History Today

Today in History — June 13

1971

13 June 1971: Pentagon Papers Published by New York Times

On June 13, 1971, The New York Times began publishing the Pentagon Papers, a classified government study that revealed the true extent of American involvement in Vietnam and exposed years of official deception about the…

Read more →

More from the Archive

1987

12 June 1987: Reagan Delivers Tear Down This Wall Speech

On June 12, 1987, President Ronald Reagan stood before the Brandenburg Gate in West Berlin and delivered one of the most memorable speeches of the Cold War era. Speaking within sight of the Berlin Wall,…

Read more →
1963

11 June 1963: Wallace Stands in the Schoolhouse Door

On June 11, 1963, Governor George Wallace of Alabama stood in the doorway of Foster Auditorium at the University of Alabama in a dramatic but ultimately futile attempt to prevent two Black students from enrolling…

Read more →