​"Face the Nation": By the numbers

"Face the Nation" after 60 years
"Face the Nation" after 60 years
Sen. Joseph McCarthy appears on "Face the Nation" in 1954
Sen. Joseph McCarthy appears on "Face the Nation" in 1954

"Face The Nation" first took to the airwaves on November 7th, 1954 . . . which makes it 60 years old, and television's second-longest running political interview program.


The first guest: Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin.

Nearly 3,000 "Face the Nation" broadcasts have followed . . . featuring more than 7,000 guests (in the early days, most of them men).

Not until its second anniversary broadcast did the first women appear as guests: Former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and Maine Senator Margaret Chase Smith.

Senator John McCain is the guest who's racked up the most appearances: 101.


And while the guest list has been long, the number of people who've served as the host of "Face the Nation" is much shorter . . . just eight.

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