News stories from Sunday February 22, 1970
Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:
- President and Mrs. Nixon celebrated George Washington's 238th birthday by seeing "1776" in the White House. It was the first full-scale, full-length Broadway show ever presented at the White House, and tickets to it received by about 185 guests were prized in Washington. [New York Times]
- A total eclipse of the sun that American astronomers expect to be "the eclipse of the century" will be within driving distance of millions of people along the East Coast as it sweeps north in a 100-mile path from Tallahassee, Fla., to Nantucket Island, Mass., early in the afternoon of March 7. At least a partial eclipse is expected to be visible throughout the nation. [New York Times]
- The voting age could be lowered to 18 by Congress without amending the Constitution, Senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts is arguing. Senator Kennedy and Senator Birch Bayh of Indiana are said to be considering the change in the voting rights bill. [New York Times]
- Students at Southern Illinois University have begun a campaign to drive a new Center for Vietnamese Studies and Programs, the only academic center in the country specializing in Vietnam, off the campus. They charge that the government will use the center's expertise to perpetuate American involvement in Vietnam. Supporters of the center call the campaign an encroachment on academic freedom. [New York Times]
- The Israeli government, after a cabinet meeting which discussed the crash of a Swiss plane bound for Israel, called for measures by governments, civil airlines and pilots' organizations to end the terrorism that has made civil airline travel unsafe. The Swiss government suspects sabotage in the crash. [New York Times]
- Saying that he had been impressed with the qualities of the African leaders he had met, Secretary of State Rogers expressed pleasure with the results of his 15-day tour of 10 African nations. Mr. Rogers, in Liberia at the end of his tour, said that his talks with Nigerian leader Gen. Yakabu Gowon had been very useful. [New York Times]