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Birth/Early life
John F. Kennedy was born in Brookline, Massachusetts. He served in the U.S House of Representatives and the U.S Senate before becoming president of the United States in 1961. -
Family
Both the Fitzgeralds and the Kennedy's were wealthy and prominent Catholic Boston families. The Kennedy children remained close-knit and supportive of each other throughout their entire lives. -
Education
He attended a Catholic boys' boarding school in Connecticut called Canterbury, where he excelled at English and history, the subjects he enjoyed, but almost flunked Latin, in which he had no interest. After he graduated from Choate he spent one semester at Princeton, then transferred to Harvard University in 1936. -
Employment
Late in 1937, Mr. Kennedy was appointed United States Ambassador to England and moved there with his whole family, with the exception of Joe and Jack who were at Harvard. Because of his father’s job, Jack became very interested in European politics and world affairs. After a summer visit to England and other countries in Europe, Jack returned to Harvard more eager to learn about history and government and to keep up with current events. After he graduated from Harvard he went into the Navy. -
Politics
After serious discussions with Jack about his future, Joseph Kennedy convinced him that he should run for Congress in Massachusetts' eleventh congressional district, where he won in 1946. As the years went on, John F. Kennedy, a Democrat, served three terms (six years) in the House of Representatives, and in 1952 he was elected to the US Senate. In 1956 he was starting to become a popular politician and he then decided to run for president in the next election. -
Presidency
John F. Kennedy became president on January 20, 1961. In his inaugural speech he spoke of the needs of Americans to be active citizens. He was worried though, One of the things he was worried about most was the possibility of nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union. He knew that if there was a war, millions of people would die. Since World War II, there had been a lot of anger and suspicion between the two countries but never any shooting between Soviet and American troops -
Legacy
John F. Kennedy's legacy is a vision of political action and public service based on courage, service, inclusion, and innovation. -
Soviet Union
Shortly after his inauguration, Kennedy permitted a band of Cuban exiles, already armed and trained, to invade their homeland. The attempt to overthrow the regime of Fidel Castro was a failure. Soon the Soviet Union renewed its campaign against West Berlin. Kennedy replied by reinforcing the Berlin garrison and increasing the Nation’s military strength, including new efforts in outer space. -
Death
Crowds of excited people lined the streets and waved to the Kennedys. The car turned off Main Street at Dealey Plaza around 12:30 p.m. As it was passing the Texas School Book Depository, gunfire suddenly reverberated in the plaza. Bullets struck the president's neck and head and he slumped over toward Mrs. Kennedy.The car sped off to Parkland Memorial Hospital just a few minutes away. But little could be done for the President. John F. Kennedy was pronounced dead. -
Assassination
Dallas Police officer Merriam Baker and Roy Truly and the Texas School Book Depository building manager, stop Oswald but allow him to continue when Truly recognizes Oswald as an employee.
