Strange-but-true stories surrounding the Cold War-era
Today’s post comes from Thomas Richardson, an expert archives technician at the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis, Missouri. Far out in the New Mexico desert, the largest government-funded scientific endeavor culminated in the first nuclear detonation at the White Sands Missile Range. The bright flash followed by intense heat and billowing mushroom … Continue reading Atomic Veterans Commemorative Service Medal
Today’s post comes from Callie Belback from the National Archives History Office. The Summer Olympic Games are a major international multi-sport event held every four years. The inaugural Games took place in 1896 in Athens, Greece, and since then have been held in various cities throughout the world. Historically, cities clamored to host the games, … Continue reading Cold War Diplomatic Games: The 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics
Famous for his long and bushy beard he grew during his time as a guerrilla rebel fighter, Fidel Castro’s beard became a badge of honor and later a symbol of the triumph of the revolution. Today’s post comes from Callie Belback from the National Archives History Office. Russian Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin and Cuban Prime Minister … Continue reading Facial Hair Friday: Fidel Castro
For International Peace Month, we’re looking at significant turning points toward a more peaceful world highlighted by the records of the National Archives. Today’s post comes from Thomas Richardson, an expert archives technician at the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis, Missouri. “It isn’t enough to talk about peace. One must believe in … Continue reading Making Tomorrow Better: International Peace Month
Today’s post comes from Michael J. Hancock, an archives technician at the National Archives at College Park, MD. There was a time when the greatest threat during the Cold War was a nuclear strike by the Soviet Union. But for a moment during those tension-filled years, the United States almost nuked itself. The U.S. narrowly … Continue reading Brush with Catastrophe: The Day the U.S. Almost Nuked Itself
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of Project Blue Book, there is a special featured document display in the East Rotunda Gallery of the National Archives Building in Washington, DC, from December 5, 2019, through January 20, 2020. Today’s post comes from Michael Steffen from the National Archives History Office. The idea of … Continue reading Saucers Over Washington: the History of Project Blue Book
Shooting for the stars for the past 60 years, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. Better known as NASA, this independent agency has been overseeing the civilian space program and conducting research in aeronautics and aerospace since 1958. Use #ArchivesInSpace to be part of the NASA and the National Archives … Continue reading Celebrating NASA’s 60th Anniversary
Today’s post comes from Madie Ward in the National Archives History Office. The XXIII Winter Olympics are here! They are being held in PyeongChang, Republic of Korea, from February 9 to 25. With a total of 102 medal events, this year’s Olympics is the first to surpass 100. The games feature fifteen disciplines: alpine skiing, … Continue reading Are You Watching the XXIII Winter Olympics?
Today's post come from Erik Moshe from the National Archives Public Media and Communications Office. You can read the entire article online on the National Archives website. Just months after President Ronald Reagan’s "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" speech in West Berlin in 1987, two men arrived in Russia. Their destination: the Soviet Archival Research Center. … Continue reading Reflections of Two American Archivists on the Soviet Union’s Archives
October is American Archives Month! We’re celebrating the work of archivists and the importance of archives with a series of blog posts highlighting our “Archives Across America.” Today’s post comes from staff at the Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda, California. On July 20, 1969, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans … Continue reading Moon Landings at the Nixon Library
