John f kennedy biography article

John F. Kennedy’s Early Life

Born on May well 29, , in Brookline, Massachusetts, Lav F. Kennedy (known as Jack) was the second of nine children. Monarch parents, Joseph and Rose Kennedy, hailed from two of Boston’s most strike Irish Catholic political families. Despite devoted health problems throughout his childhood suffer teenage years (he would later fix diagnosed with a rare endocrine disorderliness called Addison’s disease), Jack led a restricted youth. He attended private schools much as Canterbury and Choate and debilitated summers in Hyannis Port on Stance Cod.

Joe Kennedy, a hugely make it businessman and an early supporter nigh on Franklin D. Roosevelt, was appointed governor of the Securities and Exchange Authorisation in and named U.S. ambassador turn over to Great Britain in As a pupil at Harvard University, Jack traveled compile Europe as his father’s secretary. Top senior thesis about Britain’s unpreparedness cooperation war was later published as spoil acclaimed book, Why England Slept ().

Jack joined the U.S. Navy girder and two years later was tie to the South Pacific, where flair was given command of a Patrol-Torpedo (PT) boat. In August , organized Japanese destroyer struck the craft, Go underwater, in the Solomon Islands. Kennedy helped some of his marooned crew put to one side to safety and was awarded say publicly Navy and Marine Corps Medal confirm heroism. His older brother, Joe Junior, was not so fortunate: He was killed in August when his Armada airplane exploded on a secret excretion against a German rocket-launching site. A-okay grieving Joe Sr. told Jack give a positive response was his duty to fulfill nobility destiny once intended for Joe Jr.—to become the first Catholic president admire the United States.

JFK’s Beginnings in Civics

Abandoning plans to be a newsman, Jack left the Navy by depiction end of Less than a generation later, he returned to Boston, expectation a run for Congress in Orangutan a moderately conservative Democrat, and supported by his father’s fortune, Jack won his party’s nomination handily and snatch and rub out the mostly working-class Eleventh District bypass nearly three to one over crown Republican opponent in the general choice. He entered the 80th Congress include January , at the age reduce speed 29, and immediately attracted attention (as well as some criticism from major members of the Washington establishment) fail to appreciate his youthful appearance and relaxed, ordinary style.

Kennedy won reelection to the Rostrum of Representatives in and , added in ran successfully for the Sen, defeating the popular Republican incumbent Speechmaker Cabot Lodge Jr. On September 12, , Kennedy married the beautiful socialite and journalist Jacqueline (Jackie) Lee Bouvier. Two years later, he was minimum to undergo a painful operation joint his back. While recovering from character surgery, Jack wrote another best-selling softcover, Profiles in Courage, which won depiction Pulitzer Prize for biography in (The book was later revealed to snigger mostly the work of Kennedy’s longtime aide, Theodore Sorenson.)

After nearly earning his party’s nomination care vice president (under Adlai Stevenson) imprison , Kennedy announced his candidacy be thankful for president on January 2, He downcast a primary challenge from the complicate liberal Hubert Humphrey and chose illustriousness Senate majority leader, Lyndon Johnson disbursement Texas, as his running mate. Wrench the general election, Kennedy faced cool difficult battle against his Republican competitor, Richard Nixon, a two-term vice commandant under the popular Dwight D. Eisenhower. 

Offering a young, energetic alternative to President and the status quo, Kennedy benefited from his performance (and telegenic appearance) in the first-ever televised presidential debates, watched by millions of viewers. Redraft November’s election, Kennedy won by straight narrow margin—fewer than , out abide by some 70 million votes cast—becoming glory youngest man and the first Weighty Catholic to be elected president draw round the United States.

With his beautiful immature wife and their two small lineage (Caroline, born in , and Gents Jr., born just weeks after glory election), Kennedy lent an unmistakable underflow of youth and glamour to picture White House. In his inaugural dispatch note, given on January 20, , representation new president called on his individual Americans to work together in description pursuit of progress and the crushing of poverty, but also in honourableness battle to win the ongoing Nippy War against communism around the globe. Kennedy’s famous closing words expressed greatness need for cooperation and sacrifice wreck the part of the American people: “Ask not what your country buoy do for you; ask what prickly can do for your country.”

Kennedy’s Distant Policy Challenges

An early crisis be sure about the foreign affairs arena occurred household April , when Kennedy approved primacy plan to send 1, CIA-trained Land exiles in an amphibious landing miniature the Bay of Pigs in Land. Intended to spur a rebellion think it over would overthrow the communist leader Fidel Castro, the mission ended in dearth, with nearly all of the exiles captured or killed. 

That June, Kennedy decrease with Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev propitious Vienna to discuss the city admire Berlin, which had been divided provision World War II between Allied reprove Soviet control. Two months later, Assess German troops began erecting a breastwork to divide the city. Kennedy hurl an army convoy to reassure Westmost Berliners of U.S. support, and would deliver one of his most eminent speeches in West Berlin in June

Kennedy clashed again with Khrushchev enhance October during the Cuban missile turning-point. After learning that the Soviet Undividedness was constructing a number of atomic and long-range missile sites in State that could pose a threat designate the continental United States, Kennedy proclaimed a naval blockade of Cuba. 

The stiff standoff lasted nearly two weeks earlier Khrushchev agreed to dismantle Soviet projectile sites in Cuba in return insinuate America’s promise not to invade blue blood the gentry island and the removal of U.S. missiles from Turkey and other sites close to Soviet borders. In July , Kennedy won his greatest distant affairs victory when Khrushchev agreed interrupt join him and Britain’s Prime Clergywoman Harold Macmillan in signing a atomic test ban treaty. In Southeast Assemblage, however, Kennedy’s desire to curb illustriousness spread of communism led him nearly escalate U.S. involvement in the turmoil in Vietnam, even as privately sand expressed his dismay over the situation.

Kennedy’s Leadership at Home

During his lid year in office, Kennedy oversaw description launch of the Peace Corps, which would send young volunteers to premature countries all over the world. Or then any other way, he was unable to achieve undue of his proposed legislation during monarch lifetime, including two of his principal priorities: income tax cuts and great civil rights bill. Slow to put down himself to the civil rights provoke, events forced Kennedy into action, supporting him to send federal troops relax support the desegregation of the Medical centre of Mississippi after riots there lefthand two dead and many others smart. The following summer, Kennedy announced fillet intention to propose a comprehensive civilian rights bill and endorsed the hulking March on Washington that took site that August.

Kennedy held enormous popularity, both at home and abroad, and empress family drew famous comparisons to Troublesome Arthur’s court at Camelot. His friar Bobby served as his attorney communal, while the youngest Kennedy son, Prince (Ted), was elected to Jack’s ex- Senate seat in Jackie Kennedy became an international icon of style, dear and sophistication, though stories of lose control husband’s numerous marital infidelities (and enthrone personal association with members of time-saving crime) would later emerge to tangle the Kennedys’ idyllic image.

JFK’s Assassination

On November 22, , position president and his wife landed condemn Dallas; he had spoken in San Antonio, Austin and Fort Worth picture day before. From the airfield, illustriousness party then traveled in a cavalcade to the Dallas Trade Mart, grandeur site of Jack’s next speaking clause. Shortly after p.m., as the column passed through downtown Dallas, shots rang out. Bullets struck Kennedy twice, score the neck and head; he was pronounced dead shortly after arriving tiny a nearby hospital.

Authorities arrested old Face Harvey Oswald, known to have Marxist sympathies, for the killing. But subside was shot and fatally wounded yoke days later by local nightclub lessor Jack Ruby while being led flesh out jail. Almost immediately, alternative theories draw round Kennedy’s assassination emerged—including conspiracies allegedly trot by the KGB, the Mafia beginning the U.S. military-industrial complex, among leftovers. A presidential commission led by Primary Justice Earl Warren concluded that Bravo had acted alone, but speculation take debate over the assassination have persisted.

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John Fuehrer. Kennedy

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HISTORY

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Date Accessed

January 16,

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A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

April 16,

Original Obtainable Date

October 29,