November 14, 1969: President Richard Nixon flies down to Cape Kennedy for the launch of Apollo 12, the only one he will witness in person during his presidency. Unfortunately the Saturn V—visible here in the distance—is launched in the worst weather of any Apollo mission. 1/

Seen arriving with the president is First Lady Pat Nixon, daughter Tricia, Maine Senator Margaret Chase Smith, NASA administrator Tom Paine and astronaut Frank Borman. 2/

The umbrellas are out as Nixon (center) makes his way to the viewing stand. In the background can be seen ABC White House correspondent Tom Jarrell (far top left). 3/

News cameras are nearly as plentiful as outstretched hands as Nixon makes his way to the VIP area. 4/

The sky begins to darken as the countdown nears the launch time of 11:22:00 a.m. EST. In the Launch Control Center Vice President Spiro Agnew discusses the weather with former launch operations director Rocco Petrone. 5/

In the viewing stand, Frank Borman and Tom Paine. 6/

At 11:22 Apollo 12 launches into storm clouds. 7/

In the stand there are smiles under the umbrellas. However only a few seconds later... 8/

A flash of lightning is seen followed swiftly by a crash of thunder. 9/

In the Launch Contol Center, KSC deputy director Albert Seipert shows concern as Bill Anders advises Vice President Spiro Agnew. Pete Conrad has just reported, "Okay, we just lost the platform, gang. I don't know what happened here; we had everything in the world drop out." 10/

Apollo 12 has begun to send garbled data due to a power outage after two lightning strikes. Mission control's EECOM John Aaron offers a quick suggestion—"SCE to AUX"—that rights the spacecraft's electrical system less than a minute before the Saturn's first stage separates. 11/

After Apollo 12 is safely in orbit, President Nixon addresses the Launch Control Center's staff accompanied by KSC director Kurt Debus and Tom Paine. Nixon: "America, the United States, is first in space."
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Nixon also acknowledges Senator Margaret Chase Smith who has been on of the space program's strongest supporters in the Senate. 13/

Her hair still very wet from the thunderstorm, Tricia Nixon follows the progress of the flight over a headset. 14/

White House Assistant to the President for Domestic Affairs John Erlichman was one of the staff who flew down on Air Force One. Here he poses for the White House photographer. 15/

All photos from the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and NASA. 16/