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October 24, 1971

Introduction

This almanac page for Sunday, October 24, 1971, pulls together various records created by the federal government and links to additional resources which can provide context about the events of the day.

Previous Date: Saturday, October 23, 1971

Next Date: Monday, October 25, 1971

Schedule and Public Documents

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

    The President's day began at Camp David, Maryland

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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

Archival Holdings

Any selection of archival documents will necessarily be partial. You should use the documents and folders identified below as a starting place, but consult the linked collection finding aids and folder title lists and the collections themselves for context. Many documents to be found this way do not lend themselves to association with specific dates, but are essential to a complete understanding of the material.

  • Selective document listing

    President's Office Files

    The President's Office Files consists of materials drawn together by the Special Files Unit from several administrative subdivisions within the White House Office. It is the handwriting and sensitive papers sent to the Staff Secretary that now comprise much of the President's Office Files. Visit the finding aid to learn more.

    President's Personal File

    The President's Personal File is essentially a President's secretary's file, kept by Rose Mary Woods, personal secretary to the President, for two purposes: (1) preserving for posterity a collection of documents particularly close to the President, whether because he dictated or annotated them, or because of the importance of the correspondent or the event concerned and (2) giving appropriate attention–letters of gratitude, invitations to White House social events, and the like–to members and important friends and supporters of the Nixon administration. This generalization does not describe all the varied materials of a file group which is essentially a miscellany, but it does identify the reason for the existence of the file group's core. Visit the finding aid to learn more.

  • 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.

  • 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

    All National Archives Units

National Security Documents

  • 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.

    • No President's Daily Brief delivered on this date

  • 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. V, United Nations, 1969-1972

    Chinese Representation in the United Nations

    Vol. E-13, Documents on China, 1969-1972

    • 50. Message From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Haig), Beijing, October 24, 1971, Beijing, October 24, 1971

      After calling the situation with Secretary of State Rogers “intolerable,” Kissinger agreed to a stop over in Anchorage, Alaska, using the pretense of airplane repairs. He noted that the Chinese had agreed to the proposed dates for President Nixon’s trip and that Chinese Premier Chou En-lai suggested the possibility of “coordinated action” between China and the U.S. in Pakistan.

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 1035, Files for the President-China Material, China-HAK October 1971 Visit. Secret; Sensitive. A stamped notation indicates that it was received in the White House at 12:33 a.m. on October 24.

    • 51. Memorandum of Conversation, Beijing, October 24, 1971, 10:28 a.m.-1:55 p.m., Beijing, October 24, 1971, 10:28 a.m.-1:55 p.m.

      After a brief mention of troop withdrawals from Vietnam, President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs Kissinger and Chinese Premier Chou En-lai discussed the joint communiqué, various historical world revolutions, the status of Taiwan, and the Indo-Pakistan conflict.

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 1035, Files for the President-China Material, HAK visit to PRC, October 1971, Memcons-originals. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. No drafting information appears on the memorandum; presumably drafted by Lord. All brackets are in the source text. The meeting was held in the Government Guest House. Attached at Tab A but not published is the draft communiqué.

    • 52. Memorandum of Conversation, Beijing, October 24, 1971, 9:23-11:20 p.m., Beijing, October 24, 1971, 9:23-11:20 p.m.

      President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs Kissinger and Chinese Premier Chou En-lai again focused their discussions on the joint communiqué and the announcement of President Nixon’s visit. Kissinger explained that domestic constraints prevented him from agreeing to any language critical of specific U.S. foreign policies, especially in regards to Taiwan and the war in Indochina.

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 1035, Files for the President-China Material, HAK visit to PRC, October 1971, Memcons-originals. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. No drafting information appears on the memorandum; presumably drafted by Lord. All brackets and ellipses are in the source text. The meeting was held in the Great Hall of the People. Attached at Tab A is the first Chinese draft. See Document 56 for text of the draft.

    • 56. American and Chinese Drafts of the Joint Communiqué, Beijing, October 22-26, 1971, Beijing, October 24, 1971

      Each nation submitted three drafts of the joint communiqué for President Nixon’s visit to China.

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 1035, Files for the President-China Material, China-HAK October 1971 Visit. No classification marking. All brackets in the source text. See Documents 165 and 203, Foreign Relations, 1969-1976, volume XVII, China, 1969-1972, for the final agreed tentative draft and final version of the communiqué

  • 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.

Audiovisual Holdings

  • 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.

    P - Formal Presidential Remarks

    • WHCA-SR-P-711017
      Live radio remarks on Veterans Day. (10/24/1971)

      Runtime: 8:15

      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-4750
      "Issues: Foreign Affairs" AND "Deena Clark's Moment With...". U.S. Senator Hubert Humphrey (D-MN).
      ABC
      Runtime: 00:58:50
    • WHCA-4751
      "Face The Nation", with Senator Edmund Muskie; "Meet The Press". economist Pierre Rinfret.
      WTOP-TV
      Runtime: 1:00
    • WHCA-4752
      "Issues And Answers". conservative commentator William F. Buckley.
      WTOP-TV
      Runtime: 00:29:45
    • WHCA-4757
      Weekly News Summary, Tape I.
      ALL NETWORKS
      Runtime: 1:30

      24. Utley: Secretary of Defense Laird comments on North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Allies and the Vietnam war. Time Code Start: 55:41. Keywords: N.A.T.O., Europe, military, cabinet, advisors, war. Network: NBC.

      25. Utley/Delaney: Busing in public schools. Time Code Start: 57:31. Keywords: bills, laws, legislation, desegregation, racism, racial discrimination, African Americans, schools, students, transportation, reports. Network: NBC.

Context (External Sources)