The Voice of America marked its 75th anniversary on February 1. Not 2 months after the US officially entered World War II, a live, 15-minute shortwave broadcast was transmitted into Germany from a small studio in New York City, introduced by “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.”

Announcer William Harlan Hale then said, “We bring you Voices from America. Today, and daily from now on, we shall speak to you about America and the war. The news may be good for us. The news may be bad. But we shall tell you the truth.”

That was the very first broadcast from what is today the Voice of America (VOA). By the end of the war, the VOA was broadcasting music, news, and commentary in 40 languages and has grown into an international multimedia service, with programming and content in 47 languages on multiple platforms, including radio, television