Christopher Columbus set sail from Palos, Spain, with three ships, Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria. Seeking a westerly route to the Far East, he instead landed on October 12th in the Bahamas, thinking it was an outlying Japanese island.

TODAY’S PATRIOT

Richard Nixon (1913–1994) – The 37th President and a WWII Navy veteran, Nixon served in Congress and as Vice President under Eisenhower before winning the presidency in 1968. He ended U.S. involvement in Vietnam, opened diplomatic relations with China, and advanced arms control with the Soviet Union. Though his administration achieved significant foreign policy successes, the Watergate scandal led to his resignation. Nixon’s legacy remains complex, blending patriotism, achievement, and controversy.

In 1952, during his first national campaign as Eisenhower’s running mate, Nixon faced accusations of improper campaign fund use. He went on television and delivered his now-famous “Checkers Speech,” emotionally defending his integrity and declaring he would not return a family dog given as a gift—named Checkers. The speech saved his political career and became one of the earliest and most effective uses of television in American politics.