1960: THE CLOSEST ELECTION IN HISTORY

	VS
J.F.Kennedy		R.Nixon

Looks, charm, grace and wit sold the country on John Fitzgerald Kennedy who, at 43, was the youngest candidate to run for and to become president. Campaign-watchers had placed Kennedy slightly behind then-vice president Richard M. Nixon. But that was before the first televised presidential debate (and the last, for16 years).

After lights and cameras hit the campaign action, a haggard Nixon, heavily coated with pancake make-up to cover his five o'clock shadow, seemed to shrink under the glare. The well-tanned and well-informed senator from Massachusetts, meanwhile, stole the hearts of the 70 million Americans tuning in.

It is still remembered as the decisive moment in the election. Worse yet for Nixon, President Dwight D. Eisenhower didn't step in to help him on the campaign trail until midway through the election. Even so, the election was close -- so close that Nixon waited to concede until the day after the final votes had been tallied. Kennedy won by only 115,000 votes.

The third candidate, Senator Harry F. Byrd (D-Va), captured a fragment of the popular vote.

1960 - 1964 - 1968 - 1972 - 1976 - 1980 - 1984 - 1988 - 1992

Featured Articles: