In a This Day in History video, learn that on July 15, 1971, Richard Nixon stunned the nation by stating that he would visit communist China. Nixon was a product of the Cold War and spent his career bad-mouthing everything red China did or said. But, Nixon wanted a second term and his polls were down; he hoped China would put pressure on their allies, the North Vietnamese, to end the war. Unfortunately, there was no immediate gain from the trip and the Vietnam War went on for another year and a half.
This Day In History: July 15
