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or you can get all of History Daily plus other fantastic history podcasts at into History.com. It's September 26th, 1960 in a television studio in Chicago, Illinois. Vice President of the United States Richard Nixon waits

backstage. He's exhausted and running a low-grade fever, but he's about to go on

live TV in front of 65 million people.

Tonight is the first debate of the 1960 presidential campaign,

and it's a critical moment for Nixon's bid to be elected to the top job in the country.

Nixon looks through his notes, written long be elected to the top job in the country.

Nixon looks through his notes, written long hand on a yellow lined legal pad,

memorizing his opening remarks.

He's focused on the substance of the debate, but members of his campaign staff are more concerned

with his appearance they want him to wear makeup but he's refused that thinking it might

make him look weak instead Nixon's only agreed to wear a thin powder called lazy shave to cover up his five o'clock shadow.

With 30 seconds to air, Nixon takes a seat beside the moderator, Howard K. Smith. Across from him is Nixon's opponent, the

senator from Massachusetts, John F. Kennedy. After eight years as Vice President,

Nixon has more experience than his opponent.

But under the bright lights of the studio, Kennedy looks tanned, well-rested, and at ease everything Nixon is not.

Beeds of sweat are already beginning to seep out from beneath his lazy shaved powder.

But there's no time to do anything about it now.

A stage manager begins his countdown and the light on the camera

glows red.

...