Saturday-Sunday, September 22-23, 1962: Esalen Institute

From the organization's website:

The Esalen Institute was founded in 1962 as an alternative educational center devoted to the exploration of what Aldous Huxley called the "human potential" -- the world of unrealized human capacities that lies beyond the imagination. Esalen soon became known for its blend of East/West philosophies, its experiential/didactic workshops, the steady influx of philosophers, psychologists, artists, and religious thinkers, and its breathtaking grounds and natural hot springs. Once home to a Native American tribe known as the Essalen, Esalen is situated on 27 acres of spectacular Big Sur (California) coastline with the Santa Lucia Mountains rising sharply behind.

(The first seminar, "Expanding Vision," was held September 22-23.)

* www.esalen.org: @

* Esalen Center for Theory & Research: @

* "An Evolutionary Vision" (essay from www.esalen.org): @

* "Esalen Institute turns 50 this year" (San Francisco Chronicle, 2012): @

* "Esalen: America and the Religion of No Religion" (Jeffrey J. Kripal, 2007): @

* "On the Edge of the Future: Esalen and the Evolution of American Culture" (edited by Kripal and Glenn W. Shuck, 2005): @

* "A Cultural History of the Humanistic Psychology Movement in America" (Jessica Lynn Grogan, 2008): @ 

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Monday, September 17, 1962: Isolation experiment

From The New York Times (September 17):

Michel Siffre was removed today from the cave in southern France where he spent the last two months in isolation about 400 feet underground.

He was emaciated, pained by the light and unable to walk without assistance.

Mr. Siffre, who is 23 years old and one of France's leading cave explorers, had entered the underground chamber in an experiment to determine how well man could withstand such conditions of isolation.

He had no way of keeping track of time and the only illumination he had was from flashlights. ...

Mr. Siffre passed much of his time exploring the Alpine glacier in which the cave is situated, making notes, listening to Beethoven recordings on a portable phonograph and reading Plato by flashlight. ...

Fellow cave explorers visited Mr. Siffre Saturday, and told him that his two-month period underground would be over in just two days. Mr. Siffre told them that he guessed that he still had two or three weeks to spend underground.

* Interview with Siffre (Cabinet magazine, 2008): @

* "Time Warp" (Cosmos magazine, 2008): @

* "Time out of mind" (BBC magazine, 2006): @

* Article on chronobiology (from Canadian Institutes of Health Research): @

* Associated Press article: @

* United Press International article: @

* Reuters article: @

* Articles from Le Progres newspaper (in French): @

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Wednesday, September 12, 1962: 'We choose to go to the moon'

Speaking at Rice Stadium in Houston, Texas, President Kennedy forcefully reaffirms the United States' commitment to space exploration. The most famous passage:

But why, some say, the moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask why climb the highest mountain. Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas?

We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon ... we choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one we intend to win, and the others, too.

Photo from John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.

* Transcript and video (Miller Center, University of Virginia): @

* Newsreel: @

* "50 years ago, Kennedy reached for stars in historic Rice speech" (Douglas Brinkley, Rice University, September 2012): @

* The Rice Thresher (student newspaper, September 19): @

* Speech materials from Kennedy library: @

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Monday, September 25, 1961: Green Berets

From www.military.com: During World War II, U.S. Army Special Forces personnel wore a variety of headgear during their operations as members of special operations units. Those who served with the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) in Europe often adopted whatever headgear their French or Belgian Resistance compatriots wore. This was often a beret, since many of the OSS teams served in France. The beret, worn in a variety of styles and colors, even showed up on OSS personnel in the Far East. Many of the first members of the U.S. Army 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), formed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in June 1952, were veterans of the OSS. Berets of various types and colors began being worn unofficially as early as 1954 on the unit's field exercises in Germany and at Fort Bragg and Camp Mackall, North Carolina. The color green was favored because it was reminiscent of the World War II British Commando-type beret that had been adopted by the Commandos on 24 October 1942. After testing in 1955, the 77th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Bragg specified, still unofficially that its soldiers wear a beret of Canadian Army design in rifle green. Special Forces personnel in Europe in the 10th Special Forces Group (A) simultaneously adopted a green beret, even wearing it publicly with the Army Class A uniform, despite the lack of official approval. Special Forces troopers first wore the green beret publicly at Fort Bragg during a retirement parade in 1955. In 1957, however, the Fort Bragg post commander banned the wearing of the beret. This ban was reversed on 25 September 1961 by DA (Department of the Army) Message 578636, which authorized the green beret as the official Army headgear to be worn by Special Forces. The first official wearing of the newly authorized green beret was at a Special Forces demonstration staged for President John F. Kennedy at Fort Bragg on 12 October 1961.

From www.specialoperations.com: (Kennedy) sent word to the Special Warfare Center commander, Brigadier General William P. Yarborough, for all Special Forces soldiers to wear their berets for the event. President Kennedy felt that since they had a special mission, Special Forces should have something to set them apart from the rest. Even before the presidential request, hoever, the Department of the Army had acquiesced and teletyped a message to the Center authorizing the beret as a part of the Special Forces uniform. ... Gen. Yarborough wore his green beret to greet the commander-in-chief. The president remarked, "Those are nice. How do you like the green beret?" General Yarborough replied: "They're fine, sir. We've wanted them a long time."

A message from President Kennedy to General Yarborough later that day stated: "My congratulations to you personally for your part in the presentation today ... The challenge of this old but new form of operations is a real one and I know that you and the members of your command will carry on for us and the free world in a manner which is both worthy and inspiring. I am sure that the green beret will be a mark of distinction in the trying times ahead."

In an April 11, 1962, White House memorandum for the United States Army, President Kennedy showed his continued support for the Special Forces, calling the green beret "a symbol of excellence, a badge of courage, a mark of distinction in the fight for freedom."

* "A Short History of the Use of Berets in the U.S. Army" (from www.army.mil): @

* "Distinctive Beret Uniform History of U.S. Armed Services" (by retired Air Force Master Sergeant John Cassidy): @

* Special Operations Forces history (from www.soc.mil): @

* "Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia" (Department of the Army): @

* "Special Forces Qualification Course" (from www.baseops.net): @

* Airborne & Special Operations Museum (Fayetteville, North Carolina): @

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Sunday, September 24, 1961: 'Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color'

The weekly series gets a new name (from "Walt Disney Presents"), a new network (from ABC to NBC) and a "new" technology (color television, which was only in about 1% of American households at the time). The first episode introduces a new character as well: Professor Ludwig von Drake, who explains light and color (and sings "The Spectrum Song").

* Entry from "Brought to You in Living Color: 75 Years of Great Moments in Television" (book by Marc Robinson: @

* TV Guide stories about Disney (from 1961): @

* Episode list (from 1954 to 1996): @

* Watch show's opening: @

* Watch Ludwig von Drake on first episode: @

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Tuesday-Wednesday, September 19-20, 1961: Betty and Barney Hill

While driving home to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, after a vacation in Canada, Betty and Barney Hill claim they were taken aboard an alien spacecraft. Their account was not made public until the 1966 book "The Interrupted Journey: Two Lost Hours Aboard a Flying Saucer" by John G. Fuller; excerpts appeared in Look magazine.

* Overview (from www.ufocasebook.com): @

* Website of Kathleen Marden, the Hills' niece: @

* "Captured! The True Story of the World's First Documented Alien Abduction" (book by Stanton T. Friedman and Kathleen Marden): @

* "Talks With Betty Hill: 1 - Aftermath of Encounter" (article by Berthold Eric Schwartz; consultant, Brain Wave Laboratory, Essex County Hospital Center, Cedar Grove, N.J.): @

* The Betty and Barney Hill collection (items at the University of New Hampshire Library): @

* "New Hampshire commemorates Betty and Barney Hill UFO Experience" (from www.openminds.tv): @

* "The White Mountain Abduction" (documentary): @ and @

* "They Know Us Better Than We Know Ourselves: The History and Politics of Alien Abduction" (book by Bridget Brown): @

*"Alien Agenda: Investigating the Extraterrestrial Presence Among Us" (book by Jim Marrs): @

Betty and Barney underwent hypnosis in 1964 in an effort to re-create their experience. During the sessions, Betty drew a "star map" that she said the aliens had shown her. The map is similar to a star system 39 light years from Earth.

* "The Zeta Reticuli Incident," article in Astronomy magazine, December 1974 (from National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena website): @

* Article positing that the map is actually of our own solar system: @

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Monday, September 18, 1961: Dag Hammarskjöld dies

A plane crash in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) kills the secretary-general of the United Nations. He was on a mission to work out a cease-fire between U.N. forces and insurgents in the Katanga region of what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Speculation quickly surfaces that his death was no accident.

* Short biography (from United Nations website): @

* Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation: @

* Website about Hammarskjöld: @

* President Kennedy's speech to General Assembly (September 25, text and audio): @

* Newsreel of Kennedy's speech: @

* Newsreel of Hammarskjöld's death: @

* Newsreel of funeral: @

* United Nations report on plane crash (April 24 1962; click on "English"): @
* "Evidence suggests UN chief's plane was shot down" (The Guardian, August 17, 2011): @
* More about the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including history (from Library of Congress): @

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Monday, September 18, 1961: Pork belly futures

The Chicago Mercantile Exchange begins trading pork belly futures.

From a 1991 article by The Associated Press: "A pork belly futures contract is an obligation to deliver or take delivery of 40,000 pounds of frozen bellies on a future date at a specified price."

From a 2010 article in The Wall Street Journal: "The pork belly, a slab of frozen meat from which bacon is cut ... earned the exchange the nickname 'The House That Bellies Built.' ... The contract started ... as a way for meat packers and food companies to manage their price risk of bacon. Pork bellies were frozen and stored away in winter, and then thawed out in the summer to accommodate the annual summer increase in demand for bacon as the nation munched through millions of bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches. The seasonal pattern gave rise to the need for producers to hedge against price fluctuations."

Photo from Chicago Tribune, 1967.

* "History of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange" (from 1970): @

* Timeline: @

* "The Ode: Pork Belly Futures (1961-2011)" (from canadianbusiness.com): @

* Trade in Pork Bellies Comes to an End, but the Lore Lives" (New York Times, July 2011): @

* "End of an Era: R.I.P. Pork Belly Futures" (July 2011): @

* CNBC video (2010): @

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Sunday, September 17, 1961: 'Car 54, Where Are You?'

Starring Joe E. Ross (left) as Gunther Toody and Fred Gwynne as Francis Muldoon, the comedy about New York City policemen debuts on NBC. The theme song proved as memorable as the show itself:

There's a holdup in the Bronx

Brooklyn's broken out in fights

There's a traffic jam in Harlem

That's backed up to Brooklyn Heights

There's a scout troop short a child

Khrushchev's due at Idlewild ...

Car 54, where are you?

From the book "The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present": "One unusual aspect of this series was the partners' patrol car, which looked identical to those used by real-life New York City police -- but only because the show was filmed in black and white. The car was actually painted red and white to distinguish it from real police cars during the shooting (all of which was done on location). On the home screen the red and white car looked identical to the dark green and white of genuine New York City police cars."

* Show summary (from "St. James Encyclopedia of Pop Culture"): @

* Watch show's opening: @

* Fred Gwynne biography (from biography.com): @

* Joe E. Ross biography (from wfmu.org): @

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September 1961: Fallout shelters

Against a tense backdrop -- the construction of the Berlin Wall and the resumption of nuclear testing by both the Soviet Union and the United States -- Americans are taking a heightened interest in shelters that would (presumably) protect them from a nuclear attack and its radioactive aftermath.

May 9: "New York's Nelson Rockefeller went to Washington last week, with several other governors, to huddle with John Kennedy and urge a more vigorous federal building program for fallout shelters. Rocky seized the occasion to enjoy his first post-election meal with the President. On the menu: Rocky's own New York State Civil Defense "fallout biscuits," vitaminized crackers that can sustain life for weeks on end. Rockefeller has stockpiled seven tons of them -- and coffee, sugar, powdered milk, water -- in a 1,000 person fallout shelter under the New York State Capitol at Albany, first shelter built at any state capitol. (He has also built shelters under the Governor's mansion and his family estate at Pocantico Hills.) At last week's meeting, Rocky proudly presented Kennedy with a package of the biscuits, urged him to eat. The President just nibbled." (Time magazine, May 19) Photo at left shows Rockefeller inside a shelter model set up in The New York Savings Bank; photo by Walter Sanders.

* "Rockefeller's Civil Defense Program" (Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, April 1960): @

* Excerpt from "Bracing for Armageddon: Why Civil Defense Never Worked" (book by Dee Garrison): @

May 25: In his "man to the moon" speech, President Kennedy assigns civil defense oversight to the Secretary of Defense and seeks increased funding.

* Earlier blog post (May 25): @

July 25: In his speech on the Berlin Crisis, President Kennedy says: "Tomorrow, I am requesting of the Congress new funds for the following immediate objectives: to identify and mark space in existing structures -- public and private -- that could be used for fallout shelters in case of attack; to stock those shelters with food, water, first-aid kits and other minimum essentials for survival; to increase their capacity; to improve our air-raid warning and fall-out detection systems, including a new household warning system which is now under development; and to take other measures that will be effective at an early date to save millions of lives if needed. In the event of an attack, the lives of those families which are not hit in a nuclear blast and fire can still be saved -- if they can be warned to take shelter and if that shelter is available. We owe that kind of insurance to our families -- and to our country. In contrast to our friends in Europe, the need for this kind of protection is new to our shores. But the time to start is now. In the coming months, I hope to let every citizen know what steps he can take without delay to protect his family in case of attack. I know that you will to do no less."

* Earlier blog post (July 25): @

September: The National Fallout Shelter Program begins. From the Civil Defense Museum: "The purpose ... was to locate, mark and stock as many fallout shelter spaces as possible. The local governments (city, state) did the work as far as delivering and placing the supplies in the shelters, while the federal government supplied the actual shelter supplies. The local government civil defense was the owner of the fallout shelter supplies in its municipality. These fallout shelters were for radiation protection only, although some of the shelters would have offered some blast protection depending on the structure's design and construction that the shelter space was located in. 70% of shelter space surveyed across the U.S. was located in the upper floors of high-rise buildings. These shelter spaces would have obviously afforded no blast protection. It was never intended for fallout shelters to be "bomb shelters" as some believe.

September 1: The Soviet Union ends a three-year moratorium on nuclear testing.

* Earlier blog post (August 31-September 1): @

September 15: In response, the United States begins a series of underground nuclear explosions at the Nevada Test Site.

* "Operation Nougat" (from nuclearweaponarchive.org): @

* "Operation Nougat: Final Report" (from U.S. Public Health Service): @

* "United States Nuclear Tests: July 1945 through September 1992" (from U.S. Department of Energy): @

* "Vela Uniform Participation in Operation Nougat and Gnome" (Department of Defense film): @

September 15: Life magazine's cover story, "How You Can Survive Fallout," includes a letter dated September from President Kennedy that says, in part: "The security of our country and the peace of the world are the objectives of our policy. But in these dangerous days when both these objectives are threatened we must prepare for all eventualities. The ability to survive coupled with the will to do so are therefore essential to our country."

* Sept. 15 edition: (cover story begins on Page 95): @

September 29: "The Twilight Zone" airs an episode called "The Shelter," in which neighbors turn against one another after a report that nuclear weapons have been launched.

* Watch the episode: @

* Episode summary (from TV.com): @

September 30: "Ethics at the Shelter Doorway" appears in the magazine America, aka the National Catholic Weekly Review. The author, Father Laurence C. McHugh, in talking about the need to protect one's self even at the expense of others, writes: "I doubt that any Catholic moralist would condemn the man who used available violence to repel panicky plying crowbars at the shelter door."

* Excerpts from article: @

* CBS footage of McHugh: @

* Excerpt from "One Nation Underground: The Fallout Shelter in American Culture": @

* "Public Shelter Living: The Story of Shelter 104" (1964 educational film, Office of Civil Defense): @

December: Following up on Kennedy's July 25 speech, the Office of Civil Defense begins distributing the booklet "

Fallout Protection: What to Know and Do About Nuclear Attack."

* Booklet (from archive.org): @

* Events leading up to publication (from conelrad.com): @

Other resources

* "Fallout Shelters" (from www.u-s-history.com): @

* Civil Defense Museum: @

* www.undergroundbombshelter.com: @

* www.conelrad.com (Cold War history, culture and propaganda): @

* www.atomictheater.com: @

* "Radiological Defense" (film by Office of Civil and Defense Mobilization): @

* "About Fallout" (1963 film by Office of Civil Defense): @

* "Nuclear War Survival Skills" (book by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1979): @

* "One Nation Underground: The Fallout Shelter in American Culture" (book by Kenneth D. Rose): @

* "Fallout Shelter: Designing for Defense in the Cold War" (book by David Monteyne): @

* "Dr. Strangelove's America" (book by Margot Henriksen): @

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Wednesday, September 13, 1961: SIOP-62

President Kennedy is briefed by the U.S. military on how a nuclear war might be carried out.

From "JFK's First-Strike Plan" (The Atlantic magazine, October 2001): "U.S. military policy at the time called for 'massive retaliation' in the event of general war -- shooting off all our nuclear weapons against every target in the Soviet Union, China and parts of Eastern Europe, no matter how limited the cause of the war might be. This single integrated operational plan -- or SIOP, as the military called it -- was so tightly woven into the logistics and training of the U.S. Strategic Air Command that it would be impossible to launch a smaller-scale nuclear attack even if the President wanted to. The problem with this SIOP, in the view of many defense analysts, was that if the United States unleashed the full attack against the USSR, the Soviets would initiate a retaliatory strike once they saw the attack coming, ultimately killing tens of millions of Americans. ... SIOP-62, as the plan was known, called for sending in the full arsenal of the Strategic Air Command, -- 2,258 missiles and bombers carrying a total of 3,423 nuclear weapons -- against 1,077 'military and urban-industrial targets' throughout the 'Sino-Soviet Bloc.' "

Kennedy was not satisifed with the plan, preferring more options than just all-out war. That would be reflected in SIOP-63.

* "New Evidence on the Origins of Overkill" (from National Security Archive): @

* "The Creation of SIOP-62: More Evidence on the Origins of Overkill (from National Security Archive): @

* "History of the Joint Strategic Target Planning Staff: Preparation of SIOP-62" (from National Security Archive): @

* "History of the Joint Strategic Target Planning Staff: Preparation of SIOP-63" (from National Security Archive): @

* Excerpt from "President Kennedy: Profile of Power" (book by Richard Reeves): @

* "JFK's First-Strike Option" (The Atlantic magazine, October 2001): @

* "Constraining Overkill: Contending Approaches to Nuclear Strategy, 1955-1965" (from Naval Historical Center): @

* "Strategic Air Planning and Berlin" (memo to Gen. Maxwell Taylor): @

* "Doomsday Delayed: USAF Strategic Weapons Doctrine and SIOP-62" (book by John H. Rubel): @

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Tuesday, September 12, 1961: The Mercury 13 (updated)

Five days before they were to begin flight simulation training in Pensacola, Florida, the 13 members of the privately funded Woman in Space program received the following telegram, effectively ending their hopes of joining the U.S. space effort.

Regret to advise arrangements at Pensacola cancelled Probably will not be possible to carry out this part of program. You may return expense advance allotment to Lovelace Foundation c/o me Letter will advise of additional developments when matter cleared further= W Randolph Lovelace II MD

* Earlier blog post (from 1960): @

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Monday, September 11, 1961: Hurricane Carla

With top winds estimated at 150 miles per hour, the eye of Hurricane Carla makes landfall between Port O'Connor and Port Lavaca, Texas. Half a million people had evacuated the Texas coastline; as a result, the death toll was a relatively low 46. The hurricane was also noteworthy in that it marked the first time a television reporter -- Dan Rather, working for CBS's Houston affiliate, KHOU-TV -- provided continuous live reports from Galveston Island while riding out the storm.

Photo by Flip Schulke

* Summary (from National Weather Service, Corpus Christi, Texas): @

* U.S. Weather Bureau advisories and bulletins (PDF): @

* "In the Eye of a Mighty Storm" (Life magazine, September 22): @

* Weather Bureau film: @

* Newsreel: @

* "Hurricane Carla Aftermath" (silent footage): @ and @

* "Rather in the Eye of the Storm" (CBS video): @

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Wednesday, September 6, 1961: National Reconnaisance Office

From The Washington Post's "Top Secret America" series:

The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) was established in September 1961 as a classified agency of the Department of Defense. The existence of the NRO and its mission of overhead (satellite) reconnaissance were declassified in September 1992. Headquartered in Chantilly, Va., the NRO designs, builds and, with the Air Force, operates the nation's reconnaisance satellites, which are the main collection assets for geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) source data. The satellites also provide significant signals intelligence (SIGINT) data.

* More from Washington Post series: @

* Background and relevant documents (from National Security Archive): @

*"Out of the Black: The Declassification of the NRO" (from National Security Archive): @

*"The 16 Members of the U.S. Intelligence Community" (from www.mentalfloss.com): @

* "Space-Based Reconnaissance" (from Army Space Journal): @

* NRO website: @

* More links (from Federation of American Scientists): @

* Post from August 18, 1960: Spy pictures from space: @

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Monday, September 4, 1961: Nixon's hole-in-one

The former vice president, who narrowly lost the 1960 presidential race, hits a hole-in-one on No. 3 (155 yards) at Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles. "It's the greatest thrill of my life -- even better than being elected," Nixon says. His playing partners that Labor Day were the actor Randolph Scott, former California Rep. Donald Jackson and longtime friend Bebe Rebozo. (Photo by Corbis Images)

* Excerpt from "First Off The Tee" (book by Don Van Natta Jr.): @

* Hole-in-one facts (from www.nationalholeinoneregistry.com): @

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September 1961: Stax Records

Satellite Records, based in Memphis, Tennessee, changes its name to Stax Records, the word "Stax" combining the first two letters of the last names of company owners Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton. The first single released on the soul label was the Mar-Keys' "The Morning After," a follow-up to their earlier Satellite hit, "Last Night."

Note: I couldn't pinpoint the exact date of the name change. The earliest mention I could find is in the September 11 issue of Billboard magazine.

* Short history (from www.bluescentric.com): @

* Timeline (from www.staxmuseum.com): @

* "Birth of Stax": (by Robert Gordon): @

* Jim Stewart biography and timeline (from Rock and Roll Hall of Fame): @ and @

* "Soulsville, U.S.A.: The Story of Stax Records" (book by Rob Bowman): @

* Lesson plan for teachers (from www.pbs.org; includes links to artists' websites): @

* Listen to "Morning After": @

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September-October: Presidential debates

Democrat John F. Kennedy and Republican Richard M. Nixon meet in a series of four debates, the first to be televised. An estimated 60 to 70 million people watch -- a third of the entire U.S. population. Another 15 million listen on radio. Policy differences aside, Kennedy appears youthful and vigorous, especially in the first debate, while Nixon (who had recently been hospitalized for two weeks for a staph infection) seems pale and drawn. (It's been said that most people who listened to the debate on the radio thought Nixon won, while TV viewers tended to side with Kennedy; I've included links to both.)

* Monday, September 26: Held in Chicago, it dealt primarily with domestic issues.

-- TV telecast: @

-- Radio broadcast: @

-- Transcript: @

-- "The Great Debate" from Museum of Broadcast Communications: @

-- New York Times article (September 27): @

-- Los Angeles Times pages: @

-- Remembrances from key figures: @

* Friday, October 7: The second debate, held in Washington, went straight to questions on any subject, with no opening statements by either candidate. Among the topics: meeting the Communist challenge, and the state of the United States' economy.

-- Transcript: @

-- Video: @

-- Audio: @

-- Observations from Eleanor Roosevelt: @

* Thursday, October 13: The candidates were in different cities for their third debate: Kennedy in New York and Nixon in Los Angeles. Much of the debate focuses on what the U.S. would do should the Asian islands of Quemoy and Matsu be attacked by China.

-- Transcript: @

-- Video: @

-- Audio: @

-- More about Quemoy and Matsu: @ and @ and @

* Friday, October 21: The fourth and final debate, from New York. It centers on foreign policy. America's stature and image in the world bring the best exchange:

Nixon: America gained by continuing the dignity, the decency that has characterized us and it's that that keeps the prestige of America up -- not running down America the way Senator Kennedy has been running her down.

Moderator: Comment, Senator Kennedy?

Kennedy: I really don't need Mr. Nixon to tell me about what my responsibilities are as a citizen.

-- Transcript: @

-- Video: @

-- Audio: @

Other resources:

* Highlights of the debates (from CNN.com): @ 

* From Archive of American Television: @

* From the book "Television and Politics" (Kurt Lang, Gladys Engel Lang, 2002): @
* Article from Smithsonian magazine: @

* Nixon writes about the debates (from the book "Six Crises"): @

* Highest-rated TV debates, 1960 to 2008: @

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September-October, 1960: Khrushchev and the U.N.

* Monday, September 19: Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev arrives in New York for what will be a contentious session of the United Nations General Assembly. Also in New York is Cuba's leader, Fidel Castro, who had arrived the day before.

-- Footage of Khrushchev and Castro arriving in New York: @

* Tuesday, September 20: The General Assembly opens. Khrushchev and Castro meet for the first time. Afterward, Khrushchev likens Castro to "a young horse that hasn't been broken. He needs some training, but he's very spirited, so we'll have to be careful."
-- Footage of Khrushchev-Castro meeting: @

* Thursday, September 22: U.S. President Eisenhower expresses strong support for the U.N.'s role, particularly its peacekeeping activities in Africa. He also asks: "Will outer space be preserved for peaceful use and developed for the benefit of all mankind? Or will it become another focus for the arms race -- and thus an area of dangerous and sterile competition?"

-- Speech: Summary @ and text @

* Friday, September 23: Speaking for nearly two and a half hours, Khrushchev accuses the West of continuing to seek colonial rule in Africa. He also says the secretary-general's post should be abolished in favor of a three-person committee representing Communist, West and neutralist blocs. After Khrushchev's speech, a New York antiques dealer presents him with an American Indian peace pipe, saying "may the leaders of our two great powers, the USSR and the USA, see in this pipe a new age ... may you and the heads of other states symbolically smoke it together." (Click here for larger view.)

-- Portion of speech: @

* Monday, September 26: Castro speaks for more than four hours. He begins his speech by saying, "Although it has been said of us that we speak at great length, you may rest assured that we shall endeavor to be brief ..."

-- Text of speech: @ and @ (printed version)

* Thursday, September 29: Khrushchev interrupts a speech by British Prime Minister Harold MacMillan, pounding on his desk with his fists and shouting, "You send your planes over our territory, you are guilty of aggression!"

-- BBC summary: @

-- Life magazine coverage: @

-- Footage: @

* Monday, October 3: Khrushchev repeats his call for the removal of Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold, who replies that by doing so he would "throw the organization to the winds."

-- Footage: @

* Sunday, October 9: Khrushchev is interviewed on the "Open End" TV program, hosted by David Susskind. The interview turns contentious, with Khrushchev at one point threatening to walk off the set. The most memorable exchange:

Khrushchev: ... Our land is sacred and sovereign, and it's only the peoples of the Soviet Union themselves that have the right to govern their land, and administer their affairs. ... Why should you try to poke your nose into our garden? Have you not enough things to do in your own country?

Susskind: You're baying at the moon. ... We believe with all our might that there are many subjugated peoples in Eastern Europe. We ask that a plebiscite be held, not in your home country, not in the Soviet Union, but in many of the countries of Eastern Europe, who are now within the Soviet orbit.

Khrushchev: Is such an expression as "baying at the moon" regarded as normal polite conversation in your country? We regard it as rude. After all, I'm old enough to be your father, and young man, it is unworthy to speak to me like this. You look pleasant enough but you do not express yourself quite courteously. I do not permit an attitude like that towards myself. I did not come here to "bark" -- I am the chairman of the Council of Ministers of the world's greatest socialist state. You will therefore please show respect for me. If you do not want to, then do not invite me for an interview. There must be courtesy, but you are accustomed to prod and knock everyone about. Ours is the kind of state which will not allow itself to be ordered about.

-- More about the near-departure: @

-- Time magazine account: @

-- Photo from interview: @

* Wednesday, October 12: Shoe-banging incident. See separate post below.

* Thursday, October 13: After a final, failed attempt to have the U.N. condemn the United States for its U-2 spy flights, Khrushchev boards a plane and departs from New York. "We are leaving in a good mood," he says.

Other resources:

* "Khrushchev in New York" (Text of speeches, appearances): @

* "Memoirs of Nikita Khrushchev": @

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