The World

At first it was a secret that even the people protecting the president didn’t know about. Prime Minister Winston Churchill traveled to Washington to map out how Britain and America would fight World War II together. But on Christmas Eve, 1941, President Roosevelt gives a public address at the White House, in which he introduces his British counterpart to the nation. Churchill tells Americans that despite all the anxiety in the air, we should all pause to enjoy Christmas. Celeste Headlee reports on the event.

Are you with The World?

The story you just read is available to read for free because thousands of listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Every day, the reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you: We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.

When you make a gift of $10 or more a month, we’ll invite you to a virtual behind-the-scenes tour of our newsroom to thank you for being with The World.