I hadn’t realized the coincidence until now, but June 26 is the anniversary of two extremely important Cold War events involving the German city of Berlin. In 1963, United States president John F. Kennedy told the people of West Berlin “Ich bin ein Berliner.” In English, he said, “I am also a citizen of Berlin.” […]
Category: Cold War
The Soviet Union Acquires the Atomic Bomb
September 23 is the 60th anniversary of US president Harry Truman’s announcement that the Soviet Union acquires the atomic bomb. This event ratcheted up tensions in the Cold War considerably. Now, both opponents possessed nuclear weapons. The military consequences were important. Both primary Cold War contenders now raced to beef up their nuclear arsenals. Soon, […]
Nikita Khrushchev Turned Away by Disneyland
Disneyland claims it is the “Happiest Place on Earth,” but it wasn’t very welcoming to Nikita Khrushchev on September 19, 1959. Khrushchev, the leader of the Soviet Union, was in the United States for a summit with US president Dwight Eisenhower. He wanted to see Hollywood during his visit, so US authorities arranged for the […]