Hans Remembers- Thursday January 8, 1970- 50 years ago.

• At the time it was kept confidential but discussions began on this date between the United States and the People’s Republic of China- in Warsaw. Walter Stoessel Jr the American ambassador was invited to the Chinese Embassy by China’s ambassador Lei Yang. President Richard Milhous Nixon and his National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger directed Stoessel to make things clear to the Chinese that Nixon wanted serious dialogue with the Communist Chinese government and that they were prepared to send a representative to Beijing or to receive a Chinese representative in Washington. This would be the opening discussions which lead to Milhous Nixon going to China in 1972.

• Greek composer Jani Christou was killed on or the day before his 44th birthday in a car accident near Athens, Greece. There is some disagreement over the date of his birthday.