Bulletin6 May 1937
Oh, the humanity
Herbert Morrison watches the Hindenburg burn
Datelined
Lakehurst, New Jersey
Running time
80 sec
Internet ArchivePublic domain
The Radio Planet
Moments
One broadcast, one page. 25 surviving recordings — some fifteen seconds long, some an hour — with the story of the night each one went out. Every one is real archive audio in the public domain, and every one has an address you can send to somebody.
The Thirties
Bulletin30 October 1938
The War of the Worlds
The Mercury Theatre interrupts its own dance music
Datelined
CBS, New York
Running time
1 hr
Internet ArchivePublic domain
Bulletin3 September 1939
The night Britain went to war
Fireside Chat 14
Datelined
The White House
Running time
11 min
Internet ArchivePublic domain
The War
Bulletin9 December 1941
On the war with Japan
Fireside Chat 19, two days after Pearl Harbor
Datelined
The White House
Running time
27 min
Internet ArchivePublic domain
Bulletin12 April 1945
Bulletin: the President is dead
Twenty-five seconds that stopped the schedule
Datelined
Warm Springs, Georgia
Running time
25 sec
Internet ArchivePublic domain
Bulletin12 April 1945
Fulton Lewis reports the death
A commentator improvising in real time
Datelined
Mutual, Washington
Running time
64 sec
Internet ArchivePublic domain
Bulletin15 April 1945
Murrow at Buchenwald
Broadcast three days after the camp was reached
Datelined
CBS, London
Running time
11 min
Internet ArchivePublic domain
Bulletin16 April 1945
Truman before Congress
Four days into a presidency nobody prepared him for
Datelined
The Capitol
Running time
6 min
Internet ArchivePublic domain
Bulletin17 April 1945
A small station signs off
KGKY, Scottsbluff, Nebraska
Datelined
Scottsbluff, Nebraska
Running time
2 min
Internet ArchivePublic domain
Bulletin14 August 1945
The Forrestal flash
Thirty-five seconds: Japan has surrendered
Datelined
NBC, New York
Running time
35 sec
Internet ArchivePublic domain
Bulletin14 August 1945
Robert Trout: the war is over
Fifteen seconds on CBS
Datelined
CBS, New York
Running time
15 sec
Internet ArchivePublic domain
Bulletin14 August 1945
Times Square, V-J night
Ben Grauer in the crowd
Datelined
New York
Running time
4 min
Internet ArchivePublic domain
Bulletin15 August 1945
Attlee announces the surrender
Midnight from Downing Street
Datelined
BBC, London
Running time
55 sec
Internet ArchivePublic domain
Bulletin15 August 1945
The Emperor's voice
The Jewel Voice Broadcast
Datelined
NHK, Tokyo
Running time
11 sec
Internet ArchivePublic domain
Bulletin2 September 1945
MacArthur in Tokyo Bay
The surrender ceremony aboard USS Missouri
Datelined
Tokyo Bay
Running time
2 min
Internet ArchivePublic domain
The Crown
Bulletin11 December 1936
The abdication
Edward VIII leaves the throne
Datelined
Windsor Castle
Running time
7 min
Internet ArchivePublic domain
Bulletin13 October 1940
A princess speaks to evacuated children
Children's Hour, in the first year of the war
Datelined
BBC Home Service
Running time
3 min
Internet ArchivePublic domain
Bulletin21 April 1947
The Cape Town dedication
A twenty-first birthday broadcast
Datelined
Cape Town, relayed by the BBC
Running time
3 min
Internet ArchivePublic domain
Bulletin2 June 1953
Coronation night
Elizabeth II broadcasts to the Commonwealth
Datelined
BBC, London
Running time
3 min
Internet ArchivePublic domain
Bulletin24 May 1923
Empire Day, 1923
George V and Queen Mary, one year into the BBC
Datelined
BBC
Running time
3 min
Internet ArchivePublic domain
The Republic
Bulletin4 November 1952
Stevenson concedes
Fifty-five seconds, and the best joke of the night
Datelined
Springfield, Illinois
Running time
55 sec
Internet ArchivePublic domain
Bulletin12 September 1960
Kennedy and the Houston ministers
A Catholic candidate answers Protestant clergy
Datelined
Houston, Texas
Running time
11 min
Internet ArchivePublic domain
Bulletin26 September 1960
The first Kennedy–Nixon debate
The night the audio and the pictures disagreed
Datelined
Chicago
Running time
58 min
Internet ArchivePublic domain
Beyond
Bulletin9 November 1965
The lights go out
KDKA reports the Northeast blackout
Datelined
Pittsburgh
Running time
54 sec
Internet ArchivePublic domain
Bulletin20 July 1969
Onboard, on the way down
NASA's own tape from inside the spacecraft
Datelined
Lunar orbit and descent
Running time
6 min
Internet ArchivePublic domain