Reagan Approves Iran-Contra Counsel
After the Iran-Contra scandal is exposed in November 1986, President Ronald Reagan announces to the nation that he would "welcome the appointment of an independent counsel" to investigate matters. The Iran-Contra Affair involved the secret selling of arms to Iran in exchange for the release of hostages. The money from the arms sales was then used to secretly support the Contras in their battle against the Sandinista government of Nicaragua.
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Reagan Approves Iran-Contra Counsel
Reagan Approves Iran-Contra CounselAudio Clip (2:14)
Audio Clip (2:14)
After the Iran-Contra scandal is exposed in November 1986, President Ronald Reagan announces to the nation that he would "welcome the appointment of an independent counsel" to investigate matters. The Iran-Contra Affair involved the secret selling of arms to Iran in exchange for the release of hostages. The money from the arms sales was then used to secretly support the Contras in their battle against the Sandinista government of Nicaragua.
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Bush and Gorbachev Declare End of Cold War
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Audio Clip (1:45)
President George H. W. Bush and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev declared an end to the Cold War at the Malta Summit on December 3, 1989. At a joint press conference aboard the Soviet passenger liner Maxim Gorky in Marsaxlokk Harbor, President Bush speaks about his hopes for a cooperative U.S.-Soviet relationship.
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Reagan Addresses British Parliament
Reagan Addresses British ParliamentAudio Clip (0:17)
Audio Clip (0:17)
On June 8, 1982, in the first speech by an American president to a meeting of both houses of the British Parliament, President Ronald Reagan presents his hope for a future that would "leave Marxism-Leninism on the ash heap of history."
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Ford's Address at the Helsinki Conference
Ford's Address at the Helsinki ConferenceAudio Clip (1:54)
Audio Clip (1:54)
On August 1, 1975, at the Helsinki Accords, a major diplomatic agreement was signed by 35 nations, including the United States and the Soviet Union, in an attempt to secure peace between the eastern and western blocs. In a speech delivered at the Finland conference, President Gerald Ford promises to do his part for the good of all nations.
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Nixon Reelected to Presidency
Nixon Reelected to PresidencyAudio Clip (1:03)
Audio Clip (1:03)
On November 7, 1972, incumbent President Richard Nixon won a second term in a landslide victory over Democrat George McGovern. In a brief statement from the Oval Office, President Nixon promises to bring "peace with honor" in Vietnam and to usher in a "new era of peace" with the Soviet Union.
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Eisenhower's Inaugural Address
Eisenhower's Inaugural AddressAudio Clip (5:51)
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When Dwight D. Eisenhower becomes the 34th president of the United States on January 20, 1953, his inaugural address lays out a nine-point plan for achieving world peace.
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Reagan on Historic Visit to Berlin Wall
Reagan on Historic Visit to Berlin WallAudio Clip (1:57)
Audio Clip (1:57)
In June of 1987, President Ronald Reagan stopped in West Berlin on the 750th anniversary of the city and delivered one of his most famous lines when he demanded that Mikhail Gorbachev tear down the Berlin Wall. In an address to the nation following his return from that trip, President Reagan recalls standing next to the imposing structure.
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Kennedy Speaks Before Meeting Khrushchev
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Audio Clip (1:09)
At a May 31, 1961, Paris press conference, President John F. Kennedy describes his principal aim for meeting with Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev at the Geneva summit, the first between the two superpowers since 1960.
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Reagan Calls for Chemical Weapons Ban
Reagan Calls for Chemical Weapons BanAudio Clip (2:29)
Audio Clip (2:29)
On April 4, 1984, in his 23rd news conference broadcast live on radio and television, President Ronald Reagan publicly calls for an international ban on chemical weapons.
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Reaction to North Korean Surprise Attack
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Audio Clip (1:57)
On July 10, 1950, at a meeting of the United Nations Security Council, Ambassador Warren R. Austin reports on North Korea's refusal to retreat from its armed invasion of the Republic of Korea. By the end of the session, the U.N. officially supported sending U.S. forces into Korea.
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Read My Lips
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"Read my lips no new taxes" was the 1988 campaign promise by George Bush that helped boost his popularity with the conservative wing.
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Nixon's Secret Plan to End the Vietnam War
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In 1968, Richard Nixon ran on a platform for presidency that included a "secret plan" to end the war in Vietnam.
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There You Go Again
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Jimmy Carter unsuccessfully attempts to play into the uncertainty that the American public had for Ronald Reagan, during a debate on October 28, 1980.
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Gerald Ford: Mayaguez Incident
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Watch this historical clip of President Ford as he announces that the crew men of the SS Maya Guez have been rescued from Cambodian forces. This was a very exciting and popular move for President Ford.
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JFK Sets Goal for Man on Moon
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John F. Kennedy's sets the goal of the United States to land a man on the moon and return him safely to Earth.
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The Great Communicator
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Ronald Reagan galvanized the American public through his famous speeches that helped redefine American politics in the 1980s.
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The Speech
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Ronald Reagan's speech in October 1964 inspired a new generation of conservative Americans.
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The Seawolves
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Marine Karl Marlantes left behind a Rhodes scholarship to volunteer for service in Vietnam.
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