It was 100 years ago this month that the 35th President of The United States was born and being the first person born in the 20th century to serve as President, he had quite an interesting life.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, otherwise known by his entails, JFK. Was the 35th President of the United States and also served as a Senator of Massachusets from January 1953 – December 1960.
He was also a member of the United States House of Representative from 1947 – 1953. He is also the youngest person to ever be elected President.
He was born into a wealthy family. His father Joseph P. Kennedy was ambassador to the United Kingdom.
Kennedy had 3 brothers, Joseph Jr who was a pilot but was killed on a bombing mission in Europe. Edward, who ran for senate in Massachusetts in 1980 and Robert, who was assassinated in 1968 by Sirhan Sirhan. He also had five sisters, Rosemary, Kathleen, Eunice, Patricia and Jean.
(From left to right) Jack (JFK), Bobby and TeddyFor the first 10 years of his life, Kennedy lived Brookline and attended Edward Devotion School, the Noble and Greenough Lower School, and the Dexter School through 4th grade.
Kennedy as a young boyKennedy went on to graduate from Harvard University and later went on to join the United States Naval Reserve in 1941, during WWII he was in command of a series of PT boats.
Kennedy’s application to Harvard was just 5 sentences long.
Before that though, in 1940. Kennedy attempted to enter Army’s officer candidate school, but due to his chronic lower back problems, he was medically disqualified.
For months he would exercise in order to straighten his back out and by September 1941, Kennedy joined the US Navy reserve, with help from the director of the office of Naval Intelligence.
Kennedy aboard a PT Boat during WWIIOne month later he was commissioned an ensign and joined the staff of the Officer of Naval Intelligence in Washington D.C.
After his PT boat was sunk in World War II, Kennedy wrote a message on a coconut asking for help and it worked.
He earned the Marine Corps Medal for his service.
Kennedy in Military UniformWhen he referred home Kennedy worked at a newspaper and then As I mentioned earlier went on to be a member of the house of representatives and served as a Senate from 1953 – 1960.
It was by 1960 that he began his campaign for President.
On September 12, 1953, Kennedy married his wife Jacqueline Bouvier. They had 4 children. But only their daughter Caroline and their son John Jr survived infancy.
In 1958 American TV talk host Larry King crashed into Kennedy’s car. Kennedy said he would forget the whole thing if King promised to vote for him when he ran for President.
The Presidential Election between Kennedy and Nixon was a tough one. Kennedy was running for the Democratic Party, while Nixon ran for The Republicans. During their Presidential debates, it’s anyone’s guess who won. Kennedy and Nixon were the first candidates to have their debate televised.
In a speech made in 1961, Kennedy was recorded as speaking at 327 words per minute, the fastest rate of public speaking in history.
People who watched the debate on the television, said that Kennedy won and those that listened on the radio said that Nixon won. But Kennedy beat Nixon and won the Presidency. Kennedy was inaugurated by 1961.
While in officer Kennedy took Communism in South East Asia, Europe and Latin America. Communism was the main focus of Kennedy’s time in the White House. But it was also Kennedy who pushed for what is now the most popular health care programme, Medicare.
In 1961 the American government failed to overthrow the Cuban government of Fidel Castro in the “Bay of Pigs invasion”
Kennedy’s joint Chiefs of Staff wanted to stage false flag attacks on American soil. The aim of this would be to gain public support from the public to go to war with Cuba. Kennedy rejected these plans.
Kennedy bought 1,200 Cuban Cigars just hours before signing the embargo against Cuba.
Bobby (left) and JFK (right)In 1962 Soviet missile bases had been deployed in Cuba. These bases were picked up by US spy planes. This triggered the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Kennedy forced the Soviet Union to back down and prevented what could have been a deadly nuclear war.
Kennedy is also known for his affair with American Actress and singer, Marilyn Monroe. Many believe Kennedy was involved in her death. The conspiracy theory is that Monroe was going to go public about her affair with the President.
It’s believed by conspiracy theorists that JFK’s brother Robert F. Kennedy had Monroe killed on his brothers behalf so it would not affect Kennedy’s re-election in 1964
Kennedy and Marilyn MonroeDuring 1962, Kennedy had set up a secret tapping system in the White House. Most probably to help with his later memoir.
Kennedy in the Oval OfficeKennedy’s foreign policy was dominated by American confrontations with the Soviet Union, manifested by proxy contests in the early stage of the Cold War. In 1961, Kennedy anxiously anticipated a summit with Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev.
At one point Kennedy was so concerned about the space program’s high cost, that he proposed partnering with the Soviet Union a joint expedition to the moon.
During his time as a congressman and later as U.S. President, Kennedy donated all of his salary to charity.
On November 1963, Kennedy was travelling through Dallas, Texas in an open roofed Motorcade with his wife Jackie and the Governor of Texas. As the motorcade turned into Elm Street, Lee Harvey Oswald was waiting on the 6th floor of the Texas School Book Depository.
Texas Schoolbook Depository. Photo by: Gore GourmetKennedy was shot at 12:30pm and was pronounced dead at Parkland Hospital at 1:00pm. The FBI and the Warren Commision concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone shooter in the assassination.
In 1999 the U.S. Government paid the Zapruder Family $16,000,000 for the film footage of Kennedy’s assassination. Which is the same footage we see today.
Kennedy is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Kennedy’s grave
Profiles in History 