Historical Background
John F. Kennedy took the oath to office on January 20, 1961 to become the 35th president of the United States and was ready to take the ropes from the former president who was literally his opposite. Dwight Eisenhower (then 70 years old) was going to be replaced by the youngest man to ever be elected into presidency John F. Kennedy. The Democrat was going to take the spot of the Republican. The World War II soldier was replacing the commander. The newly elected president was ready to take the nation by storm. …show more content…
People from all over the nation were watching the new president. Thanks to television, Kennedy was able to beat out his opponent Richard Nixon in the 1960 presidential election. Things took a big swing towards Kennedy when Richard Nixon accepted John F. Kennedy’s challenge to a televised debate. The debate took place on September 26, 1961 where Kennedy decisively defeated Nixon. Due to the visual aid of television, Nixon’s awkwardness and uneasiness was exposed, and although Nixon may have had more valid points than his opponent, Kennedy looked far more poised, relaxed, and was a far more better looking guy than Nixon.
John F. Kennedy’s arrival came in a time when the United States of America were in a space race with the Soviet Union. When the Soviet Union sent the Sputnik into space in 1957,