The Democratic Party's first national convention met to name a running mate for President Andrew Jackson. They dumped John Calhoun and chose Secretary of State Martin Van Buren.
1896 Chicago
Populist William Jennings Bryan became the youngest presidential nominee in history on the fifth ballot. He was 36. He let delegates choose his running mate: Arthur Sewell of Maine.
1924 New York
A record 103 ballots were cast and the convention lasted for more than two weeks before John W. Davis, a former West Virginia congressman and ambassador, won.
1932 Chicago
New York Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt and former Gov. Al Smith competed for the nomination. FDR won on the fourth ballot. In his speech, he promised a "New Deal" for all Americans.
1936 Philadelphia
It was the first convention to require the votes of a simple majority of delegates rather than the two-thirds vote required in previous conventions. President Roosevelt was the winner.
1952 Chicago
Illinois Gov. Adlai Stevenson insisted he wasn't running, but his name was placed in nomination. He won on the third ballot after President Harry Truman asked Averell Harriman to drop out.
1968 Chicago
Antiwar protesters battled with police in the streets. Inside, Connecticut Sen. Abraham Ribicoff railed about "Gestapo tactics." Vice President Hubert Humphrey was nominated.
1980 New York
Sen. Edward Kennedy forced a vote on freeing delegates from pledges to vote for President Jimmy Carter. It failed, but Kennedy's "the dream shall never die" speech was riveting.
1984 San Francisco
Walter Mondale won the nomination and in his speech said that he would raise taxes if elected. He wasn't. Geraldine Ferraro became the first woman on a major party's ticket.
1988 Atlanta
Michael Dukakis was nominated and Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton was catapulted into national prominence — and eventually into the White House — with his speech.
2000 Los Angeles
Vice President Al Gore gave his wife Tipper a long, dramatic and memorable kiss after winning the nomination. "I stand here tonight as my own man," Gore said in his speech.
2008 Denver
Illinois Sen. Barack Obama became the first black presidential nominee and gave his acceptance speech in a stadium to a crowd of 84,000 people; 38 million more watched on TV.
