The grumblings from Argentina over a disputed series of Islands under British possession boiled over on this day in 1982.

But that wasn't all that was going on, as was reported on this wrapup of the week. No, far from it. News from the elections in El Salvador gave the U.S. and most of Central America pause, since it was the largest turnout for an election in El Salvador's history. The counting was underway.

But news of the Falklands crisis was swift and plentiful. With Britain immediately sending a Naval taskforce, bringing promises of a shooting war within weeks. Calls for the Military government of Argentina to withdraw were rejected and diplomatic missions were running off the hook.

Meanwhile, it was noted that the Iran-Iraq War was lumbering into its 18th month with reports of an Iranian victory in the latest battle and some 8,000 Iraqi dead as the result

Soviet Premier Leonid Brezhnev was admitted to the hospital amidst rumors and speculation his health was deteriorating. Moscow's lips were sealed.

Back in the States - latest fears of Social Security running out of money by July of 1983 were echoing all over Capitol Hill. And we were still up to our eyeballs in Recession with a reported 9% unemployment rate looming. Closer inspection revealed the unemployment rate for Blacks was 18% with unemployed Black Youth up to 42%. No rosy picture anywhere for the Shining City On The Hill.

The big Oscar winners during the Academy Awards earlier in the week were Chariots of Fire and On Golden Pond.

And Irish extremist Ian Paisley was barred from coming to the U.S. to deliver an address to Bob Jones University. The move prompted Bob Jones Jr. to publicly call for Divine intervention and life-termination for Secretary of State Alexander Haig, who rejected the visa. East of the Suez they call 'em Fatwahs but here they call 'em Goofy Evangelists. Take your choice.

And that was our little slice of Paradise, this 2nd day of April 1982 as presented by CBS Radio and The World This Week.

On this March 22nd in 1941 we were already 567 days into the War in Europe. It had not officially involved us on a shooting basis and so it wasn't yet considered officially World War 2. But it was getting close.

On this particular day in 1941, the otherwise quiet town of Plymouth England was scene of the second straight night of German bombing, where damage was said to be slight, but loss of life was said to be high. The reason - much of the building in the city went back to the 1600's, long before the days of incendiary bombs and blockbusters. Military targets didn't sustain the damage the civilian targets did. And because of that, the British people felt Britain wasn't responding in kind, saying RAF raids on German cities were devoid of civilian targets and so the morale in Germany wasn't suffering as the result.

But even with criticism of the RAF, they still managed to stage successful raids on the Occupied French coast against several German submarine bases.

In other news - rumors were rife in the British press that the U.S. Navy was going to get involved in the convoy of War supplies across the Atlantic. If the rumors were true, it would be only a matter of time before Naval action would take place, and another step towards all-out war was inching closer. Also inching closer were rumors Yugoslavia would be joining the Axis. It was said to be only a matter of days.

In Berlin - it as learned that Conscientious Objectors were being dealt with harshly by the Nazi government. One church group in particular, a German arm of Jehovah's Witnesses, had five of its members stand trial on charges of sabotaging air raid protection, interfering with the War and belonging to an Anti-Military organization. One of it's members had already received a Death sentence while the others were awaiting prison sentences and other fates as-yet unknown.

On Capitol Hill - Congress passed a Military Appropriations Bill to the tune of $4Billion in less than four hours after its introduction. And a $15Billion Defense spending package was scheduled for approval in two weeks.

And that's what this day sounded like, via the NBC News Of The World for March 22, 1941.

This February 24th in 1941 was marked by continued German bomber raids over London and various other cities in Britain overnight with casualties reported as "light". Britain responded with RAF raids over the German occupied port cities of Calais and Boulogne in France.

Meanwhile - Britain labeled as untrue reports of diplomatic proposals to Japan about the Far East. Both London and Tokyo denied any sort of overtures, although it was reported Britain did issue a warning if Japan made any moves on Indochina or the Dutch East Indies there would be trouble.

News from Bulgaria reported German troops were on the border, poised to move in, but nothing had been confirmed - only the waiting game. Turkey pledged alliance with Great Britain over the looming Bulgarian crisis.

London labeled as unconfirmed reports of increased U.S./UK collaboration in the war effort and Russia adamant about maintaining neutrality in light of the Bulgarian situation, despite the fact that German troops were massed on the Russian Border and Russian troops were massed back. Some neutrality, that.

Reports from Berlin announced Hitler was getting ready for an address to the German people. This on the occasion of the 21st anniversary of the founding of the National Socialist Party (established Feb. 24, 1920).

And on Capitol Hill - The Dies Committee (precursor to HUAC) reported claims that Russia had been secretly acting as an agent for the German government, with apparent evidence of a dramatic spike in goods shipped to Russia that just so happened to be on the German short-of-supply list. The State Department immediately called for an investigation over the allegations that America had been increasing its shipment of Cotton and Oil Drilling Parts to Russia in recent weeks.

There was also news of a Senate inquiry over Union strikes in the Defense industry and debate was about to begin on the latest Lease-Lend Bill.

For a war, it was a rather calm day, considering.

All reported on the morning roundup of news from NBC broadcast on February 24, 1941.

This day in 1941 was all about the war, enveloping just about every point on the globe. From the German Army poised to invade the Caucuses to the British Army pledged to support the Russians from German attacks on the Middle East. Africa under attack by the German Army. Britain continuing raids over Berlin. Finland playing a balancing game between Germany, Russia and the U.S. - legislation had gone into effect arming Merchant Ships again German aggression. The South Pacific under the tentative gaze of Australia. And every day the U.S. inched closer to getting involved in the shooting war, which some had already said we were part of but as yet undeclared.

And so the news, as presented on the Blue Network's News Of The World program for November 9, 1941, tried to paint a picture not nearly as bleak as it actually was. Still, the war had been going on for 2 years in Europe with no end in sight, to the surprise of even the Germans who were told it would all be over by Christmas 1941 but revised that to say "maybe Christmas 1943". It would be revised several times before it was all over.

News on this day in 1941 was all about saber rattling. FDR delivered his annual Navy Day Address the previous day and it was met with wild enthusiasm in Britain and wild disdain in Germany. In either case, it signified a rapidly advancing state of open war between the U.S. and the Axis powers and one which would soon enough become a reality within weeks.

But the war was going on with or without U.S. involvement. The German Army was reported on this day to be within 30-40 miles of Moscow, although neither Radio Moscow or Berlin Radio were giving any details.

Meanwhile Syria, the former French colony, had now declared its independence and was quickly recognized by Great Britain with the hopes of gaining another ally in the rapidly deteriorating Middle East.

All in all a rather anxiety-driven day in history, as reported on NBC's News Of The World edition for October 28, 1941.

On this particular September day in 1938 war was looking inevitable. With talks between France, Great Britain, Czechoslovakia and Germany at a standstill it looked like twenty years after the end of the last one, a new one was about to break out.

So Prime Minister Chamberlain went on the air to explain the situation as it stood ahead of a call for an emergency session of Parliament. His assessment of the situation was not hopeful.

Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain: “How horrible, fantastic, incredible it is, that we should be digging trenches and trying on gasmasks here because of a quarrel in a far away country, between people whom we know nothing.”

This was the famous "gasmasks" speech so often referred to in history books during the Crisis in Munich.

In case you've only read about it and haven't heard it, or only heard the "soundbite", here is the speech in its entirety as it was relayed to the U.S. on September 27, 1938.

Despite the upbeat music at the close of the broadcast, this was an ominous address and the implications were widely felt, even in United States where the Isolationist movement really picked up steam as a result.

August 15, 1951 - one those days they point to when dispelling the myth of the Dog Days of Summer. The ongoing Senate Crime Investigation Committee Hearings, focusing on Crime and New York Politics heard from Irving Sherman, an associate of former New York Mayor-turned Ambassador to Mexico William O'Dwyer. The problem was, Sherman didn't want the proceedings filmed or broadcast in any way, citing a distraction and a conflict with his "peace and serenity" (his words). The committee obliged and it created a storm of protest from the Press, including a very vocal denunciation from the Radio Correspondents Association. The proceedings went on anyway and Sherman painted a wildly unflattering portrait of his former pal and O'Dwyer's links to organized crime during his tenure in office.

Down the hall, House Un-American Activities Committee hearings were resuming regarding the Whittaker Chambers affair.

In another part of Capitol Hill. Debate on the new Foreign Aid bill was postponed and it was learned, with some consternation, that Great Britain was going to continue trading with Communist Bloc countries despite how the U.S. felt about it.

President Truman made an address the previous night where he lambasted the voices of the shrill, calling them "scandal mongers with rotten motives" while not naming names. And true to his paranoia, Senator Joe McCarthy swore Harry was talking about him and demanded equal time on TV and radio to answer Truman's charges.

Truce talks were deadlocked in Korea and the war dragged on. Iran rejected a British proposal to split oil profits 50-50 in the midst of Iran's nationalizing it's oil production.

And famed Piano virtuoso Artur Schnabel died in Switzerland at the age of 69 after a long illness.

All in a day and with far-reaching consequences, as reported by Edward R. Murrow And The News with Don Hollenbeck substituting from CBS Radio on August 15, 1951.

Sort of makes you wonder what under-the-radar news item today will come up and bite us in the future.

This was one of those days in history that probably looked better in hindsight than it did while it was going on. This broadcast from July 18, 1940 begins with Mrs. FDR arriving in Chicago to offer a keynote address at the Democratic convention where President Roosevelt is assured of running a 3rd term. Meanwhile, reaction in Japan wasn't very good, but they were in the midst of their own Political reorganization, as it was announced former University of Oregon graduate Yosuke Matsuoka was appointed to the role of Foreign Minister. Matsuoka had already won the reputation of being a hardliner and very much anti-Roosevelt - despite his fluent English with a western twang. The word of the day in Washington was Hard-Boiled.

Rome reported in that Adolf Hitler was to give an address shortly and that it was anticipated to include news of the impending invasion of Britain. Rome also gave scant attention to the 3rd nomination of FDR, instead choosing to lick its collective chops over the thought of Axis domination.

And the first broadcast from Vichy (or unoccupied) France gave maybe a little too much information as to where the heads of the Vichy Government were residing, as the broadcast was promptly cut off around the time newscaster Paul Auchinard was giving building location and floor they were currently on.

And such was this July day in 1940 as reported by the Red Network of NBC.

At least it wasn't packed with scandal.

Picking a reasonably calm March 17th in history this one jumped out, although probably not for what didn't happen but what foreshadowed what was going to happen upcoming events weeks, months and years later.

The Big-4 Peace Treaty Conference in Moscow was more and more laying the groundwork for what would become a freezing of relations between East and West. Meanwhile, General MacArthur, heading the occupation forces in Japan, proclaimed there was no longer any need for an occupation force in Japan, citing the country was no longer in any condition militarily to wage war of any kind, but what was needed was rebuilding their economic base. In other news, Great Britain was going through a period of severe and strange weather with snow, flooding and a hurricane (that's what the reporter said) battering the country. In Uruguay, civil war was continuing. Marshal Law was declared in Palestine and the big subject in Washington was Rent Control.

It's all run down here, on NBC's World News Roundup broadcast of March 17th, 1947. No mention of green beer though.

(February 1941 - Marching to Bulgaria)

February 9, 1941 fell on a Sunday. Not very much happening on Capitol Hill but a lot going on in the European War. We were quietly watching the goings on, offering support to Great Britain via the Lend-Lease Bill and taking stabs at various peace proposals - none of which amounted to anything. The German Army was heading East, slowly taking over Bulgaria and Romania. The Italian Army was knee-deep in the Mediterranean and not doing particularly well in Albania or Greece. Reports coming in via Shortwave were distant and muddled, as evidenced by this report from Martin Agronsky reporting from Ankara, Turkey:

Martin Agronsky (NBC News): “Once more the nerve war, the war of rumor and counter-rumor is in full swing in the Balkans. This time it’s Bulgaria. Reports are pouring into Istanbul that the Germans are moving troops openly into Bulgaria. And though there has been no information here in the Turkish capitol that this is correct, there is completely authentic confirmation of the news that Germans soldiers in civilian clothes, the famous Nazi Tourists are increasing their number in Bulgaria every day. Two weeks ago I reported to you the Nazi Tourists in Bulgaria already numbered 6,000 men. Today their number is estimated at over 10,000.”

All of that and it seemed particularly far away. As if on another planet. For a time, anyway.