The Birth of Televised Politics: FDR’s Speech & The First Presidential Debate

Two historic moments that changed politics forever:

📺 FDR Becomes the First President on TV (1939) – Franklin D. Roosevelt’s speech at the 1939 World’s Fair marked the first televised appearance by a U.S. president, ushering in a new era of political communication.

📺 JFK vs. Nixon: The First Televised Debate (1960) – The first-ever televised presidential debate showed the world that image matters, as JFK’s on-screen presence gave him a crucial edge over Nixon.

Television had officially become the most powerful tool in politics.