40 years ago on this day, Richard Nixon became the first US president to set foot in China. The week-long ice-breaking tour is one of the world's most significant diplomatic milestones in the 20th Century.

40th anniversary of Nixon's visit to China.

The visit in 1972 marked the first visit by a US president to the People's Republic of China. It ended twenty-five years of estrangement. The trip was also a crucial step in facilitating the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1979.

Throughout the week, Nixon and his most senior advisors engaged in substantive discussions with China. They met Chairman Mao Zedong and toured schools, factories and hospitals in Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou, with a large American press corps in tow. Two giant pandas were also given to the US as a symbol of friendship.