1960 United States presidential election

On November 8, 1960, grown-ups in the United States got to choose their leader. It was like picking the captain of a giant team! Two main teams, or parties, had candidates. One was the Democratic team, with John F. Kennedy, and the other was the Republican team, with Richard Nixon. Everyone wanted to be president, and it was a very, very close competition!

John F. Kennedy was a senator from Massachusetts. He was young and exciting! Richard Nixon was the Vice President, which meant he was already helping the president. He had lots of experience. Both men were hoping to be the next president, and people were talking a lot about them. It was a big decision for the country!

This election was super tight, like a tug-of-war! Kennedy got more votes from people who were Catholic, and Nixon got more votes from people who were Protestant. Also, the country wasn't doing super great with money, which helped Kennedy. It was so close that the winner was only decided by a tiny, tiny number of votes!

When John F. Kennedy won, he became the youngest person ever elected president! He was only 43 years old. That's like being younger than many teachers! This election was also special because two new states, Alaska and Hawaii, got to vote for the first time. It was a big day for America!