It was a tumultuous time. In 1960, Cold War tensions were rising. The civil rights movement launched peaceful protests.

Against this backdrop, Sen. John F. Kennedy, 43, captured the Democratic presidential nomination despite his youth, his perceived lack of foreign policy experience and his Catholic faith.

The Republican nominee, Vice President Richard M. Nixon, touted the country's prosperity during the Eisenhower years and promised to maintain American military strength.

The general election proved to be one of the closest in U.S. history. Kennedy became the youngest elected president, the only Catholic and the first born in the 20th century.