In 1954 the deadline for filing your taxes was March 15th, not April 15th. The April deadline wouldn't come into effect until 1955. But even in 1954, President Eisenhower was alarmed that people of a certain massive income got away without "paying their fair share".

In this radio address, Eisenhower takes to task those who make a substantial amount of income, yet pay no tax on it, instead leaving the Middle-Class and those people who can ill-afford it the most to bear the burden.

It's interesting when you realize you're listening to a Republican President reciting the benefits of a fair tax system and the reason taxes exist was to accomplish what the private sector couldn't.

And almost sixty years later the conversation has shifted. And, judging by all I've heard, Dwight Eisenhower would be considered something of a Socialist Radical in today's climate.

Funny how things change.

Here is the complete radio address by President Eisenhower, broadcast on Tax Day (March 15th), 1954.

Another day of contrasts, this February 27th in 1960. News of the day reported President Eisenhower arriving in Buenos Aires, Argentina on his tour of South America. Crowds were enthusiastic on the whole in Argentina, save for earlier incidents of riots and flag burning protests the night before. All was swept neatly under the carpet by parade time.

The big news from Buckingham Palace was Princess Margaret and photographer Anthony Armstrong-Jones were engaged to be married. Since Britain loves a good wedding, the whole country got excited when word got out.

Not such exciting upbeat news from the border of Lebanon and Israel where UAR troops were massed on the border and grumblings from Syria and Egypt that trouble was just hours away.

Meanwhile, back home. The Senate was heading into its 11th day of debate over the Civil Rights Bill with observations that the debate would go on continuously for weeks, only taking time out for Sundays.

Speaking of Civil Rights, Lunchcounter demonstrations were back in the news again in the South with promises of more on the way.

From the Red Scare/Cold War Department - Pentagon think tanks were reporting the possibility of a new more deadly missile system being developed by Moscow. The GRBM (Global Range Ballistic Missile) system was capable of a 10-15,000 mile range hitting just about anywhere in the world and that our defense system just wasn't up to the task of warning us in time. More nerves. Charges were also being leveled in some circles that Communism was rampant in U.S. Churches, particularly the Protestants. That one raise a few eyebrows.

And if all that weren't enough, Government buildings in Washington were the target of a veritable cloud of Pigeons and Starlings, bent on screeching and crapping on every ledge around Capitol Hill. The problem was so bad it prompted legislators to appropriate funds to install electric ledges to ward off the Aviary miscreants. All living things are capable of editorial opinions, it seems.

And so went this slice of life for February 27th 1960 as reported on the NBC World News Roundup

Not a very good day if you were a member of the working Press overseas. Officials in both Kabul and Tehran issued walking papers for American journalists with instructions to be out of the country on "the next plane".

It seems both countries were going through some bad reviews in Western media and felt it was best for all concerned if they just left and didn't bother to say goodbye. Reporters were busily filing last dispatches on this day.

And there was a lot to talk about. Fierce fighting had erupted in Afghanistan, causing the Soviets to call up reserves to shore up heavy casualties. In Iran, rioting in Tabriz and opposition to the Ayatollah Khomeni was spreading and that didn't look good for the image either. And on top of everything else, it was Day 75 of the Hostage Drama with reports of Embassy workers handcuffed most days and kept in dark rooms.

News on the failing health of Yugoslavia's Tito had everyone in Belgrade (and the West, for that matter) nervous over a possible power-grab on the part of the Soviets. Anticipation of an invasion 1968 Czechoslovakia-style had people scrambling for self-defense weaponry.

In India, newly re-elected Prime Minister Indira Gandhi back-tracked on her earlier support of the Afghan invasion, saying she made a hasty assessment of the situation, but she knows better now.

Two terrorist bombs went off in a hotel in London - the first killed the bomber and wounded a hotel guest and the second went off with no reports of injuries. Also in London, Prime Minister Thatcher recommended moving the present site of the 1980 Olympic Games from Moscow to somewhere else. Promises of no firm plan were to be made until the Carter deadline of February for Soviet withdrawal had been reached.

And on Capitol Hill - Congress was meeting to take up that little matter of the Oil Profits Tax, owing to the $225 Billion windfall they had recently gotten. In typical nose-thumbing fashion, Shell Oil decided to raise the price of it's gasoline another $.05 a gallon - the second time in two weeks. Fears Americans would be paying upwards of $2.00 a gallon were starting to become realized.

On the Election '80 front -rumors the Carter Campaign was in trouble were filtering out of Iowa, with the caucuses only days away. Jimmy denied the rumors. California Governor Brown decided to suspend his campaign for a while and Ted Kennedy was busy stumping.

The Cancer treating drug Interferon had been discovered and was being touted as a possible cure, even though the drug itself was cost-prohibitive at the moment.

And there were renewed calls for the Legalization of Marijuana - something that bubbles to the surface every few years.

And that's the way it was for Thursday, January 17th, 1980 as reported on The CBS World News Roundup, the 8:00 and 9:00 am news and The World Tonight.

No turn left unstoned.