Hello, and welcome back to This Week in History! Last week, we made history by covering a small skirmish in the great patchwork of conflicts that is the Eastern Front during World War II. While that 1,500-word article was a first for the section, this week, instead of zooming in, we’re zooming out, moving around and exploring something old and new! So, let’s dive into some history from debates to sieges!
“Good evening. The television and radio stations of the United States and their affiliated stations are proud to provide facilities for a discussion of issues in the current political campaign by the two major candidates for the presidency. The candidates need no introduction.”
On Sept. 26, 1960, Howard K. Smith opened the first debate for the 1960 election cycle between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy. However, this debate was more than just the first of this matchup — it was the first-ever televised debate.
An incumbent vice president, Nixon was the Republican nominee for president, and his running mate was U.N. Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. These two men had a strong ticket, Nixon being a noted anti-Communist and a rather skilled politician. Lodge was from Nahant, Massachusetts, and had a lengthy career in the military and politics.
Against them was a strong, though untested, Democratic ticket. Kennedy was a senator from Massachusetts and a truly remarkable figure. In 1957, Kennedy won a Pulitzer Prize for his book “Profiles in Courage,” a ghostwritten compilation of several stories of senators going against their party and constituents’ wishes to do what they felt was right. The book remains a remarkable example of Kennedy’s character. Senator Lyndon B. Johnson was Kennedy’s running mate, a senator from Texas.
This week, on Sept. 26, 1960, at 9:30 p.m. EDT, the first of four debates began on WBBM-TV, a Chicago-based TV station. The hour-long affair was broken down into agreed-upon segments. First, two eight-minute opening statements were prepared by both candidates. Next, a five-person panel assembled questions for the candidates revolving around issues in the U.S. at the domestic level.
After the questions, two and a half minutes were allocated for a response, followed by an optional rebuttal section. Finally, a three-minute section was granted for closing statements by each candidate.
The best way to really immerse yourself in the living rooms of 1960s viewers of this debate is to watch it yourself. The debate can be found online, with a video recording by PBS on YouTube and transcripts available through websites such as debates.org.
The power of TV was now fully unleashed on the voting population. Kennedy was sharply dressed in a dark suit, with a slick combed hairstyle and calculated stage makeup. He looks sharp, astute and determined. He’s a true reflection of the forward-thinking fashion of the day. His adversary, Nixon, refused to wear makeup before the debate. Choosing a lighter suit, Nixon’s heavy sweating during the debate led to his shirt blending in with his skin tones and the background; he almost looks sickly pale in the footage.
The debate itself covered many topics in depth. Ironically (considering the topics were supposed to focus on domestic affairs), the threat of Soviet industrial growth was frequently brought up. However, issues with federal funding for American education, social security, health insurance, individual enterprise and more proved that there was a clear goal for the debate: give the candidates a platform to prove how they will benefit all Americans.
“That’s the question before the American people, and only you can decide what you want, what you want this country to be, what you want to do with the future. I think we’re ready to move. And it is to that great task, if we’re successful, that we will address ourselves.” Kennedy’s closing statements end a momentous debate. The American people would now be feverishly debating about who won the first debate, speculating on style, performance, appearance and every little facet of the broadcast.
Nixon blamed his ill appearance on a knee injury incurred sometime prior, giving him a staph infection. While there is ongoing debate over both performances, little aspects of Nixon’s show, such as his stubbly beard, would contribute — to some degree — to his ticket losing the 1960 election.
Next, as it is always fun to do this on the column, let’s change pace and dive into a completely different era! Between Sept. 23-29, 1687, Venetian forces led by two commanders, the Doge of Venice Francesco Morosini and German noble Otto Wilhelm Königsmarck, began a siege on the Acropolis, destroying a part of the Greek Parthenon.
The beautiful Acropolis is a series ancient Greek buildings and architecture that perhaps showcases — as the word “Acropolis” is derived from — the “Akron,” or the highest point of the culture’s structural design. With settlement as early as the sixth century B.C., the Venetians were eager to capture this strategic high point of the region.
A part of the larger Morean War (1684-1699), the growing Venetian Republic wrestled islands and coastal access from the Ottoman Empire, expanding its trade in the Mediterranean and beyond.
The Ottomans were a major force in the 17th century, only showing signs of decline due to the American expansion of the colonizing Western powers. In general, the Ottomans maintained forts and ships, and thus controlled all of the land in the Eastern Mediterranean with a solid administrative foundation.
Regardless, the adept Venetian forces were able to pick some key cities away. On Sept. 21, 10,000 men arrive under Königsmarck on the coats of the Peloponnese. The Ottomans quickly evacuated to the Acropolis to wait for reinforcements and to repel the force.
Ultimately, the Venetians prepared to cast out the Ottomans in the Acropolis, and as a result, buildings on the site were damaged in several instances. The first was the Temple of Athena Nike, demolished by the Ottomans to build a battery. Likewise, a cannonball hit the Propylaea, a gate into the Acropolis. Finally, the worst damage came when late on Sept. 26, a Venetian mortar shell exploded a Turkish gunpowder stockpile in the Parthenon. The explosion killed around 300 people, demolishing the building’s roof and structure. The damage can still be seen today. The Venetians ultimately captured the city, despite a counterattack, and the persistence of the Turkish soldiers.
And so, this week in history comes to a close. Many events clutter up the history books in September, so keep an eye out for next week as the month draws to a close. Have a great week ahead!