1973: Nixon declares “I am not a crook”

In a televised appearance before hundreds of Associated Press managing editors, President Richard Nixon told the nation today, “I am not a crook.” Nixon was referring to allegations concerning his involvement in the Watergate scandal.

“President Nixon said Saturday night the American people ‘have got to know whether or not their President is a crook,’ and declared, ‘Well, I’m not a crook. I earned everything I got.’ He said once again that he is innocent of Watergate involvement, revealed new details about his personal finances, and vowed to strive for a restoration of confidence in his leadership,” reported The Yuma Daily Sun on November 18, 1973. “In proclaiming his innocence, the President said, ‘I’ve made my mistakes, but in all my years of public life I have never profited from public service. I have earned every cent. And in all my years of public life, I have never obstructed justice.’”

NOTE: Although Nixon continued to deny his involvement in Watergate, audio tapes containing tapes of conversations in the president’s office revealed otherwise. He resigned as president on August 8, 1974, not long after three articles of impeachment were passed.

Links to the Past
‘And That’s The Truth’
The Lima News, November 18, 1973

Continued: Truth


Nixon Says He Will Prove Innocence
Delta Democrat-Times, November 18, 1973

‘Well, I’m Not a Crook, I Earned Everything I Got’
The Yuma Daily Sun, November 18, 1973

He’ll Bare Finances, Nixon Tells Editors
The Van Nuys News, November 18, 1973

Wildfire burns through California

More than 100 homes have been destroyed in a fire consuming the canyons of Santa Barbara County. The blaze started Thursday evening and spread quickly due to strong winds, engulfing 2,500 acres in and around Montecito. A rare nighttime water drop via helicopters, battling 70 mile-per-hour winds, provided some relief, though it did not contain the flames. Early Friday, a squadron of aircraft were launched to drop water on the fire, with hopes of quelling the blaze before winds picked back up in the afternoon.

The town of Montecito, nicknamed “America’s Riviera,” is home to many celebrities as well as Westmont College. John Cleese, Oprah Winfrey, Rob Lowe, and Michael Douglas all own homes there, though most are secondary or vacation residences. Charlie Chaplin and Fatty Arbuckle’s famous Montecito Inn is a landmark in the town, and there is no word whether it has been caught in the firestorm yet.

Links to the Past
Some residents return home
Daily Herald, November 26, 2007

SoCal fires beaten back
Appeal-Democrat, October 26, 2007

‘Like Armageddon’
Appeal-Democrat, October 23, 2007

2003: Schwarzenegger inaugurated as CA governor

Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger was sworn in as the governor of California today. “With his wife, Maria Shriver, holding a Bible, Schwarzenegger took the oath of office from California’s chief justice in a short ceremony on the steps of the state Capitol. An immigrant from Austria who arrived in the United States 35 years ago as a body builder dreaming of fame and fortune, the 56-year-old Republican invoked former Presidents John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan and called himself ‘an idealist without illusions,’” reported the Marysville Journal-Tribune on November 18, 2003.

Links to the Past
Schwarzenegger takes oath
The Chronicle Telegram, November 18, 2003

Schwarzenegger Sworn in as Governor of California
Gettysburg Times, November 18, 2003

Schwarzenegger Sworn In
The Post Standard, November 18, 2003

1970: Soviet moonrover begins exploration

The Soviet Union's moonrover rolled over the moon's surface today, becoming the first roving remote-controlled robot to land on another world. "A Soviet moonrover, looking like an enclosed bathtub on wheels, rolled about the lunar surface Tuesday, steered by scientists on earth watching it on television. The eight-wheeled vehicle rolled down a gangplank from the unmanned Luna 17 moonship three hours after making a soft landing on the luna surface," explained the Iowa City Press-Citizen on November 18, 1970. "In the bathtub-like enclosure, the moonrover carried scientific apparatus, control instruments, television cameras and radio communications equipment."

Links to the Past
Robot Cart Traveling on Surface
Independent, November 18, 1970

Continued: Moon Scooter


Moonrover Probing Near Landing Site
Iowa City Press-Citizen, November 18, 1970

1869: Opening ceremonies held for Suez Canal

The Suez Canal, which connects the Red Sea with the eastern Mediterranean Sea to allow ships to sail directly between the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean, was inaugurated today with a grand celebration. "Aside, however, from all ceremony and from all show, this opening of the Suez Canal commands attention as the great event of our time. It implies a revolution of trade and commerce. It implies a resurrection of the past, and the best of the past," reported The New York Herald on November 18, 1869.

Links to the Past
The Great Event of the Day - The Opening of the Suez Canal
The New York Herald, November 18, 1869

Opening of the Suez Canal
The Galveston Daily News, November 18, 1869

The Suez Canal
The Edinburgh Evening Courant, November 22, 1869