Introduction
The Kennedy Vs. Nixon debate took place in 1960, and was the first televised presidential debates in American history. It was taking place in the time when we (Americans) were involved in the heated Cold War with the Soviet Union. The Soviets had taken the lead in the Space Race by launching the Sputnik satellite.
John Kennedy was born on May 29, 1917, in Brookline, Massachusetts. He was born the second out of nine children. Joseph and Rose Kennedy were his parents and members of two of Boston's prominent Irish Catholic political families. Kennedy had persistent health problems throughout his childhood and teenage years, he led a privileged life, attending private schools, and spending summers on Cape Cod. Later in life, Kennedy would be diagnosed with a rare endocrine disorder called Addison's Disease.
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Richard Nixon was born on January 9, 1913, in Yorba Linda, California. He was the second of five children. His father was Frank Nixon, a service station owner and a small lemon farm owner. His mother was Hannah Nixon, a Quaker that exerted a strong influence on her son. Nixon's early life was hard, and his family usually didn't have enough money. Two tragedies were experienced by him and his family: his younger brother died in 1925 after a short illness and his older brother, that he greatly admired, died of tuberculosis in 1933.
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