December 31, 1971

The Daily Diary files represent a consolidated record of the President's activities. Visit the finding aid to learn more.

• Original typewritten diary (PDF)

The President's day began at Key Biscayne, Florida

The Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents made available transcripts of the President's news conferences; messages to Congress; public speeches, remarks, and statements; and other Presidential materials released by the White House.

Digitized versions can be found at HathiTrust.

The Federal Register is the official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices of federal agencies and organizations, as well as executive orders and other Presidential documents.

• Federal Register of Friday, December 31, 1971

The H. R. Haldeman Diaries consists of seven handwritten diaries, 36 dictated diaries recorded as sound recordings, and two handwritten audio cassette tape subject logs. The diaries and logs reflect H. R. Haldeman’s candid personal record and reflections on events, issues, and people encountered during his service in the Nixon White House. As administrative assistant to the President and Chief of Staff, Haldeman attended and participated in public events and private meetings covering the entire scope of issues in which the Nixon White House engaged in during the years 1969-1973. Visit the finding aid to learn more.

• Transcript of diary entry (PDF)
• Original audio recording (MP3)

The National Archives Catalog is the online portal to the records held at the National Archives, and information about those records. It is the main way of describing our holdings and also provides access to electronic records and digitized versions of our holdings. 

The Catalog searches across multiple National Archives resources at once, including archival descriptions, digitized and electronic records, authority records, and web pages from Archives.gov and the Presidential Libraries. The Catalog also allows users to contribute to digitized historical records through tagging and transcription.

Nixon Library Holdings

• Text search for December 31, 1971
• Date search for December 31, 1971

All National Archives Units

• Text search for December 31, 1971
• Date search for December 31, 1971

The President's Daily Brief is the primary vehicle for summarizing the day-to-day sensitive intelligence and analysis, as well as late-breaking reports, for the White House on current and future national security issues. Read "The President's Daily Brief: Delivering Intelligence to Nixon and Ford" to learn more.

• President's Daily Brief of 31 December 1971

The Foreign Relations of the United States series presents the official documentary historical record of major U.S. foreign policy decisions and significant diplomatic activity. Visit the State Department website for more information.

Vol. XLI, Western Europe; NATO, 1969-1972

Malta

• 240. Message From President Nixon to British Prime Minister Heath, Washington, December 31, 1971, 1649Z

  Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 764, Presidential Correspondence, United Kingdom Prime Minister Edward Heath. Secret; Nodis.

The Kissinger telephone conversation transcripts consist of approximately 20,000 pages of transcripts of Kissinger’s telephone conversations during his tenure as Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (1969-1974) and Secretary of State (1973-1974) during the administration of President Richard Nixon. Visit the finding aid for more information.

Digitized versions of many of these transcripts can be found on the Yale University Library website.

Visit the White House Tapes finding aid to learn about the taping system's operation and archival processing.

Old Executive Office Building

• 311-1; Unknown between 9:05 p.m. & 9:08 p.m.; Nixon, Richard M. (President); Sanchez, Manolo
• 311-2; 9:08 p.m. - 9:11 p.m.; Nixon, Richard M. (President); Bobst, Elmer H.
• 311-3; Unknown between 9:11 p.m. & 9:13 p.m.; Nixon, Richard M. (President); White House operator
• 311-4; Unknown between 9:11 p.m. & 9:13 p.m.; Nixon, Richard M. (President); White House operator
• 311-5; 9:13 p.m. - 9:14 p.m.; Nixon, Richard M. (President); Woods, Rose Mary
• 311-6; Unknown between 9:14 p.m. & 9:22 p.m.; Nixon, Richard M. (President); White House operator
• 311-7; 9:22 p.m. - 9:24 p.m.; Nixon, Richard M. (President); Bush, George H. W.
• 311-8; Unknown between 9:24 p.m. & 9:45 p.m.; Nixon, Richard M. (President); [Unknown person(s)]
• 311-9; Unknown between 9:24 p.m. & 9:45 p.m.; Nixon, Richard M. (President); Sanchez, Manolo
• 311-10; Unknown between 9:24 p.m. & 9:45 p.m.; Nixon, Richard M. (President); Sanchez, Manolo

White House Telephone

• 17-108; Unknown between 6:41 p.m. & 7:40 p.m.; Nixon, Richard M. (President); White House operator
• 17-109; 7:40 p.m. - 7:46 p.m.; Nixon, Richard M. (President); Cox, Tricia Nixon
• 17-110; 7:47 p.m. - 7:49 p.m.; Nixon, Richard M. (President); Schreiber, Taft
• 17-111; Unknown between 7:49 p.m. & 7:55 p.m.; Nixon, Richard M. (President); White House operator
• 17-112; 7:55 p.m. - 7:59 p.m.; Nixon, Richard M. (President); Smith, C. Arnholt
• 17-113; Unknown between 7:59 p.m. & 8:14 p.m.; Nixon, Richard M. (President); White House operator
• 17-114; Unknown between 7:59 p.m. & 8:14 p.m.; Nixon, Richard M. (President); White House operator
• 17-115; 8:14 p.m. - 8:16 p.m.; Nixon, Richard M. (President); Keyes, Paul W.
• 17-116; 9:08 p.m. - 9:11 p.m.; Nixon, Richard M. (President); Bobst, Elmer H.
• 17-117; Unknown between 9:11 p.m. & 9:13 p.m.; Nixon, Richard M. (President); White House operator
• 17-118; Unknown between 9:11 p.m. & 9:13 p.m.; Nixon, Richard M. (President); White House operator
• 17-119; 9:13 p.m. - 9:14 p.m.; Nixon, Richard M. (President); Woods, Rose Mary
• 17-120; Unknown between 9:14 p.m. & 9:22 p.m.; Nixon, Richard M. (President); White House operator
• 17-121; 9:22 p.m. - 9:24 p.m.; Nixon, Richard M. (President); Bush, George H. W.

The White House Photo Office collection consists of photographic coverage of President Richard Nixon meeting with prominent social, political, and cultural personalities; speaking engagements and news conferences of the President and various high-ranking members of the White House staff and Cabinet; Presidential domestic and foreign travel, including Presidential vacations; social events and entertainment involving the First Family, including entertainers present; official portraits of the President, First Family, and high-ranking members of the Nixon administration; the 1969 and 1973 Inaugurals; the President’s 1972 Presidential election campaign appearances (including speeches) and other official activities of the White House staff and the President’s Cabinet from January 20, 1969 until August 9, 1974 at the White House and the Old Executive Office Building; other locations in Washington, DC, such as The Mall; and the Presidential retreats in Camp David, Maryland, Key Biscayne, Florida, and San Clemente, California. Visit the finding aid to learn more.

Roll WHPO-8155 Photographer: Knudsen, Robert L. | Color or B&W: B&W

• Frame(s): WHPO-8155-04-09, Air Force One (AF1) Departure from Homestead AFB. 12/31/1971, Florida Homestead Air Force Base. President Nixon, unidentified Air Force officers.
• Frame(s): WHPO-8155-12, Nixon family dog Pasha the Yorkshire terrier wearing a cone party hat, while standing on an Air Force One seat. 12/31/1971, Florida Air Force One (AF1) interior. Pasha.

Roll WHPO-8156 Photographer: Knudsen, Robert L. | Color or B&W: Color

• Frame(s): WHPO-8156-, President Nixon helps celebrate J. Edgar Hoover's birthday aboard Spirit of 76. 12/31/1971, Florida AF-1, plane interior. President Nixon, J. Edgar Hoover, William Rogers, unidentified woman [Lucy Winchester?].
• Frame(s): WHPO-8156-02A, President Nixon helps celebrate J. Edgar Hoover's birthday aboard Spirit of 76. 12/31/1971, Florida AF-1, plane interior. President Nixon, J. Edgar Hoover, William Rogers, possibly Lucy Winchester.

The White House Communications Agency Videotape Collection contains “off-the-air” recordings of televised programs produced between 1968 and 1974. Visit the finding aid to learn more.

• WHCA-4929
  "The David Frost Show" :John Kenneth Galbraith, J. Michner, Dick Schaap, Joe Craft. John Kenneth Galbraith, author James Michner, Sports writer Dick Schaap, Joe Craft Governor of California Ronald W. Reagan, Bob Newhart, cinematographer James Wong Howe.
  Daphne Productions and Roland & Jaffee Productions
  Runtime: 01:27:52
• WHCA-4946
  Weekly News Summary, Tape I.
  ALL NETWORKS
  Runtime: 1:30
  
  1. Chancellor: Jets to Israel; Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi commentary on Indio/American relations. Time Code Start: 00:00. Keywords: Middle East, Mideast, East India, Israeli, Prime Ministers, war, aircraft, aid, sales, statements, speeches, interviews. Network: NBC.
  
  2. Chancellor: All quiet in Vietnam. Time Code Start: 03:10. Keywords: Vietnam War. Network: NBC.
  
  3. Lord: Cambodians taught to fight. Time Code Start: 04:03. Keywords: Vietnam WarCambodia, Vietnam War. Network: NBC.
  
  4. Dunning: The air war continues at a slow pace. Time Code Start: 06:03. Keywords: Vietnam War, bombings, aircraft, military, weapons. Network: CBS.
  
  5. Sevareid: 1972, we should watch our language. Time Code Start: 08:45. Keywords: foreign relations, languages. Network: CBS.
  
  6. (Special insert, morning news) Review of 1971. Time Code Start: 11:14. Keywords: yearly, reports, summaries, history, retrospectives, reviews. Network: CBS.

• LIFE magazine of December 31, 1971

• New York Times of December 31, 1971

• AP Images photos from December 31, 1971
• Getty Images photos from December 31, 1971

The Vanderbilt Television News Archive is the world's most extensive and complete archive of television news. They have been recording, preserving and providing access to television news broadcasts of the national networks since August 5, 1968.

• December 1971 Broadcast Index

Wikipedia is a free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

• December 31, 1971