April 20, 1970

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 San Clemente, California

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.

Addresses and Remarks

• Report on Vietnam (6 Weekly Comp. Pres. Doc. 553, April 20, 1970)
  The President's Address to the Nation.

Checklist of White House Press Releases

The releases listed below, made public by the Office of the White House Press Secretary during the period covered by this issue, are not included in the issue.

• The President's report to the Nation on Vietnam (advance text).

Each Public Papers of the Presidents volume contains the papers and speeches of the President of the United States that were issued by the White House Office of the Press Secretary during the time period specified by the volume. The material is presented in chronological order, and the dates shown in the headings are the dates of the documents or events. In instances when the release date differs from the date of the document itself, that fact is shown in the text note.

To ensure accuracy, remarks have been checked against audio recordings (when available) and signed documents have been checked against the original, unless otherwise noted. Editors have provided text notes and cross references for purposes of identification or clarity.

• Address to the Nation on Progress Toward Peace in Vietnam.

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.

No Federal Register published on this date

The Congressional Record is the official daily record of the debates and proceedings of the U.S. Congress.

• Senate: April 20, 1970
• House of Representatives: April 20, 1970
• Extensions of Remarks: April 20, 1970

Argued

• California v. Green
• Mulloy v. United States

Decided

• American Farm Lines v. Black Ball Freight Service
• Bachellar v. Maryland
• Lewis v. Martin
• Santana v. Texas
• Standard Industries, Inc. v. Tigrett Industries, Inc.
• United States v. Hilton Hotels Corporation
• Woodward v. Commissioner

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 - not yet online
• Handwritten diary entry - not yet online

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 April 20, 1970
• Date search for April 20, 1970

All National Archives Units

• Text search for April 20, 1970
• Date search for April 20, 1970

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 20 April 1970

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. VI, Vietnam, January 1969-July 1970

Vietnam, January 1969-July 1970

• 240. Telegram From the Staff Secretary of the National Security Council Staff Secretariat (Watts) to Winston Lord of the National Security Council Staff , Washington, April 20, 1970, 1832Z

  Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 506, Country Files, Far East, Cambodia, Vol. III, 10 April 1970–23 April 1970. Top Secret; Nodis. Kissinger was in San Clemente on April 20; see Document 239.

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.

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-3391 Photographer: Schumacher, Karl | Color or B&W: Color

• Frame(s): WHPO-3391-04A-23A, Tricia Nixon at a 4-H Club Ground Breaking Ceremony. 4/20/1970, Washington, D.C. 4-H Club property. Tricia Nixon.

Roll WHPO-3392 Photographer: Schumacher, Karl | Color or B&W: B&W

• Frame(s): WHPO-3392-01-16, Vice President Agnew at a posthumous Medal of Honor ceremony. 4/20/1970, Washington, D.C. White House, East Room. Spiro Agnew.

The White House Communications Agency Sound Recordings Collection contains public statements that took place between 1969 and 1974. Visit the finding aid to learn more.

B - Vice-Presidential (Agnew and Ford)

• WHCA-SR-B-065
  Posthumous Medal of Honor presentation ceremony with remarks by Vice President Agnew. (4/20/1970, East Room, the White House)
  
  Runtime: 0:13:30
  
  Production credits: Audio feed supplied by WHCA; Recorded by FFS (log) or RS (tape) (initials of WHCA engineer)
  
  Original Format: 1/4-inch reel-to-reel audiotape. Original source type: Original. Technical notes: 58 second seconds of silence at beginning and 2 minutes and 50 seconds of silence at end of recording removed from access copies.

D - First Family

• WHCA-SR-D-006
  Tricia Nixon's remarks at the ground-breaking for the National 4H Center, with speakers Clifford Hardin, Jack and Art Linkletter, Dr. Anderson, CA Vines, and Mr. Harder. (4/20/1970, Nation 4H Center)
  
  Runtime: none listed
  
  Production credits: Audio feed supplied by Hargrove Displays; Recorded by RRN (initials of WHCA engineer)
  
  Original Format: 1/4-inch reel-to-reel audiotape. Original source type: Original.

H - White House Staff Member Recordings

• WHCA-SR-H-161
  Press briefing by Ronald Ziegler and Henry Kissinger regarding Nixon's televised statement on Vietnam. (4/20/1970, Conference Room, Western White House, San Clemente, California)
  
  Runtime: 12:00
  
  Keywords: Press conferences, news conferences, interviews, media, press secretary
  
  Production credits: Audio feed supplied by WHCA; Recorded by KJM (initials of WHCA engineer)
  
  Original Format: 1/4-inch reel-to-reel audiotape. Original source type: Original.

P - Formal Presidential Remarks

• WHCA-SR-P-700424
  Televised by President Nixon from western White House on Vietnam troop withdrawals. (4/20/1970)
  
  Runtime: 15:20
  
  Original Format: 1/4-inch reel-to-reel audiotape. Original source type: Original.

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-3683
  Newsroom.
  All networks
  Runtime: 01:05:00
• WHCA-3684
  President Nixon Address to the Nation on Progress Toward Peace in Vietnam. Includes CBS Commentary; NBC Commentary; "Issues and Answers" ABC speech in San Clemente, discussions, "The Flintstones" excerpt at end, TV commercials
  CBS
  Runtime: 01:04:17
• WHCA-3685
  Nixon's Vietnam Statement and Commentary.
  NET (National Educational Television, PBS)
  Runtime: 0:30
• WHCA-3690
  Weekly News Summary.
  All networks
  Runtime: 01:03:51
  
  4. Report on President Nixon's Vietnam statement. Time Code Start: 08:50. Keywords: Presidents, speeches, Vietnam War. Network: ABC.

• TIME magazine of April 20, 1970

• New York Times of April 20, 1970

• AP Images photos from April 20, 1970
• Getty Images photos from April 20, 1970

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.

• April 1970 Broadcast Index

Wikipedia is a free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

• April 20, 1970