Turning Points For U.S. Presidents

Unexpected breakthroughs and bold decisions have often placed U.S. presidents at the heart of moments that happened for the very first time in American history. These milestones not only marked personal achievements for some leaders but also defined new paths for the presidency itself. While some opened doors to innovation, others stirred controversy or turned public expectations forever. Ahead, we explore 20 unforgettable firsts that left their mark and changed the course of history.

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1. First President Of The United States

When it comes to breaking new ground, nobody did it quite like George Washington. The Electoral College unanimously chose him to serve as president in both 1788 and 1792. Even more impressive, he was so committed to establishing proper precedents that Washington initially refused his presidential salary.

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2. First President Assassinated

Shot in 1865 while attending a play at Ford's Theater, Abraham Lincoln passed away the following morning. Bitter irony came from his assassin being the famous actor John Wilkes Booth. Most hauntingly, Lincoln had dreamed of his death days before the visit.

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3. First President To Live In The White House

John Adams became the inaugural resident of the White House in 1800, even as the iconic home was still a work-in-progress. It wasn't all pomp and circumstance—Adams walked into the half-finished mansion and famously wrote a prayer in a letter to his wife. 

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4. First President Impeached

History took a dramatic turn in 1868 when Andrew Johnson became the first impeached president. The drama stemmed from violating the Tenure of Office Act, sparking government uncertainty. He escaped removal by a single vote as the Senate narrowly cleared him in a tense climax.

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5. First President To Visit All 50 States

By 1971, no president before Nixon had accomplished what he did—visiting all 50 states during his time in office. Alaska was his final destination in completing this coast-to-coast achievement. His presidency also saw him make over 100 domestic trips.

Oliver F. Atkins on Wikimedia

6. First President To Win A Nobel Peace Prize

Through skillful mediation of the Russo-Japanese War, Theodore Roosevelt received a groundbreaking double honor in 1906. He became both the first president to win a Nobel Peace Prize and the first American to claim any Nobel Prize.

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7. First President To Ride In A Car

William McKinley rode in an electric ambulance in 1901, after he was shot. The ambulance was borrowed from the Pan-American Exposition for urgent medical help. Before this, he favored horse-drawn carriages, which made this motorized trip a surprising moment in presidential transportation history.

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8. First President To Be Catholic

When John F. Kennedy ran for president in 1960, he shattered a major religious barrier. Despite facing considerable religious bias throughout his campaign, Kennedy confronted this head-on with his famous speech on the separation of church and state. 

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9. First President To Be A Rhodes Scholar

Studying at Oxford in 1968, Bill Clinton avoided the Vietnam draft while immersing himself in British academia. His love for music even found an outlet as he jammed on the saxophone in a student jazz band.

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10. First President To Appear On Television

Long before television turned presidential debates into spectacles, history was being made on the small screen by Franklin D. Roosevelt. He appeared on television during the opening ceremonies of the World's Fair in 1939. His TV debut had only hundreds watching.

Photograph: Leon Perskie Scan: FDR Presidential Library & Museum on Wikimedia

11. First President To Use Email

Bill Clinton became the pioneer president of electronic communication in 1994 by sending the first presidential email to a foreign leader—a response to Carl Bildt. Perhaps most charmingly, this historic correspondence came from his AOL account [email protected].

Veni from New York, USA on Wikimedia

12. First President Born In A Hospital

The first president born in a hospital rather than at home was Jimmy Carter, born in 1924 at Georgia's Wise Sanitarium. What made it even more special was that his mother was a nurse at that very hospital.

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13. First President To Have A Phone In The Oval Office

Herbert Hoover installed the first phone directly at the president's desk in 1929. While White House phones had existed since 1878 under Hayes, none sat at the presidential workspace until tech-savvy Hoover's administration.

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14. First President To Host A Live Internet Chat

Digital democracy debuted when Bill Clinton hosted the first presidential Internet chat in 1999. The technology promotion event allowed general users to question him directly. Al From of the Democratic Leadership Council moderated this groundbreaking webcast.

Gage Skidmore on Wikimedia

15. First President To Be A Movie Star

Before Ronald Reagan ever set foot in the Oval Office, he was lighting up movie screens across America. His entertainment career extended beyond movies—he served as president of the Screen Actors Guild and hosted TV's popular General Electric Theater.

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16. First President To Speak Live With Astronauts In Space

When Apollo 11 launched in 1969, President Richard Nixon made history with the first live communication with astronauts in space. Nixon's call to Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the Moon marked a historic moment in presidential communication and space diplomacy.

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17. First President To Earn A Ph.D.

Earning his doctorate in Political Science from Johns Hopkins in 1886, Woodrow Wilson is the only U.S. president with a Ph.D. to date. His academic background shaped his progressive leadership and first stood out during his tenure as president of Princeton University.

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18. First President To Use A Helicopter

Dwight D. Eisenhower made history in 1957 as the first president to take flight from the White House lawn in a military helicopter. He used this nifty invention to skip the jam en route to Camp David, even though the Secret Service initially opposed the idea.

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19. First President To Have A Pet Raccoon

Thanksgiving dinner became a pet adoption when Calvin Coolidge received a raccoon as a holiday gift. Naming her Rebecca, he built her a treehouse and walked her around the White House on a leash. She was sometimes accompanied by Coolidge's other pets.

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20. First President To Resign

Facing near-certain impeachment over the Watergate scandal, Richard Nixon in 1974 chose to step down rather than face the humiliation of removal from office. His resignation speech was broadcast live to a stunned nation.

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