Who was the first president you remember?

[Zomby Woof]

I was thinking what a great thing it will be that children growing up right now, heading into pre-school or kindergarten within the next year or two, will have Barack Obama as the first president that they remember. When I consider Richard Nixon was the first I recall, well... that's quite an impression on a young and pliable mind. :o

[sasquatch]

1. Reagan unfortunately

[mwooldri]

39. Reagan for me too.

But Thatcher before that. She was the first PM I knew.

[PVnRT]

93. Reagan for me as well

[Aristus]

2. Nixon. I vaguely remember the Watergate hearings, and being upset that they pre-empted

most of my favorite TV shows. My younger brother walked into the kitchen one day and asked: "Mommy, what's a kissinger?"

I remember my mother showing me the front page of the local paper, which had Gerald Ford's picture on it. She said to me: "He is going to be our President now." I remember thinking that he looked like a monkey. I harbor no unkind thoughts for Ford at all; it was just a child's first impression of his looks.

[Zomby Woof]

6. I remember Cronkite at dinner time

We had a little B&W TV in the kitchen so my parents could keep apprised of world events, and I recall "Watergate" being mentioned hundreds of times, over and over, and I HAD NO IDEA what it meant, other than it was serious. I could sense that much. I also remember that any idle mealtime chitchat was shut down by Dad when Uncle Walter spoke. :-)

You were ahead of your time! We eventually DID get a non-elected president who looked like a monkey in 2000! :D

[Aristus]

15. Yeah. Too bad he didn't have Ford's inspiring sense of decency.

And a grand lady liberal for a wife... :patriot:

[Zomby Woof]

17. His daughter Susan was pretty cool

Not an embarrassment like the Twins. She tried to persuade him to fight for the ERA, and had a mischievous sense of humor.

As for Malia and Sasha, I think Nini wants to adopt them, lol. They are going to have a great time in their new home, with their puppy. :D

[Aristus]

20. Aren't they two simply beautiful girls?

They've got their parents' looks, all right.

[kentauros]

50. I remember Cronkite and Dan Rather

as well as the locally popular Ron Stone. I thought that I didn't notice Nixon until around Watergate and the end of the Vietnam War, but I do remember when he called the astronauts on the Moon. We lived right in the heart of where most of the Apollo Mission support people and astronauts lived, too, so it was an amazing time to live and be aware of it all :)

[NewJeffCT]

97. You must be the same age as me - that's my early reason for hating Republicans

because the Watergate hearing interrupted my afternoon cartoons/shows. I was born in late 1966...

[Aristus]

109. 1968.

I turned 40 a couple of weeks ago...

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. I remember Eisenhower...

[Katidid]

72. I remember Eisenhower too

I lived in California (carrer navy brat)too. I was 5 years old. I just remember him golfing a lot because my dad was a golfer too. Funny what you remember.

[doc03]

75. I remember Eisenhower, we went on a field trip to DC

back in the 5th grade and I remember the tour bus driver joking that we should have elected Arnold Palmer President he was a better golfer. I think he was a good President he was what Republicans today would call a Socialist the Interstate Highway system was probably the biggest public works project in history. Todays Republicans think it's socialism to even maintain the highways and bridges unless it's in Iraq.

[KitchenWitch]

4. Nixon was the first president I remember

[harmonicon]

5. I think that may wind up being the most important part of this election

The psychological impact that will have on an entire generation - what it could do to end racism - is huge. For me, it was Reagan. I learned at an early age that old white men could become president!

[SeattleGirl]

7. Kennedy

Ike was president when I was born, but I really have no memory of that.

[Tom Kitten]

8. Eisenhower

Believe it or not, when I was 3 years old used to watch a local Boston kids show hosted by "Big Brother Bob"...Showed cartoons and sang, each day he urged kids to get a glass of milk and drink a toast to the president. Then, when we were all ready, we would drink our glasses of milk while the tv showed a portrait of Ike and "Hail To The Chief" would play. Then one day there was a different, younger looking guy there and I was confused.

[GOPisEvil]

9. Honestly, it was Carter.

I remember a little bit of Ford, but I think a lot of that is video images that I have seen since.

I also remember going out to the flight line at Hickam AFB in HI to go out to meet President Carter when he landed there. I was right up front so I got to shake the hands of the whole Carter family.

[Zomby Woof]

11. Excellent!

Be glad you don't remember Nixon firsthand. :scared:

So I am two degrees from Jimmy Carter! :woohoo:

[GOPisEvil]

13. One of my parents' favorite stories about me is from the '72 Dem Convention.

I was all of 4 years old, and I stated, "If it's the Democratic Party, why isn't there any cake?".

:D

[Cabcere]

104. You know, that's a really good question!

:D You were a smart kid. :hi:

[Zoigal]

10. FDR is the one i remember. z

[Petrushka]

52. FDR memories here, too. (eom)

[RebelOne]

58. Same here, but I only really remember when he died. n/t

[HERVEPA]

12. Ike

[Oeditpus Rex]

14. JFK

Though I was born in the last year of Ike's first term.









Heebus. That sounds ancient. x(

[Zomby Woof]

18. That isn't so old

Vin Scully had only been calling Dodgers games for 27 years by that point. :D

[Oeditpus Rex]

23. Man, *that's* perspective!

On the day I was born, Vinny was 13 days from starting his seventh season — with Brooklyn.



(The Dodgers lost to the Phillies 8-6. Robin Roberts beat Don Newcombe.)

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1956/B04170BRO1956.htm

[Zomby Woof]

24. This just in...

Greg Maddux wins 18th Gold Glove. I get dodgers.com emails, lol.

[Oeditpus Rex]

27. Too bad he couldn't win a freakin' ball game for us

x(

[evlbstrd]

16. Kennedy.

November 1963 was the beginning of lots of bad shit going down.

[Zomby Woof]

19. JFK would be 91 if alive today

That puts the long strange trip since then in perspective. It has been one helluva haul.

[evlbstrd]

25. And he'd be drinking in Berlin with Elvis.

I'm so happy to have seen this in my lifetime.

[jobycom]

21. Nixon. I remember doing that second grader poll, and him being the only choice I knew

After that, I paid attention to who was president. Oddly, though, at that age I remember I liked Nixon, so I hated Ford, because in my poor understanding at the time, I thought Ford had made Nixon resign. I remember talking about it with my sister. I was later happy that Carter beat Ford because of this.

Carter was the first president when I was old enough to start understanding what was going on.

[jobycom]

22. Nixon. I remember doing that second grader poll, and him being the only choice I knew

After that, I paid attention to who was president. Oddly, though, at that age I remember I liked Nixon, so I hated Ford, because in my poor understanding at the time, I thought Ford had made Nixon resign. I remember talking about it with my sister. I was later happy that Carter beat Ford because of this.

Carter was the first president when I was old enough to start understanding what was going on.

[fizzgig]

26. poppy bush

i remember voting for dukakis in the second-grade poll, but i honestly have no memories of reagan

[Zomby Woof]

28. 12 years of Bushes in your young life

Better days ahead! :toast:

[Hobarticus]

29. As a kid, I wrote a letter to Ford...

...and I got this really cool book in return about the WH and all the POTUSs. Wish I still had that, I was thrilled.

[curse of greyface]

30. Remember Carter... Met Reagan NT

[Silver Swan]

31. I remember Truman a bit.

And I remember the 1952 election. I definitely remember Eisenhower being elected, and Nixon as vice-president, because I recall my father being proud of me for knowing the vice-president, because he was certain he didn't know the vice-president when he was my age. I was in first grade, so that was in 1953.

[edbermac]

32. JFK, sadly because he got shot.

7 years old and wondering why my parents were watching a televised funeral procession.

http://teaching.arts.usyd.edu.au/history/hsty3080/StudentWebSites/AMELIA/My%20Webs/AMELIA%20RFK%20WEB/images/photoalbum/images/funeral%20+%20steps_jpg.jpg

[Zomby Woof]

33. Of all childhood first presidential memories

That is the worst, by far. :-(

[Blue Diadem]

38. Me too. I was 8. n/t

[buzzycrumbhunger]

56. JFK here, too

Back when kindergarten was half days, I remember parking in front of the old B&W TV (my kids can't even believe there was such a thing. . .) and watching the excitement in Dallas, Walter Cronkite, and then. . . it got very heavy for a 5-year-old. It seems like we didn't leave that spot for days--funeral and everything that followed. Of course, I'm sure we did because we also had only three channels and they all went off the air every night (my kids don't believe that either).

I think this has always shaped my view of the world and the last few months, I've expressed a sense that it felt like we, as a country, had finally captured that optimism he brought. Yes, I was too young to really do more than observe the '60s (older brother and sister to look up to), but I feel like everything we Baby Boomers did at that time has finally come to fruition in our kids. :)

If Clinton energized us because he was our generation, Obama is the natural evolution in handing the reins of power to the next generation. (Fuck, I made myself feel old. . . and the guy is practically my age!)

[Patiod]

105. Me too - I was 3

And remember that all that was on teevee was the Rotunda, with a coffin in the middle

No Captian Kangaroo, no Pixann, no cartoons.

Just the Rotunda.

[pokerfan]

34. JFK

[mike_c]

35. eisenhower-- although I remember Kennedy much better....

[reyd reid reed]

36. The first memory I have OF a president is JFK

I remember being at home in Texas when he was assassinated. And I remember the Avon lady coming that day.

The first election that I remember was Nixon in '68.

My youngest just turned 12. Sadly, the first president that he'll remember is the one who's finally getting ready to leave office.

[realisticphish]

37. old bush

but the 92 election is the first political event i really remember. before that, i was just vaguely aware that we had a president

[Broken_Hero]

40. Reagan, nt

[RoyGBiv]

41. Ford ...

I apparently saw Nixon (as in saw him in person) when I was 4, but I don't remember that. I remember a swarm of fireflies on a lawn from that trip for some reason.

But I remember Ford. Funny thing, though, is I remember Chevy Chase more than Ford. :)

I then did meet Carter when he was campaigning. He actually came to my tiny town of around 10,000 people, so pretty much everyone who went outside that day met him. :)

[Hangingon]

42. Truman

[emilyg]

43. Yes.

[dawgmom]

44. Kennedy -- but really, only the funeral

I have very vivid memories of the day he was shot, and being sent home early from school, and my mother was crying and watching TV when we got there. And then, memories of the funeral which are probably supplemented by seeing the television coverage and the images over and over throughout the years. What I do know that I have actual memories of from that day are two sort of random things -- the riderless horse, with the boots backwards in the stirrups (I was sort of horse crazy), and my mother remarking on the fact that it was John John's birthday (November 25th) the day of the funeral. I remember as a kid really relating to that, and how sad it was that his birthday was the same day as the funeral.

Sort of random, I know -- but memories are weird things.

[RFKHumphreyObama]

45. Reagan very, very vaguely

George HW Bush would be the first one whom I actually paid any serious attention to. It was during his presidency when, at the age of 8-9, I developed my still present passionate obsession with American politics

[whistler162]

46. Nixon... but he was elected on my borthday and I was

home sick that day.

[susanna]

47. Simpatico, ZombyWoof.

Nixon is the first. I vaguely remember his resignation speech. Dad turned it on and I watched as a five-ish year old. Strange to remember, but true.

[Lucian]

48. George H.W. Bush

I don't remember much of Reagan because I was so young.

[NMDemDist2]

49. JFK n/t

[Awsi Dooger]

51. LBJ

I remember all of '68 very well.

For decades I had a strange memory of suddenly being taken out of our classroom on a Friday when I was first year in nursery school. In the middle of the day the teacher stopped class abruptly. We were led out the back and stood by the road until the parents came to pick everyone up. A teacher held my hand until my grandmother arrived. I remember there was very little talking from anyone.

It wasn't until a few years ago I realized that had to be JFK's assassination. I looked at a class picture and it said '63-64.

My dad insists I watched every minute of coverage, laying down on the terrazza floor staring at the TV, but I don't remember that, or JFK.

[srhuddle]

53. I'm almost embarrassed to say Clinton...

it makes me sound like such a neophyte. But I was born in '90, so that's the way it is I suppose! :)

[JVS]

54. Mondale vs. Reagan was when I realized what exactly a president was. Before that it was like...

King, Chief, or General. A generic position of authority in my mind, not yet applied to a particular individual.

[hobbit709]

55. Theodor Körner

Eisenhower after I came to the Us in 1959.

[yellowdogintexas]

57. Eisenhower. nt

[VaYallaDawg]

59. FDR. The only thing I remember about him is the day he died.

If you didn't guess before, I'm a really, really old fart.

[RebelOne]

65. I remember when he died, so I've been around as long as you. n/t

[bigwillq]

60. Reagan (nt)

[Burma Jones]

61. Johnson

I'm a year older than Obama........

[LiberalEsto]

62. Ike

although I was born when Harry Truman was still president

[Iggo]

63. LBJ.

Born in '61.

[Sheets of Easter]

64. Jimmy Carter.

I was born with 7 months left on the Nixon administration, but JC was the first I remember hearing about and seeing.

on edit- I just remembered a funny anecdote. When I was a tot, my mom taught me to raspberry whenever she said "What do you think of Nixon?" She told me this years later. She started me young. :D

[Inchworm]

66. Ford

I remember shaking his hand when I was 4-5 in Ohio. Early/mid 70's. I don't remember what he said or why he was there. I guess he was doing some early campaigning.

:hi:

[Deep13]

67. Nixon. nt

[jmm]

68. Reagan.

I've got a niece on the way and one of the first things I thought when they called the election was her first presidential memories will be good :D.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

69. Of the US: Nixon. Of Brazil: a RW military junta ghoul who doesn't deserve being mentioned.

The first President remotely deserving of the appellation (but just barely) in my lifetime was José Sarney.

[1gobluedem]

70. LBJ

I have only one memory of the Kennedy administration; during the Cuban missle crisis (I was two). Our dining room at the time was a nook off the living room -- fifties tract house -- and my parents would watch the news (Huntley Brinkley) during dinner. I remember my father picking up his plate and taking it into the living room and sitting right next to the TV. My sister and I were shocked because eating in the living room was against the rules in our family. Forever after the Cuban Missle Crisis has been known in our family as "the night Daddy ate in the living room."

I remember the LBJ years fairly well, though.

[applegrove]

71. I remember Watergate cause my family and friends up from Washington staying

with them and someone gave someone a book called "The Wit & Wisdom of Spiro T. Agnew" that was blank inside.

[bullwinkle428]

73. Nixon - I can recall both of my parents proudly voting against him

back in '72, when I was 8, and that's what got me started thinking about everything related to politics.

[SteppingRazor]

74. Reagan. n/t

[TommyO]

76. Nixon was my first as well

and my most vivid memory was his resignation. With only six TV stations, all of them showing it live, it was pretty hard to miss it.

[bikebloke]

77. Kennedy

I remember watching his inauguration on the telly.

Eisenhower was president during those earlier years when my world wasn't so big.

[deepthought42]

78. Sigh...G.H.W.B.

Yeah...I'm sorry too. Born in '82, but honestly, I was not paying attention to politics the first few years of my life...lol Smurfs were more important. ;)

[Wetzelbill]

88. The Smurfs are still important!

[LSK]

79. Reagan

[Tommy_Carcetti]

80. Reagan. Ugh.

I vaguely remember the 1984 election.

I also remember asking my dad (a huge fan of Carter still upset about 1980) if he would vote for Reagan in any circumstance. I think I remember him saying that he'd vote for Reagan against either Hitler or Stalin, I forgot which one.

[IndianaJones]

81. Ford. nt

[nini]

82. JFK

I have memories of Eisenhower but I'm not sure if it was during his admin or after since I was so young then.

[mainegreen]

83. carter

[LadyoftheRabbits]

84. I vividly remember it

I was riding in the car with my mom somewhere in M.S. or T.N. and she was complaining vociferously about something Bush the First had done. :P

[Anarcho-Socialist]

85. Raygun

the first UK Prime Minister I remember was Thatcher.

[KamaAina]

86. "My fellow Americans, let me make one thing perfectly clear..."

"oh, to hell with it, I'm so crooked I have to screw my pants on in the morning!"

[Wetzelbill]

87. Jimmy Carter

[panhead1961]

89. LBJ - I thought he talked funny (I lived in NH)

[Tektonik]

90. GHW Bush

[Roon]

91. I was a stupid kid

Watergate happened when I was very young and I still don't remember it. The earliest president I can ever recall, was Jimmy Carter. Like I said, I was a stupid kid. I to this day don't know who filled the gap between nixon and carter.

[Cymbaline68]

92. Nixon

Also watching and trying to understand the Watergate hearings.

[arcadian]

94. Ford

:boring:

[Rhythm]

95. I remember Nixon resigning...

That's the first real 'politics' that i remember from my childhood (i was just a couple of weeks shy of 8).

I'm excited for our son, who's right around the age i was when i first discovered that i was curious about what all those serious-looking men in suits on TV were talking about. When OktoberKid is all grown up, he may well not clearly remember Shrubya, but i'm betting that he will distinctly remember President Obama.

[Wapsie B]

96. JFK.

I remember bits and pieces about him back then. Unfortunately the biggest thing I remember is his assassination and my dad being glad when that happened. But I do remember him and Jackie in the news at times, being in elementary school with the Cuban missile crisis going on.

[Doc_Technical]

98. Dwight David Eisenhower.

I remember several films of him playing golf.
I also remember the 1956 Republican Convention.
"I like Ike"

[The Inquisitive]

99. Bush Senior

[SoxFan]

100. Nixon

[kittykatkoffeekup]

101. Chevy Chase

I don't know if my looks will ever get any better, but my pratfalls sure won't.

[sakabatou]

102. Clinton

[Cabcere]

103. Either Poppy Bush or Bill Clinton...

I was born during the Reagan administration and definitely don't remember anything about him, lol. I don't remember too much about Poppy Bush, either, but I do remember telling my parents that I thought Clinton should win the election because he hadn't had a chance to be president yet. :silly: I guess by today's standards, that would make me some kinda socialist six-year-old or something, right? :crazy: :hi:

[midnight armadillo]

106. Reagan

And my two boys, 2.5 and 5, will grow up thinking it's normal for a black man to be president. I tear up when I think about it.

[Zavulon]

107. Nixon, unfortunately. (NT)

[Blue-Jay]

108. Nixon.

I was a kid, but I remember Tricky Dick resigning.

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

110. I vaguely remember LBJ on TV

But I don't remember MLK's or RFK's assassinations - I was concerned that summer with turning 6 and having a party on the patio. I have definite memories of Nixon, though. We were at the Eisenhower Library in Abilene the day he resigned, and I remember being so bored by the Watergate hearings. I wish I could watch them now, though - that would be fascinating.

[RushIsRot]

111. Truman - I'm an old goat! DRAT!