Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme CourtAudio Clip (0:56)
Audio Clip (0:56)
On May 26, 2009, President Barack Obama announces his nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court. When Sotomayor was sworn in on August 8, she became the first Hispanic justice to serve on the Supreme Court.
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John F. Kennedy Appeals to Mississippi Governor
John F. Kennedy Appeals to Mississippi GovernorAudio Clip (3:42)
Audio Clip (3:42)
After many unfruitful telephone conversations with Mississippi Gov. Ross Barnett, President John F. Kennedy calls the governor one more time to discuss the building tension over James Meredith’s impending registration at the University of Mississippi. Though the governor has made clear his opposition to the Supreme Court order to allow Meredith to attend the school, President Kennedy tries to assess whether the governor will maintain law and order when Meredith arrives.
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Brown v. Board of Education Ruling
Brown v. Board of Education RulingAudio Clip (1:02)
Audio Clip (1:02)
On May 17, 1954, U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren delivered the unanimous ruling against the "separate but equal" mandate and demanded desegregation of schools. Outside the courtroom, the attorneys who argued the Brown v. Board of Education case, James Nabrit Jr., Thurgood Marshall and George Hayes, give a press conference.
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Anita Hill Accuses Clarence Thomas
Anita Hill Accuses Clarence ThomasAudio Clip (4:32)
Audio Clip (4:32)
In October 1991, while the Senate Judiciary Committee was deliberating over the final vote on U.S. Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas, Anita Hill stepped forward with accusations of sexual harassment against Thomas. As a result, the committee held three days of investigative hearings. In her nationally televised and broadcast statement, Hill testifies about the alleged harassment.
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Lyndon Johnson Gets News About Missing Civil Rights Workers
Lyndon Johnson Gets News About Missing Civil Rights WorkersAudio Clip (4:00)
Audio Clip (4:00)
On June 23, 1964, the burned car of three missing civil rights workers who had disappeared in Mississippi —James Chaney, Mickey Schwerner and Andrew Goodman—was discovered. In a recorded phone call later that day, FBI director J. Edgar Hoover delivers the news to President Lyndon B. Johnson. While Johnson holds out hope that the three men may still be alive, Hoover suspects the worst.
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Lyndon Johnson and Robert McNamara Plan Airstrikes in Vietnam
Lyndon Johnson and Robert McNamara Plan Airstrikes in VietnamAudio Clip (3:31)
Audio Clip (3:31)
In a recorded phone call on February 26, 1965, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara and President Lyndon B. Johnson discuss possible airstrikes in Vietnam.
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Lady Bird Johnson Critiques the President
Lady Bird Johnson Critiques the PresidentAudio Clip (2:30)
Audio Clip (2:30)
President Lyndon B. Johnson holds a press conference on March 7, 1964, and takes questions on a range of topics, from the pending civil rights bill to the war in Vietnam. Afterward, in a recorded conversation with the president, Lady Bird Johnson evaluates her husband’s performance and awards him a “B+.”
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Clarence Thomas Refutes Anita Hill's Charges
Clarence Thomas Refutes Anita Hill's ChargesAudio Clip (3:22)
Audio Clip (3:22)
U.S. Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas' confirmation hearings took a dramatic turn when he was accused of sexual harassment. In his opening statement on October 11, 1991, Thomas denies the charges brought against him by law professor Anita Hill, who claimed Thomas had sexually harassed her when she worked for him at the U.S. Department of Education.
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Chicago Seven Trial
Chicago Seven TrialAudio Clip (1:39)
Audio Clip (1:39)
During a press conference on October 14, 1969, Tom Hayden, one of the defendants in the trial of the Chicago Seven, offers his view on prosecutor Thomas Foran's most recent accusations. The Chicago Seven—Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines, and Lee Weiner—were charged with conspiracy and inciting to riot for their participation in the Vietnam War protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention.
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John F. Kennedy Sets Sights on Moon
John F. Kennedy Sets Sights on MoonAudio Clip (1:18)
Audio Clip (1:18)
In an address at Rice University on September 12, 1962, President John F. Kennedy rallies support for the race to space by telling his fellow Americans that the reason we endeavor to go to the moon is "not because it is easy, but because it is hard."
Related Videos (2)
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Ask HISTORY: Did all the founding fathers wear wigs?
Ask HISTORY: Did all the founding fathers wear wigs?Video Clip (2:17)
Video Clip (2:17)
Did America's creators really hide their hair under white toupees? Get the answer now.
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Nixon Addresses "Silent Majority"
Nixon Addresses "Silent Majority"Video Clip (1:53)
Video Clip (1:53)
On the heels of a major nationwide protest against the Vietnam War in October 1969, President Richard Nixon delivers a speech on November 3, laying out his plans for ending the war through diplomatic negotiations and asking for the support of the "great silent majority" of Americans.
Related Photo Galleries (1)
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Famous Leaks in U.S. History
Famous Leaks in U.S. History(6 Photos)
6 Photos
Throughout U.S. history, leaks have shaped public opinion and public policy, raising vital questions about the role of the press and the people’s right to know. These four rank among the best known leak scandals.
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