“Well, I see we’re trying a new experiment this morning.  I hope that doesn’t prove to be a disturbing influence.”

With those words, President Dwight D. Eisenhower opened the first ever televised (though pre-taped) presidential news conference.  For the first time, viewers at home could watch as the President took questions from the members of the press and answered them in his own words.  Today, we take it for granted and we even get bored with televised news conferences and speeches.  But seventy years ago today, on January 19th, 1955, what Eisenhower did was considered to be revolutionary and a little dangerous.  How would the public react to actually seeing the man who led the country answering questions in person.

Eisenhower was asked about the dangers of Communist China, the new budget bill, and his own opinion about how his first term had gone and whether had any plans for a potential second term.  Eisenhower laughed at the last query, saying, “It looks like a loaded question.”

Obviously, the new experiment worked.  The pubic continued to like Ike and, when he did run for a second term, he was elected just as easily as the first time.  The Democrats didn’t even bother to put a new candidate and instead just brought back Adlai Stevenson.  Eisenhower would be succeeded by John F. Kennedy, who went on to perfect Eisenhower’s “new experiment.”

Previous Moments In Television History:

1. Planet of the Apes The TV Series
2. Lonely Water
3. Ghostwatch Traumatizes The UK
4. Frasier Meets The Candidate
5. The Autons Terrify The UK
6. Freedom’s Last Stand
7. Bing Crosby and David Bowie Share A Duet
8. Apaches Traumatizes the UK
9. Doctor Who Begins Its 100th Serial
10. First Night 2013 With Jamie Kennedy
11. Elvis Sings With Sinatra
12. NBC Airs Their First Football Game
13. The A-Team Premieres
14. The Birth of Dr. Johnny Fever
15. The Second NFL Pro Bowl Is Broadcast
16. Maude Flanders Gets Hit By A T-Shirt Cannon
17. Charles Rocket Nearly Ends SNL
18. Frank Sinatra Wins An Oscar
19. CHiPs Skates With The Stars
20. Eisenhower In Color
21. The Origin of Spider-Man
22. Steve Martin’s Saturday Night Live Holiday Wish List
23. Barnabas Collins Is Freed From His Coffin
24. Siskel and Ebert Recommend Horror Films
25. Vincent Price Meets The Muppets
26. Siskel and Ebert Discuss Horror
27. The Final Scene of Dark Shadows
28. The WKRP Turkey Drop
29. Barney Pops On National TV
30. The Greatest American Hero Premieres
31. Rodney Dangerfield On The Tonight Show
32. The Doors Are Open
33. The Thighmaster Commercial Premieres
34. The Hosts of Real People Say “Get High On Yourself”
35. The 33rd NFL Championship Game Is Broadcast In Color
36. The Sopranos Premieres on HBO