Sept. 10, 1840: Presidential candidate William Henry Harrison of Ohio came downtown for a rally that a his campaign managers saw an opportunity to cinch the vote of all the northwest territory by concentrating their efforts on one grand political rally. One news article called the event "the greatest political celebration in the history of the entire middlewest up to that time." People began pouring into Dayton two days before the rally and newspapers at the time estimated 100,000 attended. Dayton's population at the time was only 6,000.
Nov. 6, 1843: Former President John Quincy Adams visited Dayton on his way to dedicate the Cincinnati Observatory.
Sept. 17, 1859: Future president Abraham Lincoln spoke at Courthouse Square.
1864: Future president James Garfield and Vice President Andrew Johnson came to Courthouse Square for separate events for the Lincoln-Johnson ticket.
Oct. 3, 1871: Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th president, was the first to visit Dayton while in office. He visited the Soldier's Home.
July 30, 1884: Former President Rutherford B. Hayes spoke at the dedication of the Soldiers' Monument that was formerly at Water Street and Monument Ave. The monument is now downtown at Monument and Main Street near the CareSource headquarters.
Aug. 7, 1920: Franklin Roosevelt came to Dayton to meet with Gov. James Cox who was running for president. FDR joined Cox on the ticket. "I am fit and ready for the campaign," Roosevelt said when he arrived at Union Station. Cox lost the 1920 election to Warren Harding, but remains Dayton's only native son to run for president as the nominee of a major party.
Oct. 12, 1940: FDR returned to Dayton as president and visited Wright Field. During a motorcade, Orville Wright rode in the open-air car with FDR. A crowd estimated then at 100,000 met FDR at Courthouse Square. Following dinner with former Gov. Cox, FDR made a national radio broadcast from his train.
Oct. 11, 1948: President Harry Truman spoke at Memorial Hall.
Sept. 17, 1959: Future president John F. Kennedy spoke to the Montgomery County Bar Association at the Biltmore Hotel. Oddly, Kennedy spoke in Dayton 100 years to the day after Lincoln did.
Oct. 17, 1960: Kennedy returned to Dayton as a presidential candidate. He spoke to a crowd at Courthouse Square.
Oct. 26, 1960: Just days after Kennedy's visit, his Republican opponent then-Vice President Richard Nixon spoke at Courthouse Square. Nixon returned to Courthouse Square as a candidate in 1968.
Oct. 16, 1964: President Lyndon Johnson held a rally at Courthouse Square.
June 7, 1976: President Gerald Ford addressed a crowd at Courthouse Square. He returned after leaving the White House several times for the Bogey Busters golf event and made appearances at the Dayton Convention Center and Memorial Hall.
Oct. 3, 1980: President Jimmy Carter campaigned for re-election at the Dayton Convention Center.
Oct. 12, 1984: President Ronald Reagan launched his "whistle-stop" re-election train tour from Union Station. He also addressed a crowd at Courthouse Square.
1988: Vice President George H.W. Bush stopped a lot in Dayton during his race against Mike Dukakis. He was in the Miami Valley at least eight times during the campaign including stops at the Mandalay Banquet Center, Pine Club restaurant, West Carrollton, Vandalia and Xenia. However, unlike most past presidents he never held an event downtown.
Oct. 11, 1996: President Bill Clinton had a re-election rally at Courthouse Square.
July 4, 2003: President George W. Bush spoke at Wright-Patterson during the Inventing Flight celebration marking 100 years after the Wright Brothers first flight. Bush returned to Wright-Patterson for a speech in March 2008.
July 11, 2008: Future president Barack Obama held a campaign event at Stivers High School in Dayton. He returned to Dayton for a rally at Fifth Third Field on Oct. 9, 2008.
– Compiled by David Williamson and Anthony Shoemaker