On Monday September 26, 1960, 70 million viewers tuned in to watch Senator
John Kennedy of Massachusetts and Vice President Richard Nixon in the first-
ever televised presidential debate. It was the first of four televised "Great
Debates" between Kennedy and Nixon.

The Checkers speech or Fund speech was a television and radio address given on 
September 23, 1952 by Richard Nixon, who at the time, was the Republican vice 
presidential candidate and junior United States Senator from California. Senator
Nixon had been accused of improprieties relating to a fund established by his
backers to reimburse him for his political expenses. During the speech in which he defended himself, he stated that regardless of what anyone said, he intended to
keep one gift: a black and white dog (above) named Checkers by the Nixon children,
thus giving the address its famous name. Nixon’s speech was broadcast from The
El Capitan Theater, now known as the Avalon Hollywood in California. He had been staying at a hotel in Portland, Oregon prior to making the address. 

The Avalon Theater 

Margaret Chase Smith (December 14, 1897 – May 29, 1995) was a Republican
Senator from Maine. She was elected to the U.S. Senate on September 13, 1948,
making her the first woman to be elected to both houses of Congress, and the
first woman to have her name placed in nomination for President by a major
political party, at the 1964 Republican convention. When Smith left office in
1973, she had the record as the longest-serving female senator in U.S.
history, ranking 11th in seniority.

Margaret Chase Smith is sworn into office as U.S.
Senator from Maine in January, 1949

Benjamin Harrison (August 20, 1833 – March 13, 1901)

President Harrison, In office from March 4, 1889 to March 4, 1893, was
born in North Bend, Ohio, and moved to Indianapolis, Indiana where he
eventually became a prominent politician. Harrison served as a Brigadier
General during the Civil War. After the war he unsuccessfully ran for
governor of Indiana, and was later appointed to the U.S. Senate. Harrison,
a Republican, was elected to the presidency in 1888, defeating Democratic
incumbent Grover Cleveland. 

Grave of President Harrison and his two wives in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Barack Hussein Obama II is currently the 44th President of the United States
and is the first African American to hold the office.