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Sure, 2024 has had lots of news – but compared with 1940, 1968 or 1973, it’s nothing exceptional
By Become an author,
8 days ago
History usually happens at a leisurely pace, with major events months or even years apart. But this year, it seems like someone has pushed fast-forward, with significant events coming on a weekly or even daily basis. One company is now selling a T-shirt declaring “THIS IS MY LIVING IN UNPRECEDENTED TIMES SHIRT.”
June 27: Biden’s poor debate performance sets off intense speculation about his place on the Democratic ticket.
July 1: A Supreme Court decision in Trump v. United States greatly expands presidential immunity from prosecution and raises serious questions about the status of various prosecutions of Trump.
July 15: The Republican Convention formally nominates Trump for president, capping a remarkable political comeback.
July 21: Biden announces that he is withdrawing from the presidential race and endorses Vice President Kamala Harris for president.
July 21-22: Harris is quickly endorsed by leading Democrats and seems almost certain to become the first Black woman of South Asian descent to head a major party ticket.
While 2024’s fast pace of events is rare in American history, it’s not unique.
A newspaper with Donald Trump on the front page after the guilty verdict in his hush money trial. Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images
New York Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, seen here, announced his run for president in March 1968; he was fatally shot on June 5 of that year. AP Photo/Walter Zeboski
1940: War, US draft and FDR’s historic reelection
Two other years stand out for the rapid pace of significant events. The first is 1940, which was dominated by Nazi Germany’s invasions of European countries, the response to that aggression and a precedent-setting third term for U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
British troops march down a Dunkirk street in France on June 13, 1940, heading for the ships that will take them back to England. AP Photo
1973: Abortion, peace deal, Watergate, political mayhem
Finally, 1973 also witnessed a rapid sequence of historic events. The federal right to abortion was guaranteed by the U.S. Supreme Court. The Vietnam War ended after almost 60,000 Americans and millions of civilians were killed. War began in the Middle East. And Congressional hearings commenced in a political scandal that would, the next year, end Nixon’s presidency.
Oct. 20: Several Arab nations announce an oil embargo against the U.S. for its support of Israel, beginning the 1973-1974 energy crisis.
Oct. 20: The Saturday Night Massacre: Attorney General Elliot Richardson and Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus resign after refusing Nixon’s order to fire Special Prosecutor Cox. Solicitor General Robert Bork becomes acting Attorney General and fires Cox.
Oct. 25: The Soviet Union threatens to intervene in the Yom Kippur War. In response, the U.S. raises its defense alert status from DEFCON 4 to DEFCON 3. The war ends with a United Nations-sponsored cease-fire.
Oct. 30: The House Judiciary Committee votes to begin investigating the possible impeachment of Nixon.
Dec. 6: After both houses of Congress vote to approve him, Gerald Ford becomes the first Vice President to assume that office via the 25th Amendment. That amendment, ratified in 1967, established the procedure for filling presidential and vice-presidential vacancies.
The New York Times on Oct. 11, 1973, announcing Vice President Spiro Agnew’s resignation. New York Times archive
What do these years of unprecedented events have in common?
One factor seems to be that wars and presidential elections seem to generate a cascade of events. Second, important events seem to beget more events. In 1940, the Nazi invasions led to Churchill becoming British prime minister and probably boosted the likelihood of Roosevelt running for and winning a third term.
In 1968, the Tet offensive helped trigger the challenges to President Johnson, which led to his decision to drop out. That helped set the stage for the calamitous Democratic convention that year.
Trump’s political and legal comebacks this year made Democrats even more desperate for a winning nominee, increasing the pressure on Biden after his poor debate performance.
We don’t know if the pace of news events this year will begin to slow down. What we do know is that most Americans might appreciate a bit of a breather before encountering another potentially historic event.
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