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It was January 2, 1960, when Senator John F. Kennedy formally declared his candidacy for President of the United States. He was 42 years old, fairly unknown outside Massachusetts, and seriously questioned whether or not he had the experience and political standing to be a contender in a national campaign. But Kennedy's declaration was not one of entering the ring, but one of offering a different kind of leadership to America.

His "New Frontier" message was what his campaign was all about, and that was his American vision: forward, innovation, overcoming the challenges of a new era. He mentioned civil rights, the Cold War, space, and the country needing an iron fist in order to cope with such things. Being young, good-looking, people-good, especially adept at communicating through the medium of television, was a gift of his own.

One of the biggest challenges he had to overcome was that he was Catholic. Kennedy was Catholic, and never before had there been a Catholic president. There was a fear on the part of many Americans that he would owe allegiance to the Pope or that his religious ideology would influence his policies. But Kennedy had faced what problem head-on on the campaign trail, speaking in speeches wherein he clarified unequivocally that he was a staunch proponent of separation between church and state. That encounter proved his ability to squarely face tough questions, and it commanded respect.

Kennedy's 1960 candidacy ushered in a new political era. He employed the media to an extent that no one had ever done before, producing campaign commercials, appearing on late-night television talk shows, and using his public profile to create buzz. This was a new, young, contemporary campaign, and it began here with this press release at the beginning of January. It paved the way for what would be one of the most historic elections in the history of the United States.

Kennedy's entry onto the national stage energized young voters who shared his passion and optimism. His campaign was not only a political gesture, it was a cultural movement as America entered a new generation of leadership. That tone and optimism would be the signature of his entire campaign.

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History was made on the night of September 26, 1960, as John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon engaged in the first televised presidential debate in history. It was historic, not just for the 1960 campaign, but for American politics. More than 70 million Americans tuned in, and what they heard significantly altered the course of the campaign.

The Republican incumbent Vice Presidential nominee and candidate, Nixon, was proficient and a proficient debater. Nixon had nevertheless just been released from the hospital and was ill and unaccustomed to being on television. Nixon would not accept makeup, wore a lightweight suit that blended into the background and he sweated underneath the hot studio lights. Kennedy however was calm, certain, and unhurried. Kennedy addressed the viewer directly and uttered each syllable clearly, coming across as a resolute, grounded leader.

What made the moment so historic wasn't the contrast between the two candidates,  it was the power of television to shape opinion. Those who had listened to the radio overall thought Nixon had won. But those who had watched on TV overall thought Kennedy had won. It showed that in the television age, the way a candidate looked and acted could be just as crucial as what he said.

This moment also introduced the idea of the 'image candidate',  an individual who was skilled at using media in projecting to the voters. Kennedy's performance boosted his ranking in the polls and solidified his image as a new-age leader. Presidential politics would never be the same. The 1960 debate established the precedent for how future candidates would prepare, perform, and portray themselves to the country.

It proved that leadership wasn't about ideas, leadership was about perception. That night changed the direction of politics and how politicians campaigned, and no serious candidate has ever since underestimated the power of television. In a way, one debate voted for Kennedy.

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November 8, 1960, was Election Day, the day when America would have to decide between two radically differing conceptions of the future: John F. Kennedy, the dashing Massachusetts Democratic senator, or Richard Nixon, the Republican Vice President to Dwight D. Eisenhower. The country had gone months without ceaseless campaigning, television debates, and relentless publicity, and it had finally come down to putting its money on either one.

The result was startlingly close. In fact, it remains one of the closest elections in U.S. history. Kennedy had won the popular vote by a margin of barely about 112,000 votes, less than 0.2% of the total votes cast. The Electoral College was ever so slightly more decisive: Kennedy had 303 electoral votes to Nixon's 219. But the narrowness led to some controversy. Vote-rigging had been reported in states such as Illinois and Texas, where political machines might have been able to swing the vote in Kennedy's favor. While unnerved by what had happened, Nixon chose not to challenge the outcome, citing the fact that a controversy would destabilize the country.

Kennedy's victory was historic on several counts. He was the youngest to be elected president at 43, and he was the first Catholic president, breaking one of America's biggest barriers to political influence. His victory marked a new era, with the old stodgy way of leading giving way to a new dawn of youth, energy, and aspiration.

The election of 1960 wasn't about numbers, it was about change. It was a sign of change in the perception of Americans about leadership, communication, and the media's role in politics. Kennedy's win energized a generation and inspired some of the most potent moments in American history, from the space and civil rights movements to his iconic call to service Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.' That galvanizing speech only became possible because of the slender margin on that November evening.

In the next few years, Kennedy's presidency would be forever identified with hope, with courage, with possibility. But it began with a squeaker in one of the most cliff-hanging elections in history. The 1960 election proved just how much one night, and one vote, could change history."