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Abraham Lincoln vs. Stephen Douglas (1858) -

The Lincoln–Douglas debates of 1858 were a series of formal political debates between the challenger, Abraham Lincoln, and the incumbent, Stephen A. Douglas, in a campaign for one of Illinois' two United States Senate seats. Ultimately, Douglas triumphed over Lincoln. But Lincoln's stellar performance throughout enabled his nomination for president in 1860.

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Abraham Lincoln vs. Stephen Douglas (1858) -

The debates were held in seven towns in the state of Illinois throughout August, September, and October of 1858. They set the format known as spreading, a practice in which debaters speak quickly to squeeze as much argument as possible into a short time limit. A number of statues and memorials erected on Illinois venue sites commemorate the historic occasions, including this one in Ottawa, where the first exchange took place on August 21.

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John F. Kennedy vs. Richard Nixon (1960) -

Voters in the United States had to wait until 1960 before the first nationally televised presidential debate in history took place, that between John. F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon.

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John F. Kennedy vs. Richard Nixon (1960) -

Kennedy, then a senator from Massachusetts, and then Vice President Nixon, squared off in front of 70 million Americans. Nixon appeared tired and sweaty while Kennedy, who wore makeup, radiated youth and vigor. Opinion is still divided as to who performed better, but Kennedy's charisma and good looks won the television audience, and eventually the presidency.

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Jimmy Carter vs. Gerald Ford (1976) -

Sixteen years passed before the next presidential debate. Incumbent President Gerald Ford and Georgia senator Jimmy Carter faced each other for a total of three debates in 1976.

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Jimmy Carter vs. Gerald Ford (1976) -

The debates are remembered for the faux pas made by Ford during the second debate when he insisted there was "no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe" under his leadership. His remark surprised everyone, even the moderator, who asked, "I'm sorry, what?" The damage was done. Jimmy Carter served as the 39th President of the United States from 1977 to 1981.

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Jimmy Carter vs. Ronald Reagan (1980) -

Carter's final year in office was marred by the Iran hostage crisis: his approval rate was just 30%. He faced Republican challenger Ronald Reagan in a single debate, and was subtly but soundly shouted down.

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Jimmy Carter vs. Ronald Reagan (1980) -

The debate featured Reagan at his silver-tongued best, shutting down his opponent with one-line catchphrases, including "Are you better off than you were four years ago?” and "There you go again." His disarming nature and effortless charm helped win Reagan the White House.

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Ronald Reagan vs. Walter Mondale (1984) -

Four years later, Reagan, the oldest sitting president at the time and actively campaigning for a second term in office, faced Democratic Party nominee Walter Mondale in two debates in October 1984.

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Ronald Reagan vs. Walter Mondale (1984) -

During the second debate, Mondale questioned Reagan around the subject of age. The president famously replied: "I want you to know I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit for political purposes my opponent's youth and inexperience." The quip made the audience laugh, including Mondale. But behind the smile, the challenger knew he'd just lost the debate, and probably the election.

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George H.W. Bush vs. Bill Clinton vs. Ross Perot (1992) -

The three 1992 presidential debates introduced American audiences to Arkansas governor and Democratic candidate Bill Clinton. The events also broke with tradition with the inclusion of a third candidate, businessmen Ross Perot, who was running as an independent.

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George H.W. Bush vs. Bill Clinton vs. Ross Perot (1992) -

Perot stood his ground—he was eventually able to garner 18.9% of the vote. But the public warmed to Clinton, more so after Bush was caught on camera looking at his watch after replying to a question posed by an audience member.

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George W. Bush vs. Al Gore (2000) -

The 2000 presidential election is remembered for incumbent President George W. Bush narrowly losing the popular vote to Democratic Vice President Al Gore, but defeating him in the electoral college.

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George W. Bush vs. Al Gore (2000) -

Three debates took place in the run-up to the election. Gore painted quite an intellectual picture against Bush's down-to-earth Texas persona and, while that satisfied questioning minds, the majority of the public related more to Bush's homespun image. Most political commentators agree that Gore in fact won the debate, but within a week Bush had made sizeable gains in several polls.

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John McCain vs. Barack Obama (2008) -

The 2008 presidential campaign saw the first-ever African American elected to the nation's highest office. Barack Obama sparked a new interest in politics for many Americans, and the three debates held in the run-up to the election were keenly observed.

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John McCain vs. Barack Obama (2008) -

Throughout, Obama appeared better versed on the economy, while Arizona senator McCain, a military man and Vietnam veteran, was more savvy on foreign policy. Obama, though, was on a roll, enjoying celebrity endorsement and a huge following on Twitter.

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Mitt Romney vs. Barack Obama (2012) -

Four years in office had sharpened the president's political nous. But in the first of three presidential debates in 2012, the usually witty and measured Obama was clearly contemptuous of the whole exercise. Republican Party nominee Mitt Romney stole the show.

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Mitt Romney vs. Barack Obama (2012) -

Obama bounced back in the third debate after Romney shot him a broadside, claiming that the US Navy was at its smallest since the early 20th century. "You mentioned the Navy, for example, and that we have fewer ships than we did in 1916," he responded. "Well, governor, we also have fewer horses and bayonets, because the nature of our military’s changed. We have these things called aircraft carriers, where planes land on them. We have these ships that go under water, nuclear submarines." The phrase "horses and bayonets" became the top rising search term of the night on Google.

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Hillary Clinton vs. Donald Trump (2016) -

The first of the three 2016 presidential debates where Hillary Clinton faced off against Donald Trump set the record as the most-watched debate in American history, with 84 million viewers.

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Hillary Clinton vs. Donald Trump (2016) -

The third debate between the pair produced the most memorable exchange, when Trump claimed Russian President Vladimir Putin had no respect for either Clinton or Obama. "Well, that's because he would rather have a puppet as president of the United States," Clinton barked back. Trump insisted that she was the puppet, but Clinton closed the exchange by arguing that Moscow was clearly meddling in the election and that Trump had encouraged it.

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Joe Biden vs. Donald Trump (2020) -

Two presidential debates took place in 2020 between President Trump and Democratic Party nominee Joe Biden. It was Trump's opportunity to convince the American public to reelect him.

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Joe Biden vs. Donald Trump (2020) -

Biden walked away with the first debate. But Trump delivered a performance in the second debate that, had it come first time round, might have given him ,another four years in the White House. By then however, most of America had made up its mind and were looking towards Biden for salvation.

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Dan Quayle vs. Lloyd Bentsen (1988) -

While this gallery has focused on US presidential debates, let's not forget that vice presidential nominees also get an opportunity to air their views and pitch their candidacy. But in 1988 when Republican nominee Dan Quayle compared his experience to that of a young John F. Kennedy, Lloyd Bentsen, his opponent on the platform, retorted with a put-down to end all put-downs: "Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy. I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy."   

Sources: (Time) (ABC News) (Council on Foreign Relations) (USA Today) (CNN)

See also: The worst (and best) vice presidents in US history

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