NPR Turns 50

Fifty years ago, a chance encounter at a table-tennis tournament opened the door for warmer relations between the U.S. and China, back when China was mostly isolated from the West.

Critics widely consider 1971 one of the best years in music history. For NPR's 50th anniversary, public radio stations turn back the clock and reflect on the year's best tracks.

NPR broadcast its first on-air original programming 50 years ago today: May 3, 1971.

To mark the 50th anniversary of All Things Considered, NPR special correspondent Susan Stamberg recalls a moment from the program's first decade.

NPR is celebrating its 50th birthday this year and we're hoping to hear from those of you who've hit that milestone.