play_arrow

keyboard_arrow_right

Listeners:

Top listeners:

skip_previous skip_next
00:00 00:00
playlist_play chevron_left
volume_up
  • play_arrow

    Omanyano ovanhu koikundaneki yomalungula kashili paveta, Commisiner Sakaria takunghilile Veronika Haulenga

World

Sure, 2024 has had lots of news – but compared with 1940, 1968 or 1973, it’s nothing exceptional

todayJuly 24, 2024 22

Background
share close

Images from prominent events of 2024 in the US.
Rebecca Droke/AFP; Qian Weizhong/VCG; Justin Sullivan; Erin Schaff/POOL/AFP, all via Getty Images

 

 

By Philip Klinkner, Hamilton College

 

 

History usually happens at a leisurely pace, with major events months or even years apart. But this year, it seems like someone has pushed fast-forward, with significant events coming on a weekly or even daily basis. One company is now selling a T-shirt declaring “THIS IS MY LIVING IN UNPRECEDENTED TIMES SHIRT.”

The announcement on July 21, 2024, that Joe Biden would withdraw from the presidential race was the latest in a dizzying series of major domestic events in 2024. Here’s a brief list:

While 2024’s fast pace of events is rare in American history, it’s not unique.

1968: Assassinations, political turmoil, war

Many observers have already compared 2024 to 1968. Both years saw incumbent Democratic presidents bow out of the election, as well as tragic outbreaks of political violence. But 1968 also saw a rapid unfolding of other historic events. Here’s what happened that year:

1940: War, US draft and FDR’s historic reelection

Two other years stand out for the rapid pace of significant events. The first is 1940, which was dominated by Nazi Germany’s invasions of European countries, the response to that aggression and a precedent-setting third term for U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Troops marching along a street that has smoke rising at the end.
British troops march down a Dunkirk street in France on June 13, 1940, heading for the ships that will take them back to England.
AP Photo

1973: Abortion, peace deal, Watergate, political mayhem

Finally, 1973 also witnessed a rapid sequence of historic events. The federal right to abortion was guaranteed by the U.S. Supreme Court. The Vietnam War ended after almost 60,000 Americans and millions of civilians were killed. War began in the Middle East. And Congressional hearings commenced in a political scandal that would, the next year, end Nixon’s presidency.

A newspaper headline from Oct. 11, 1973, announcing Vice President Agnew's resignation.
The New York Times on Oct. 11, 1973, announcing Vice President Spiro Agnew’s resignation.
New York Times archive

What do these years of unprecedented events have in common?

One factor seems to be that wars and presidential elections seem to generate a cascade of events. Second, important events seem to beget more events. In 1940, the Nazi invasions led to Churchill becoming British prime minister and probably boosted the likelihood of Roosevelt running for and winning a third term.

In 1968, the Tet offensive helped trigger the challenges to President Johnson, which led to his decision to drop out. That helped set the stage for the calamitous Democratic convention that year.

Trump’s political and legal comebacks this year made Democrats even more desperate for a winning nominee, increasing the pressure on Biden after his poor debate performance.

We don’t know if the pace of news events this year will begin to slow down. What we do know is that most Americans might appreciate a bit of a breather before encountering another potentially historic event.The Conversation

Philip Klinkner, James S. Sherman Professor of Government, Hamilton College

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Written by: Contributed

Rate it

0%