A breakdown of U.S. unemployment rates by presidency, from Harry S. Truman to Donald J. Trump.
Playing Telephone with the Historical Record
When UN Secretary-General U Thant requested U.S. military equipment for UN operations in the Congo, his request included an item that didn’t make much sense.
JFK Discusses his Plans for his Presidential Library
JFK never got to visit his presidential library. But that doesn’t mean he hadn’t already given it some thought. Here’s what he said about it in 1962.
NSC Meetings of the George H.W. Bush Administration
A list of the dates and topics of National Security Council meetings in the George H.W. Bush administration from 1989 through 1992.
NSC Meetings of the Reagan Administration
A list of the dates and topics of National Security Council meetings in the Reagan administration from 1981 through 1988.
NSC Meetings of the Carter Administration
A list of the dates and topics of National Security Council meetings in the Carter administration from 1977 through 1980.
The Most Dangerous Moment in Human History
A quote by Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. is often used in recent years in talking about the Cuban Missile Crisis. But where and when did he say it?
NSC Meetings in the Ford Administration
A list of the dates and topics of National Security Council meetings in the Ford administration from 1974 through 1976.
U Thant’s Appointment as Secretary General of the United Nations
U Thant was officially appointed Secretary General of the United Nations on November 30, 1962, meaning he could drop the “Acting” prefix that he had borne through his important role in the resolution of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
NSC Meetings in the Nixon Administration
A list of the dates and topics of National Security Council meetings in the Nixon administration from 1969 through 1974.
Chronology of Thurgood Marshall’s Appointment to the Supreme Court
A chronology of Thurgood Marshall’s nomination, confirmation, and appointment to the Supreme Court in the summer and fall of 1967.
NSC Meetings in the Johnson Administration
A list of the dates and topics of National Security Council meetings in the Johnson administration from 1963 through 1968.
Where U.S. Military Personnel Are Stationed Around the World in 2014
A map showing where active duty U.S. military forces are stationed in foreign countries as of June 30, 2014.
NSC ExComm Meetings, 1962-1963
A complete list of the meetings of the Executive Committee of the National Security Council, a special group created by President John F. Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
NSC Meetings in the Kennedy Administration
A list of the dates and topics of National Security Council meetings in the Kennedy administration from 1961 through 1963.
British Nuclear Weapons Stockpile, 1953-2013
Charts showing the growth and reduction in the number of British nuclear weapons over the past 60 years after the United Kingdom became the third member of the nuclear club.
LBJ’s Presidential Approval Ratings
After starting strong in a period of national mourning after JFK’s assassination, LBJ’s approval ratings slipped consistently as his disapproval ratings climbed.
NSC Meetings in the Eisenhower Administration
A list of the dates and topics of National Security Council meetings in the Eisenhower administration from 1953 through 1961.
NSC Meetings in the Truman Administration
A list of the dates and topics of National Security Council meetings in the Truman administration from 1947 through 1953.
LBJ, the ExComm, and the Cuban Missile Crisis
Tucked away in the files of the Pre-Presidential papers at the LBJ Library is a fascinating little collection of notes on the ExComm meetings during the Cuban Missile Crisis and its aftermath.
Nixon’s Presidential Approval Ratings
Despite the strongly negative view a large majority of Americans held of Nixon towards the end of his presidency, his average across his whole presidency was held up by strong approval ratings in the first years of his presidency.
Nehru Appeals for JFK’s Help in Fighting China
As the Indian defenses crumbled in the face of the Chinese assault, Prime Minister Nehru sent two highly sensitive and remarkable letters to President Kennedy asking for help in fighting China.
Members of the United States Intelligence Board 1962-63
The United States Intelligence Board was often referred to during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Here’s a list of its members at the time.
U.S. Military Personnel 1954-2014
Here are how the numbers of active duty military personnel have fluctuated over the past 60 years through the Vietnam War, Cold War, and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Castro’s Five Points
Shortly after Nikita Khrushchev backed down in the Cuban Missile Crisis, Fidel Castro laid out five conditions he said needed to be met before a pledge from Kennedy not to invade Cuba could be taken seriously.
Presidential Inauguration Dates, Washington to Biden
A complete list of American presidential inauguration dates from George Washington to Donald Trump.
JFK’s Presidential Approval Ratings
President John F. Kennedy enjoyed very high public approval ratings compared with most modern presidents.
How Many People are Employed by the U.S. Federal Government? The Numbers, Since 1962
The trends of the number of U.S. Federal Government employees over the past half-century are surprising.
Running late for a meeting with the President? Here’s an excuse worth trying.
It worked for Adlai Stevenson when he missed his plane for a meeting at the White House on December 17, 1962.
How the French Treat Books as Special
There’s a fascinating op-ed in today’s New York Times by Pamela Druckerman comparing the American and French book-selling sectors.
Australian America’s Cup Yacht Buzzed by the US Navy during the Cuban Missile Crisis
When the unsuccessful challenger for the 1962 America’s Cup was on its way home to Sydney, it ran into the Cuban Missile Crisis blockade line.
The Fourteenth Day Now Available in Paperback and Audiobook
The Fourteenth Day is now available in paperback, with a new preface. There’s also a brand new audiobook version on Audible.com (also available through Amazon.com), expertly read by Andy Caploe. You can find it here.
West Coast Culture Shock: An Englishman in Los Angeles, 1964
Four months after arriving as the British consul in Los Angeles, P.G.F. Dalton offered his observations of the city. He was not impressed.
Playing Golf with JFK
Ben Bradlee wrote of the “harrowing experience” of playing golf with JFK in 1963.
Mikoyan’s Visit to Cuba after the Cuban Missile Crisis
When Anastas Mikoyan and his son visited Havana in the immediate aftermath of the Cuban Missile Crisis, they found a very different city than they had seen on their first visit less than three years earlier.
Google Calls a Halt to its Newspaper Scanning Project
“Free” digital historical archives are a wonderful byproduct of the digital. The promise of the internet is that we can get seemingly infinite amounts of material that was previously accessible only through visiting a remote archive. But unfortunately “free” isn’t necessarily the same thing as “without cost.” And the cost-incentive equation has now claimed another victim: Google’s newspaper scanning program.