Clip of the Day

John F. Kennedy Defeats Richard Nixon in the First Presidential Debate in 1960 November 9, 1960 In a tumultuous campaign that was highlighted by the first televised presidential debate, John F. Kennedy a wealthy Democratic Senator from Massachusetts narrowly defeated Richard M. Nixon by 118,000 votes to become the thirty fifth president of the United States. A crucial factor and turning point in this election was the first ever televised presidential debate. Nixon felt poorly, he injured his knee on the way to the studio, and refused television makeup. He expected to win voters with his foreign-policy expertise, but people only saw a sickly man sweating profusely and wearing a gray suit that blended into the scenery. On the other hand his rival, Kennedy, looked great. The television audience gave the win to Kennedy.

John Glenn flew 59 combat missions in the South Pacific during World War II, and flew 63 missions during the Korean conflict. He received many decorations, including the Distinguished Flying Cross six times. After the Korean conflict, Glenn joined the Naval Air Test Center's staff of expert flyers and served as a test pilot for Naval and Marine aircraft, including the FJ3, the F7U Cutlass, and the F8U Crusader. One of Glenn's most notable accomplishments was when he set the speed record for flying from Los Angeles to New York in three hours and 23 minutes in 1957. His experience and skill made him a logical candidate for the astronaut corps being formed in 1958. In 1959, NASA selected him as one of the first seven astronauts in the U.S. space program, and on February 20, 1962, atop an Atlas rocket, he rode into space and piloted the Friendship 7 spacecraft around the globe three times, becoming the first American to orbit the earth.