We tend to forget what a crucial role railroads played in our society during the 20th century. It was the main source of transportation over long distances for passengers (or medium distances for commuters) and for freight and raw materials. Air travel was still considered a luxury and our highway system was still evolving.

In 1946 the country was crippled from a strike by Railroad workers. Essentially, the entire nation was stranded, and the strike quickly escalated to crisis stage where President Truman addressed the country to declare a national emergency in an effort to bring the warring parties back to the bargaining table.

On May 24th he made a radio address and on May 25th he addressed an emergency session of Congress.

Here is that May 24th address by President Truman from the White House as broadcast over all networks.

Ironically, the strike was settled the next day as Truman addressed Congress. But until then, it was a nail-biter.

Despite the fact that some ten million workers had virtually shut down France, and chaos was looming, the Peace talks between the U.S. and North Vietnam had stalled and the war was grinding on, all eyes and ears were on Los Angeles on this particular June 5th in 1968.

Shortly after midnight, amid a jubilant crowd and election returns that gave him a solid win in the California Primary, Presidential Candidate Robert Kennedy was gunned down by an assassin on his way from addressing campaign workers and well-wishers to a press conference at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles.

Here is the now-famous on the scene report by Mutual Broadcasting's Andrew West, followed by continuous news from 7:30 to around 8:30 on the morning of June 5th.

The rest of the news that day seemed inconsequential by comparison. At the time of this news broadcast, there was still hope for recovery. The assassin was still a would-be and he was as yet unidentified, arraigned as only John Doe.

Imagine you're waking up on this morning, not knowing what happened (as so many did), and hearing the news for the first time.

News from KFWB in Los Angeles on June 5, 1968.

April 6, 1976 - News was breaking, during this broadcast, of a possible settlement in the long running Teamsters Strike. President Ford campaigned in Wisconsin, ahead of Tuesday's Primary election. Democratic hopeful Morris Udall quietly campaigned in Wisconsin. UAW President Leonard Woodcock was quoted as saying if a Democrat wanted to be in the White House this election, he needs to consider that it's not less government, but better run government that''s the key. Whether anyone took his advice or not wasn't clear. Right Wing death squads were responsible for the systematic rounding up and murder of 15 people ages 20-25 during the latest reign of terror as part of the Military crackdown in Argentina. Terrorist bombs went off in Northern Ireland and Northern Portugal. Women stage the largest protest in Rome's history as several thousand march in opposition to the Vatican's position on contraception. And France tested another nuclear device in the South Pacific this day.

All that, via NBC News On The Hour for April 6, 1976.

December 19, 1981 and the news was almost entirely about the Solidarity protests in Warsaw and spreading throughout the country, prompting the Moscow backed government of Wojciech Jaruzelski to crack down on the dissidents and declare a state of martial law. Solidarity leader Lech Walesa was arrested and scores of protesters were killed in clashes with Polish troops.

The protests brought about outrage from many corners of the world, including the Vatican where Pope John Paul II sent emissaries to the strike torn country in an attempt at negotiation.

Here are three sets of newscasts all via CBS Radio's News On The Hour - 3,4 and 5:00 am (PST).

As an additional historic aside, there is a commercial for the diet pill Ayds which, needless to say, was pulled off the market by the mid-1980's.

Times have changed. Protests, not so much.