When Bobby Kennedy, by then senator from New York and candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, was cut down by an assassin at age 42, his brother, Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy, offered the eulogy:

My brother need not be idealized, or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life; to be remembered simply as a good and decent man, who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it. . . . As he said many times, in many parts of this nation, to those he touched and who sought to touch him: “Some men see things as they are and say why. I dream things that never were and say why not.”

It was another first in presidential history.

When President Obama left the White House on Thursday for Andrews Air Force Base, the Marine One helicopter that lifted off from the South Lawn was piloted by the first female helicopter aircraft commander in Marine One history. Maj. Jennifer Grieves of Glendale, Ariz., flew her first Marine One mission in May 2008, and had flown Obama and then-President George W. Bush.

In honor of Grieves’ last day in the rotation, the Marines assigned two other female officers — Maj. Jennifer L. Marino, of Palisade, Colo., and Sgt. Rachael A. Sherman, of Traverse City, Mich. — to complete the crew. And that all-female crew was another first.

Obama’s historic all-female Marine One crew | Top of the Ticket | Los Angeles Times.

The 44th president threw out the ceremonial first pitch, something no one in office had done since Gerald Ford at the 1976 All-Star Game in Philadelphia, won by the NL at a time when it was dominating. It was important that he was part of this, because his call to public service by all Americans was the catalyst for the “Go Beyond” theme that pervaded this entire All-Star Week as well as the moving tribute to 30 winners of the All-Stars Among Us campaign.

Obama wore jeans, a black White Sox jacket and a big smile as he popped out of the National League dugout, amid incredibly high security that had caused some gridlock within the ballpark in the previous two or three hours. The president drew a great ovation in this especially patriotic setting, then he met with the Cardinals legends and proceeded to walk to the mound.

The left-hander toed the rubber, and then let it fly toward Pujols at the plate.

Obama kicks off historic night in St. Louis | MLB.com: News.

He is known in some circles as the First Fan, a devotee of the Chicago Bulls, a president so passionate about sports that he went on ESPN a few months ago to announce his bracket predictions for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

But tonight, President Obama becomes the nation’s baseball guy, throwing out the first pitch at the All-Star game in St. Louis, and doing a half inning of sports commentary in the Fox TV anchor booth.

Lots of people are already giving him advice.

Baseball legend Willie Mays is traveling with the president on Air Force One from Michigan (where POTUS was pitching education) to St. Louis, th esite of the ballgame. Hard to imagine they won’t talk technique.

Then there’s Cardinals all-star Albert Pujols, who’s slated to catch the president’s debut first pitch. During pregame interviews Monday, the Cardinals’ first baseman offered some advice to Obama.

“Lob it up there. Don’t try to be a perfect throw,’” Pujols said. “The worst thing, if you throw any first pitch, you don’t want to bounce it. That’s the advice that I’m going to give. Make sure that you don’t bounce it.”

Pujols to Obama: ‘Don’t bounce it’ | Top of the Ticket | Los Angeles Times.

Harmless gesture? Michelle Obama with her hand on the Queen’s back as they met at Buckingham Palace

She is not renowned for public displays of affection. Which made the Queen’s decision to put a friendly arm around Michelle Obama’s waist at a Buckingham Palace G20 reception - prompting the U.S. President’s wife to return the gesture - so utterly astonishing.

Finding herself next to Mrs Obama, the Queen remarked on their height difference. As she did so, her hand edged towards the small of Mrs Obama’s back. Mrs Obama responded - and even rubbed the Queen’s shoulder - before both women moved gently apart after about ten seconds.

The sight of the Queen publicly hugging another woman astonished other guests. An onlooker said: ‘It was a pretty simultaneous gesture. We couldn’t believe what we were seeing.’

via One’s new best friend: The Queen, Michelle and the new touchy-feely protocol | Mail Online.

Look at the complete Photo Diary of the Visit with the Queen and the Obama’s And do Not Miss the Mrs. O website which follows the fashionable Mrs. Obama our most beloved  First Lady