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Birth of JFK
Kennedy is born in Massachusetts, into a wealthy and highly influential family. He was the second born son of Joseph Patrick Kennedy, Sr. and Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald. He had a privileged upbringing, although he was often unwell and hospitalised. Later in his life, Kennedy would be diagnosed with Addison's disease. -
JFK attends the Choate School
Kennedy attends the exclusive Choate School for 3 years, from grades 9 through to 12. He was a highly intelligent student who did not live up to his potential, but was known for his childish pranks. -
JFK goes to college
Kennedy had enrolled at Harvard, following in the footsteps of his older brother, rather than attending Princeton with his schoolmates. -
JFK travels to London
Kennedy travelled to London with his father and other brother Joe to London. Joe Senior was the US Ambassador to Great Britain, which allowed Kennedy to observe diplomacy in action. -
JFK completes honour thesis
Kennedy completes his senior honour thesis titled "Appeasement in Munich", which displayed his interest and flair for international affairs. This thesis would later be published as the book titled, "Why England slept" and would become a best seller.
You can read his thesis here.
http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKPP-026-004.aspx -
JFK joins the navy
Kennedy joins the US Navy despite having been disqualified previously due to his lower back problems. Kennedy used inside connections to ensure he would be accepted. Eventually he would earn the rank of Lieutenant. -
JFK's ship is attacked
Kennedy's ship, PT -109 was destroyed by a Japanese destroyer and he displayed immense bravery. He saved the life of one of his men who was badly burnt by towing him to shore, despite Kennedy's weak back and poor health. -
JFK's older brother dies
Joe Junior dies in a secret mission in World War II, despite having completed enough missions in the Air Force to be discharged. His remains have never been recovered. Joe Senior had high hopes for his eldest son, which now fell on John. -
JFK wins seat in Congress
Kennedy is elected to Congress as the Democratic Representative for Massachusetts and he defeats his Republican opponent by a large margin. Kennedy would serve until 1952 when he ran for Senator. -
JFK wins Senate race
Kennedy defeats the initially, highly popular, Republican Senator, Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. for the Massachusetts Senate seat. -
JFK gets married
Kennedy marries the talented journalist Jacqueline Bouvier. Later as First Lady, Jackie would become a worldwide fashion icon and attempted to create a Versailles in America. -
JFK becomes a father
Caroline Kennedy, the first surviving child of John and Jackie is born in New York. She would be the only child to live through the 21st Century. Caroline would also pursue a career in politics and is currently serving as US Ambassador to Japan. Fun fact, the song "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond was written about her. -
JFK accepts Democratic Party nomination for President
Kennedy accepts Democratic Party nomination for President and gives a speech which refers to a "New Frontier", a frontier of unknown opportunities and perils. He chooses Senator from Texas, Lyndon B. Johnson as his running mate because of votes he would gain in the election. Here is a video of that speech,
http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/AS08q5oYz0SFUZg9uOi4iw.aspx -
JFK debates Republican candidate Richard Nixon live
Kennedy debates Republican candidate Richard Nixon on live television. This is the first ever televised Presidential debate, although who actually won the debate differed amongst viewers. Radio listeners concluded Nixon was victorious, while television viewers suggested the opposite. Here is a link to that debate,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbrcRKqLSRw -
JFK becomes a father again
John F. Kennedy Junior is born and is given the nickname John-John.
He became a prosecutor in the Manhattan district attorney's office. John would tragically die in a plane crash with his wife Carolyn Bessette at age 38. -
JFK wins the Presidential Election
John is inaugurated as the 35th President of the United States of America. He famously states, "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country". Here is the link to the speech.
http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/BqXIEM9F4024ntFl7SVAjA.aspx -
JFK establishes the Peace Corps
Kennedy establishes the Peace Corps by issuing Executive Order 10924. The aim of the Peace Crops is to "To promote world peace and friendship" and to assist developing countries. This groups still exists, some 50 years later. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
The 1400 paramilitaries, who began training under Eisenhower's presidency, invaded Cuba with the motive of overthrowing Fidel Castro's revolutionary government. The operation was a failure that strengthened Castro's administration and Cuba's ties with the Soviet Union and hence communism. Kennedy and his government were completely embarrassed and he was enraged by the CIA's inability to carry out this mission successfully. -
JFK supports South Vietnam
Kennedy decides to support South Vietnam in the fight against the communist North. The support is in the form of weaponry and advisers, as Kennedy was uneasy about deploying mass numbers of troops. By 1963, Kennedy is aware of the dire situation in Vietnam, in which he states, "We don't have a prayer of staying in Vietnam. Those people hate us. They are going to throw our asses out of there at any point. But I can't give up that territory to the communists and get the American people to re-elec -
JFK states an ultimatum
Kennedy states in his address to a join session of Congress that America should, "Commit, before this decade is out, to landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth." Since the success of the Freedom 7, which Alan Shepard became the first American into space, Kennedy set his sights higher. Here is a link to the speech,
http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/xzw1gaeeTES6khED14P1Iw.aspx -
JFK wants a man on the Moon
At Rice University, Kennedy announces the country's goal to put a man on the moon, especially before the Soviet Union (Space Race).
He states, "We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard." Here is a link to the speech,
http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/MkATdOcdU06X5uNHbmqm1Q.aspx -
Cuban Missile Crisis begins
This is the first day US intelligence has pictures of the Soviet nuclear weapons located in Cuba. The following day these images are shown to the President and several plans including an air strike, invasion or blockade were suggested. Kennedy decided with a less drastic and confrontational method, of a naval blockade, which was called a 'quarantine' as to avoid breaking international law with an act of war. -
JFK addresses the nation on the Soviet arms buildup in Cuba
Here is a link to the Kennedy's speech. http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/sUVmCh-sB0moLfrBcaHaSg.aspx -
Cuban Missile Crisis ends
The Cuban Missile Crisis ends with the American and Soviets coming to an agreement that: - the Soviet Union would remove the missiles from Cuba - the US would agree to not invade Cuba
Secretly, Kennedy also agreed to remove the US missiles located in Turkey, which were aimed at the Soviet Union. The naval blockade of Cuba ended November 20, 1962.
Kennedy showed great diplomacy, rather than arrogance, which was crucial in stopping an all out nuclear war with millions of casualties. -
JFK takes a stand on Civil Rights
Kennedy finally calls for a federal solution to the segregation issue by requesting Congress pass a Civil Rights Act. This is in response to the University of Alabama refusing African American students to attend. It was one of his most famous speeches, although he did not completely prepare and did 'wing it'. Here is a link to the speech,
http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/LH8F_0Mzv0e6Ro1yEm74Ng.aspx -
JFK visits West Berlin
Kennedy visits West Berlin and gives his famous speech Ich bin ein Berliner (I am a Berliner). He was met with wide applause in the streets and was advocating representative democracy and capitalism. West Berlin was the perfect place to advocate these, considering its geographical closeness to communism and the Soviet block. This is the speech,
http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/oEX2uqSQGEGIdTYgd_JL_Q.aspx -
JFK signs the Partial Test Ban Treaty
Kennedy, along with the governments of the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union sign the Partial Test Ban Treaty, which prohibited the testing of nuclear weapons, except for underground. The treaty still exists today with over 100 signatory countries. Here is a link his address to the American people.
http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/ZNOo49DpRUa-kMetjWmSyg.aspx -
Death of JFK
During a tour of Dallas, Kennedy is shot and killed in the motorcade. Lee Harvey Oswald is arrested and charged with assassinating the President, although before a trial can begin, Jack Ruby kills Oswald while he is being escorted. But what really happened that day?
