President Richard Nixon and Premier Zhou Enlai shake
hands in Beijing.

In an amazing turn of events, President Richard Nixon took a
dramatic first step toward normalizing relations with the
communist People’s Republic of China (PRC) by traveling
to Beijing for a week of talks. Nixon’s historic visit began
the slow process of the re-establishing diplomatic relations
between the United States and communist China.

With the words, “Hello! This is New York calling,” the U.S. Voice
of America (VOA) began its first radio broadcasts to the Soviet
Union. The VOA effort was an important part of America’s
propaganda campaign against the Soviet Union during the
Cold War.

The VOA began in 1942 as a radio program designed to
explain America’s policies during World War II and to
bolster the morale of its allies throughout Europe, Asia,
the Middle East, and Africa.

After the war, VOA continued as part of America’s Cold War
propaganda arsenal and was primarily directed toward the
western European audience.

President John F. Kennedy introduced a new era of White
House communications when he hosted the first live
televised presidential press conference on this day in
history, Jan. 25, 1961.