, ▁ 1 9 8 5 – 9 0 ), ▁in ▁Od essa . ▁D ied : ▁ ▁Em ily ▁Post , ▁ 8 7 , ▁American ▁author ▁best ▁known ▁for ▁her ▁works ▁on ▁et iqu ette ▁Ruth ▁Row land ▁Nich ols , ▁ 5 9 , ▁American ▁av iation ▁pione er , ▁by ▁suic ide ▁ ▁September ▁ 2 6 , ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁( M ond ay ) ▁ ▁The ▁two ▁leading ▁U . S . ▁president ial ▁candidates , ▁Republican ▁Richard ▁M . ▁N ixon ▁and ▁Dem ocrat ▁John ▁F . ▁Kennedy , ▁participated ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁tele vised ▁president ial ▁debate , ▁which ▁took ▁place ▁in ▁Chicago ▁at ▁the ▁television ▁stud ios ▁of ▁W BB M - TV . ▁ ▁The ▁one - hour - long ▁event ▁began ▁at ▁ ▁local ▁time . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁debate ▁demonstrated ▁the ▁power ▁of ▁television ▁in ▁influen cing ▁vot ers . ▁ ▁Kennedy ▁appeared ▁tan ▁and ▁char ism atic , ▁while ▁N ixon , ▁due ▁in ▁part ▁to ▁poor ▁make up ▁and ▁a ▁recent ▁hospital ization , ▁looked ▁un k empt ▁and ▁t ense . ▁ ▁A ▁special ▁act ▁of ▁Congress ▁was ▁passed ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁allow ▁the ▁American ▁television ▁and ▁radio ▁networks ▁to ▁broadcast ▁the ▁debate ▁without ▁having ▁to ▁provide ▁equal ▁time ▁to ▁other ▁president ial ▁candidates . ▁Aust rian ▁Airlines ▁Fl ight ▁ 9 0 1 ▁from ▁Vienna ▁crash ed ▁while ▁making ▁its ▁approach ▁to ▁Moscow , ▁after ▁having ▁stopped ▁in ▁Wars aw . ▁ ▁Only ▁six ▁of