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 The Question:
Who was the first president to give a televised speech? My
daughter answered FDR but her teacher says Truman. I have found
several web sites, including The History of Television, that says FDR.
I need a definitive answer. Please help.
The Answer:
We'll do our best to set the record straight.
According to our sources, Franklin D. Roosevelt was the
first president to speak on television. Roosevelt spoke
at the opening session of the New York World's Fair on April 30,
1939.
Perhaps this is the source of your confusion: The first
presidential address broadcast from the White
House was Harry S. Truman's speech about
food conservation and the world food crisis on Oct. 5, 1947.
We hope this helps.
—The Editors Information Please® Database, © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
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