A Distant View of the Falls of Niagara by American artist, John Vanderlyn, 1804.
Thomas Jefferson said it is worth a trip across the Atlantic to see Niagara Falls. Although he never got there.
President John Kennedy announcing the goal of putting a man on the moon by the end of the decade.On May 25, 1961. (NASA)
The inverted landing of the $125 million Japan Space Agency lunar probe makes us realize not what can go wrong but how many things must go exactly right for one of these incredibly complicated space missions to succeed.
Astronaut Buzz Aldrin stands on the moon facing a US flag during the Apollo 11 mission in July 1969. (NASA)

My Life as a Space Junkie

I’ve been captivated by humanity’s exploration of the heavens since I was a boy growing up on the plains of western North Dakota.
Allegiant stadium

Sports as American Metaphor

The Super Bowl has become an unofficial American holiday. Though it may not be as important as Christmas or the Fourth of July it fixes everyone in the country on a single monumental event.
The Spymasters by Chris Whipple, Scribner 2021.
We are excited to welcome Lindsay Chervinsky, a regular guest of Clay’s weekly podcast as an ongoing contributor to Listening to America. In her first installment she reviews The Spymasters.
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Kissinger

Henry Kissinger

Adviser to half a dozen presidents, especially Nixon, Kissinger was the only individual ever to serve as secretary of state (1973-77) and national security adviser (1969-75) at the same time.
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Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter

Rosalynn Carter

Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter didn’t possess the glamour of the Kennedys, or the charisma and ambition of the Clintons, yet Rosalynn Carter stood out as one of the strongest first ladies in American history. Assertive and impactful, she rightfully takes her place alongside Eleanor Roosevelt.
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One frame from Zapruder film.
On the 60th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, are we any closer to answers? And how might things be different in our country were it not for that fateful event?
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Lyndon B. Johnson takes the oath of office aboard Air Force One, 22 November 1963. (White House photo)
What happens in the gap between one administration and the next, especially when the outgoing president is unavailable? This “leadership gap” has had an intriguing influence on U.S. History.