For the first time in U.S. history, the two major party nominees for President of the United States debated on this date in 1960. It was also the first time the two nominees would be seen together on television.

Senator John F. Kennedy and Vice President Richard Nixon met in Chicago; the two held three more debates through the fall that year. Howard K. Smith moderated.

Senator Kennedy had spent the day preparing for the debate with close aides and then rested. The Vice President had not prepared, was recovering from the flu, and, perhaps worse, re-injured one of his knees on the way to the studio. (The swelling had just gone down when he banged it in into his car door.) Nixon refused makeup and did not shave just before the debate, so his 5 o’clock shadow stood out under the hot TV studio lights, as did his heavy sweating, which was caused by either his flu, the pain from his knee, or the heat from the lights.
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Today is the birthday of the love of my life, Jen. I keep discovering how few ways there are to say “I love you” but how wonderful it is to learn new ways to tell her.

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The Bill of Rights was approved by Congress on this date in 1789 and was readied to be sent to the states to ratify.

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Satchel Paige pitched in his final major league baseball game on this date in 1965. He was 59 years old, and Charles O. Finley, the owner of the Kansas City A’s, signed him to a single-game contract. The game was against the Boston Red Sox, and Paige started, pitched three scoreless innings, and stuck out one batter, the opposing pitcher. Paige sat on a rocking chair in the bullpen between innings.

An interview with Satchel Paige from 1958 (after the jump):
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The first edition of 60 Minutes was broadcast on CBS on this date in 1968.

About to begin its 49th season, with several spin-offs and more than 1000 episodes, the program holds many American broadcasting records: the longest continuously running show in prime time; the only show (of any kind) that has been in the top ten for as many seasons (it was in the top ten for 23 consecutive seasons); the only show that has been a top 25 show each season for the last 41 seasons. It is one of only four shows to have been the top-rated program for an entire season for as many as five seasons.

The creator of the show, Don Hewitt, had worked with Edward R. Murrow on both of Murrow’s legendary television news programs: See It Now, a hard-hitting news magazine with long-form articles, and Person to Person, an interview and celebrity profile show. Hewitt wanted to produce a show that would combine “high Murrow” with “low Murrow.” Hewitt remained the executive producer of the 60 Minutes until 2004.
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