The 2024 election between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump was marked by an assassination attempt, numerous controversies and talk of a “little secret.”

But this is not the first U.S. presidential race that has sparked surprise, passion and danger, especially as the race reaches its crescendo on election night.

Things have changed over the two centuries of American elections: the rise of television in the 1960s is thought to have brought John F. Kennedy to victory, while recent campaigns have been dominated by allegations of misinformation swirl on social media.

But whatever the media, the selection of the most powerful person on the planet is never far from drama. And on election night, tension is even higher as television networks compete to be the first to declare the winner.

Here are some of the most shocking, impactful and outlandish events to have happened on US election nights over the years…

The first election

Let’s start in 1788. Cars didn’t exist yet – and neither did most states.

The United States of America had only 13 states (only six of which allowed voting) and there was no campaigning in the same way as today.

Nevertheless, the legendary General George Washington, who had led American forces to victory over the British in the Revolutionary War, was chosen to be the first president. This may seem anathema today, but the decision was unanimous.

At his inauguration, Washington said he had reported for duty “in obedience to the public summons” and said “the voice of my country had called me.”

Washington was again elected to the highest office in 1792, by which time two more states had joined the union.

Election night… live from prison

There has been much discussion about whether Donald Trump should have competed in the 2024 election from behind bars – this was never achieved – but in 1920 a candidate actually campaigned from prison.

Socialist Eugene Debs received just under a million votes and finished third overall, while being incarcerated under the Espionage Act for speaking out against military conscriptions for World War I .

On election night, supporters gathered outside the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary hoping to hear Debs speak. They held photos of Debs and wore campaign buttons for “Prisoner 9653.”

There was no speech, but the director allowed Debs to issue a written statement in which he thanked “the capitalist masters” for keeping him there. He added: “They know what my place is in their criminal and corrupting system. That’s the only compliment they could give me.”

The winner of that election – President Warren G Harding – ultimately ordered Debs released from prison on Christmas Day 1921.

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JFK vs. Nixon

The way we consume information has changed significantly in recent years, with more and more people finding out about what’s going on through TikTok and other social media.

But in the mid-20th century, it was television that brought about a sea change in the way people engaged in politics, arguably helping John F. Kennedy win the 1960 election.

His matchup against the more experienced Richard Nixon was the first time presidential debates were broadcast live into American homes. When the two men faced off on television, it was noted that JFK looked better and spoke to the cameras rather than to his opponent.

The hotly contested campaign remained close until election night, and discrepancies between how U.S. news organizations reported the result made the picture darker. Just before midnight, the New York Times announced that JFK had won, but NBC News – relying on new computer technology – did not announce the race until 7 a.m. the next morning.

It was not until midday the next day that the official result was broadcast to the nation: JFK won by just 112,000 votes in a poll in which nearly 69 million people cast their ballots.

The infamous Florida story

In the United Kingdom, the winner of a general election is usually known the following day. And while it is common in the United States that it takes a few days to know who the next president will be, in the 2000 election it took weeks.

Yes, it’s the infamous Florida election recount. The Sunshine State and its 25 Electoral College votes were to decide the fight between Democrat Al Gore and Republican George W. Bush, whose brother was governor of Florida.

On election night Nov. 7, TV stations called the state in Gore before polls closed across the state. Later that evening, they reversed their position and said it was too close to follow, then called it in favor of Bush and then came back “too close to follow.”

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A preliminary vote count the day after the election gave Bush a lead of about 1,700 votes in Florida – so close that state laws triggered an automatic recount. The first recount reduced Bush’s lead to just 317 votes.

At issue were Florida’s punched ballots and hanging chads — punched holes with one corner still intact — and how they were counted.

A legal battle ensued all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which, in a 5-4 ideological decision, ruled that no solution to the recount issue could be implemented in the deadlines, thus handing the state over to Bush.

Barack Obama’s iconic victory speech

History was made on election night 2008, when Barack Obama was declared the winner thanks to his campaign on themes of hope and change. He won more than 50% of the votes cast and became the first black president of the United States.

Amid jubilant scenes in his hometown of Chicago, Obama delivered a speech in Grant Park to more than 200,000 people on election night, including Oprah Winfrey and politician Jesse Jackson. Millions of people around the world watched it online.

“It’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did that day, in this election, in this defining moment, change has come to America,” he told his supporters, echoing remarks once made by civil rights hero Martin. Luther King.

In his speech that brought Winfrey and others in the crowd to tears, Obama also found time to congratulate his daughters, who he said had “deserved the new puppy that’s coming with us to the White House.”

Donald Trump denounces “fraud”

Perhaps the most dramatic US election night ever saw Donald Trump falsely claim to have defeated President Joe Biden in 2020.

In a speech that many US networks refused to broadcast in its entirety, Trump claimed without evidence that the election was stolen by Democrats.

“It’s a fraud on the American public. It’s a disgrace to our country,” he said on election night. “We were preparing to win this election. Frankly, we won this election.”

He made the statement despite a number of key states, including Georgia, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan, not being called.

The weeks following the election, before the transfer of power, saw his team launch a number of unsuccessful legal challenges and, in violent scenes, a mob broke into the US Capitol building on January 6, 2021.

As Trump vies for president again this week, questions are being raised about what could happen overnight if he loses to Kamala Harris.