On Friday, July 2, 2010, the National Archives Richard Nixon Library in Yorba Linda, California, will open nearly 100,000 pages of Presidential records and 80 hours of video oral histories.

The bulk of the newly released documents come from the White House office files of former Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, a Democrat who served in the Nixon administration from January 1969 to December 1970. The Moynihan papers detail his role in shaping administration policy on welfare reform, population control, civil rights, the environment and drug control.

Also in this release are 5,000 pages of formerly classified national security records. These include U.S. intelligence assessments before and during the 1973 Arab-Israeli War.  Also in this release are materials relating to US-UK relations, including correspondence between President Nixon and Prime Minister Edward Heath; backchannel Soviet-Israeli relations; the status of Berlin; Soviet strategic weapons; and the Vietnam War.

The Library will also release 47 video oral histories.  These will be available in the Library’s research room.  This is the first release of materials from this collection which was begun in November 2006 after Timothy Naftali became the director of the Nixon Presidential Materials Project and director-designate of the National Archives-administered Nixon Library. 

The Nixon Library’s video oral history program, which has produced 126 oral histories thus far, is creating the largest video oral history collection at any Presidential library. Included in this opening are interviews conducted with, among others:  former Vice President Richard Cheney, former Secretary of State George Shultz, former Secretary of Defense Frank Carlucci, former Secretary of Interior Walter Hickel, former Secretary of Commerce Barbara Franklin, U.S. Representative Charles Rangel, Senator Lamar Alexander, former Senators Bob Dole and Trent Lott, former U.S. Representative Elizabeth Holtzman, Justice Stephen Breyer, Judge Robert Bork,  former Watergate prosecutors Richard Ben-Veniste and Jill Wine-Banks, Carl Bernstein, astronaut Frank Borman, Dwight Chapin, Charles Colson, Sir David Frost, Leonard Garment, Herbert Klein, Egil “Bud” Krogh, entertainer Art Linkletter, Jeb Stuart Magruder, Frederic Malek, Raymond Price, William Ruckelshaus, Daniel Schorr, and William Safire.  

This release also includes 4 and 1/2 hours of audio recordings of briefings given by Donald Rumsfeld, Herbert Stein and others to summer interns in the Nixon White House.  These will also be available in the Nixon Library research room.

The National World War II Museum announced that beginning today and in perpetuity all WWII veterans will be admitted free. The news comes as the Museum honors both the 66th anniversary of the D-Day invasion at Normandy and celebrates its own 10th birthday.

This announcement was part of an emotional ceremony that brought together more than 1,000 veterans and their family members from across the nation. The event, A Gathering of the Greatest Generation, included a special “roll-call” ceremony where veterans representing all 50 states were honored by the Museum. State by state a veteran stood and recited the number of veterans who served from that state and how many remain today – a poignant reminder of how few WWII veterans are still with us. Family members of deceased veterans also represented some states in their honor.

“With our veterans leaving us at a rate of 900 a day, we are facing a future where gatherings like these will be a rarity,” said Gordon H. “Nick” Mueller, President and CEO of The National World War II Museum.  ”We encourage everyone across the country to show their gratitude to the WWII vets in their community and listen to their stories.”

Thomas Blakey, a WWII vet from the 82nd Airborne Division who parachuted into Normandy on D-Day, is just one of the veterans who attended the ceremonies. “It’s important to me that future generations know and understand what we went through in the war,” said Blakey, who now volunteers at the Museum. “Events like this are an opportunity for us to share our stories with Americans of all ages.”

Saturday’s events also included a chance to get up close and personal with some of the Museum’s large artifacts, WWII reenactors, weapons demonstrations and more. More than 2,500 visitors participated in the Saturday activities, with a similar crowd expected for Sunday.

The weekend’s activities will continue on June 6, along with a memorial service and celebration of the Museum’s 10th anniversary.

Visitors can also experience the recently opened Solomon Victory Theater, featuring Beyond All Boundaries, a 4-D cinematic experience executive produced by Tom Hanks; the Stage Door Canteen, a recreation of a wartime entertainment venue; and the American Sector – a Chef John Besh restaurant. The 66th Anniversary weekend is sponsored by Chevron.

The Museum, a non-profit institution, recently kicked off the “$10 for Them” campaign to help underwrite the cost of the free admission for veterans. Donate or find out more at www.10forthem.org.  

D-Day was a coded designation used for the day of any important invasion or military operation. The “D” stands for “day” since the final invasion date was secret and also weather-dependent.

June 6, 1944, marked the invasion of Normandy and the beginning of the end of the war in Europe. It began shortly after midnight with the landing of 24,000 Allied airborne troops. Amphibious landings began around 6:30 am on June 6, 1944, when 156,000 servicemen from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and other Allied countries disembarked from more than 5,000 ships and Higgins landing into a wall of gunfire from German defenders. The operation cost U.S. forces 2,499 dead that day alone, with total Allied deaths reaching 4,414. By June 11, with the beachheads firmly secured, more than 326,000 troops had crossed with more than 100,000 tons of military equipment. Paris was liberated on August 25. Germany surrendered on May 8, 1945.

The world of Cleopatra VII, which has been lost to the sea and sand for nearly 2,000 years, will surface on June 5 when “Cleopatra: The Search for the Last Queen of Egypt” opens its doors to the world for the first time at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia (through January 2, 2011). The new exhibition features nearly 150 artifacts from Cleopatra’s time and takes visitors inside the present-day search for the elusive queen, which extends from the sands of Egypt to the depths of the Bay of Aboukir near Alexandria.

The exhibition is organized by National Geographic and Arts and Exhibitions International, with cooperation from the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities and the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology (IEASM). It features statuary, jewelry, daily items, coins and religious tokens that archaeologists have uncovered from the time surrounding Cleopatra’s rule, all of which are visiting the U.S. for the first time. Also on display is an original papyrus document from Cleopatra’s time containing an inscription that scientists believe was written in Cleopatra’s own hand.

After Egypt succumbed to Roman forces and Cleopatra famously took her own life following the suicide of her lover Mark Antony, the Romans attempted to wipe her legacy from the pages of history. Cleopatra thus has remained one of history’s greatest enigmas, and her final resting place is one of Egypt’s unsolved mysteries. The artifacts in this exhibition are woven into the story of her rule and life in ancient Egypt during her dynasty (Ptolemaic period). The story of her life and time unfolds in a dramatic setting with high-definition multimedia, original soundscapes and a mobile-based social media experience.  Additionally each guest receives an audio tour with admission that provides a rich background to the featured artifacts.

Visitors to the exhibition follow the modern-day parallel stories of two ongoing expeditions being led in Egypt by Dr. Zahi Hawass, Egypt’s pre-eminent archaeologist and secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, and Franck Goddio, French underwater archaeologist and director of IEASM. Goddio’s search has resulted in one of the most ambitious underwater expeditions ever undertaken, which has uncovered Cleopatra’s royal palace and the two ancient cities of Canopus and Heracleion, which had been lost beneath the sea after a series of earthquakes and tidal waves nearly 2,000 years ago.  The exhibition opens on the tenth anniversary of Heracleion’s discovery.

On land, Hawass and a team of archaeologists are searching for the tomb of the ill-fated lovers Cleopatra and Mark Antony. Never-before-seen artifacts referencing Cleopatra, excavated by Hawass’ team at the temple of Taposiris Magna, about 30 miles west of Alexandria, are featured.

“Queen Cleopatra has captured the hearts of people all over the world. Remembered as a beautiful, charismatic and powerful woman, many things about her life are still shrouded in mystery. In 2005, we began to search for the tomb where she was buried with her lover, Mark Antony, which we believe was in an ancient temple near Alexandria,” said Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities. “So far, we have found coins, statues, and even shafts that are leading us closer to what would be one of the most important archaeological discoveries in history. This exhibition, which includes objects found in our current excavations, will give the American people the chance to learn about our search for Cleopatra, and will share with them the magic of this fascinating queen.”

The exhibition also showcases artifacts from Franck Goddio’s continuing underwater search off the Mediterranean coast of Egypt, begun in 1992 and sponsored by the Hilti Foundation. Goddio’s remarkable finds bring visitors inside his search for the lost world of Cleopatra, including remnants from the grand palace where she ruled. Visitors also see underwater footage and photos of Goddio’s team retrieving artifacts from the ocean and bringing them to the surface for the first time in centuries.

“The aim of our work is to reveal traces of the past and bring history back to life.  We are delighted to present our underwater archaeological achievements and discoveries off the coast of Egypt to the American public,” said Franck Goddio.

“Cleopatra is one of the most fascinating figures of ancient Egypt,” said Terry Garcia, National Geographic’s executive vice president for Mission Programs.  ”This exhibition tells her remarkable story through rare artifacts excavated from two ongoing archaeological projects in Egypt, bringing ancient Egypt’s famous last pharaoh back to life through modern-day exploration.”

The exhibition contains “social tags” displayed throughout the exhibit, which encourage and guide visitors in sharing their Cleopatra experience on Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare and other social networks through their mobile devices.  The tags also feature links to online videos and information, which take patrons even deeper into the Cleopatra experience, enabling them to learn and enjoy the exhibition even more.

Those who use the tags can send to their friends an exclusive discount coupon for the exhibition.  Additionally, The Franklin Institute is teaming up with SCVNGR to build a unique museum experience to be played with an iPhone and Android application, or on any phone via text message.  Players are challenged to respond to mysterious clues, answer difficult questions and unlock riddles about artifacts in the exhibition.  For more information on this experience, visit www.scvngr.com/cleopatra.

“We are thrilled that The Franklin Institute has been given the first opportunity to host this incredible exhibition, which is a ‘can’t miss’ cultural and educational opportunity,” said Dennis Wint, president and CEO of The Franklin Institute.  ”We are also excited about the opportunity to launch our ambitious interactive social media efforts around Cleopatra, designed to complement the exhibition’s cutting-edge multi-media and immersive atmosphere – and further enhance the visitor experience.”

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

Cleopatra, the last great pharaoh before Egypt succumbed to Roman opposition, lived from 69 – 30 B.C., with a rule that was marked with political intrigue and challenges to her throne. She captivated two of the most powerful men of her day, Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, as she attempted to restore Egypt to its former superpower status.

The nearly 150 artifacts in the exhibition – from the smallest gold pieces and coins to colossal statues – provide a window into Cleopatra’s story as well as the daily lives of her contemporaries, both powerful and humble. The artifacts weigh in at about 30 tons in total, including two colossal 16-foot granite statues of a Ptolemaic king and queen from the 4th – 3rd centuries B.C., pulled from the sea by Goddio’s team.

“Cleopatra’s story of love, power, glamour and tragedy has intrigued us for centuries and has fueled archeologists to continue searching for greater understanding,” said John Norman, president of Arts and Exhibitions International. “Visitors to this new exhibition will gain insight into her life by discovering objects from Cleopatra’s world, even as efforts continue today to piece together new clues and insights into one of history’s most remarkable leaders.”

PECO is the Community Sponsor of the Cleopatra exhibition. Egypt Air is the official airline. From Philadelphia, the exhibition will travel to four other North American cities.

TICKET INFORMATION

Individual tickets for “Cleopatra: The Search for the Last Queen of Egypt” range from $11 to $29.50, which includes an audio tour. Tickets are timed and dated, and admission is 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. Mondays through Wednesdays (last entry at 3:30 p.m.); and 9:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays (last entry at 7 p.m.). There are discounts available for groups of 15 or more and for Franklin Institute Members.  Due to high ticket demand, advance ticket purchase is strongly recommended. Information and tickets are available at 1-877-TFI-TIXS, www.fi.edu and www.searchforcleopatra.com. Information about discounted tickets for groups of 15 or more is available at 1-800-285-0684.