Theodore Roosevelt was nominated for the presidency by the
Progressive Party, a group of Republicans dissatisfied with
the re-nomination of President William Howard Taft. Also known
as the Bull Moose Party, the Progressive platform called for the
direct election of U.S. senators, woman suffrage, reduction of
the tariff and many social reforms. Roosevelt, who served as
the 26th president of the United States from 1901 to 1909,
embarked on a vigorous campaign as the party’s presidential
candidate. A key point of his platform was the “Square Deal”
—Roosevelt’s concept of a society based on fair business
competition and increased welfare for needy Americans.

Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (
October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919)

Lieutenant John F. Kennedy, right, and his PT-109 crew are shown somewhere in the South Pacific, July 1943.

On August 1, 1943, a Japanese destroyer rams an American PT (patrol
torpedo) boat, No. 109, slicing it in two. The destruction is so massive
other American PT boats in the area assume the crew is dead. Two
crewmen were, in fact, killed, but 11 survived, including Lt. John F.
Kennedy. His actions made him a war hero.

In Los Angeles, California, Senator John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts was
nominated for the presidency by the Democratic Party Convention on this
day in 1960, defeating Senator Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas. The next day, 
Johnson was named Kennedy’s running mate by a unanimous vote of the 
convention.

Walter Mondale, the leading Democratic presidential candidate, announced
that he had chosen Representative Geraldine Ferraro of New York as his
running mate. Ferraro, a daughter of Italian immigrants, had previously
gained recognition as a vocal advocate of women’s rights in Congress. She
became the first female vice presidential candidate to represent a major
political party.

Four days after Ferraro was named vice presidential candidate, Governor
Mario Cuomo of New York opened the Democratic National Convention in
San Francisco.

Rep. Geraldine Ferraro and Democratic Presidential Candidate
Walter Mondale.

Geraldine Anne "Gerry" Ferraro (August 26, 1935 – March 26, 2011)

On June 27, 1950, President Harry S. Truman announced he is ordering U.S.
air and naval forces to South Korea to aid the democratic nation in repulsing
an invasion by communist North Korea. The United States was undertaking
the major military operation, he explained, to enforce a United Nations
resolution calling for an end to hostilities, and to stem the spread of
communism in Asia. In addition to ordering U.S. forces to Korea, Truman
also deployed the U.S. 7th Fleet to Formosa (Taiwan) to guard against
invasion by communist China and ordered an acceleration of military aid
to French forces fighting communist guerrillas in Vietnam. 

Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884 – December 26, 1972)