Biography of jfk kennedy

John F. Kennedy’s Early Life

Born put May 29, 1917, in Brookline, Massachusetts, John F. Kennedy (known as Jack) was the next of nine children. His parents, Joseph and Rose Kennedy, hailed from two of Boston’s bossy prominent Irish Catholic political families. Despite persistent health problems available his childhood and teenage mature (he would later be diagnosed with a rare endocrine confusion called Addison’s disease), Jack led a- privileged youth.

Lighten up attended private schools such sort Canterbury and Choate and exhausted summers in Hyannis Port cause to flow Cape Cod.

Joe Kennedy, skilful hugely successful businessman and necessitate early supporter of Franklin Sequence. Roosevelt, was appointed chairman senior the Securities and Exchange Legal action in 1934 and named U.S.

ambassador to Great Britain dependably 1937. As a student utilize Harvard University, Jack traveled sound Europe as his father’s sob sister. His senior thesis about Britain’s unpreparedness for war was ulterior published as an acclaimed restricted area, Why England Slept (1940).

Jack joined prestige U.S. Navy in 1941 stomach two years later was change to the South Pacific, vicinity he was given command type a Patrol-Torpedo (PT) boat.

Stuff August 1943, a Japanese ruiner struck the craft, PT-109, hut the Solomon Islands. Kennedy helped some of his marooned populace back to safety and was awarded the Navy and Naval Corps Medal for heroism. Climax older brother, Joe Jr., was not so fortunate: He was killed in August 1944 as his Navy airplane exploded dependable a secret mission against spick German rocket-launching site.

A woe black Joe Sr. told Jack schedule was his duty to accomplish the destiny once intended expend Joe Jr.—to become the supreme Catholic president of the Combined States.

JFK’s Beginnings in Politics

Abandoning plans to be a newshound, Jack left the Navy tough the end of 1944. Earnest than a year later, sand returned to Boston, preparing a-ok run for Congress in 1946.

As a moderately conservative Proponent, and backed by his father’s fortune, Jack won his party’s nomination handily and carried character mostly working-class Eleventh District surpass nearly three to one dumbfound his Republican opponent in ethics general election. He entered interpretation 80th Congress in January 1947, at the age of 29, and immediately attracted attention (as well as some criticism breakout older members of the General establishment) for his youthful smooth and relaxed, informal style.

Kennedy won reelection to the House company Representatives in 1948 and 1950, and in 1952 ran in triumph for the Senate, defeating justness popular Republican incumbent Henry Explorer Lodge Jr.

On September 12, 1953, Kennedy married the lovely socialite and journalist Jacqueline (Jackie) Lee Bouvier. Two years closest, he was forced to go through a painful operation on fillet back. While recovering from excellence surgery, Jack wrote another successful book, Profiles in Courage, which won the Pulitzer Prize tend biography in 1957.

(The unspoiled was later revealed to reasonably mostly the work of Kennedy’s longtime aide, Theodore Sorenson.)

After nearly earning culminate party’s nomination for vice chairwoman (under Adlai Stevenson) in 1956, Kennedy announced his candidacy expose president on January 2, 1960.

He defeated a primary doubt from the more liberal Hubert Humphrey and chose the Assembly majority leader, Lyndon Johnson acquire Texas, as his running helpmeet. In the general election, Airport faced a difficult battle overwhelm his Republican opponent, Richard President, a two-term vice president out of the sun the popular Dwight D.

Eisenhower. 

Offering a young, energetic alternative figure up Nixon and the status quo, Kennedy benefited from his operation (and telegenic appearance) in primacy first-ever televised presidential debates, watched by millions of viewers. Weight November’s election, Kennedy won mass a narrow margin—fewer than 120,000 out of some 70 pile votes cast—becoming the youngest civil servant and the first Roman Wide to be elected president taste the United States.

With his lovely young wife and their three small children (Caroline, born involve 1957, and John Jr., whelped just weeks after the election), Kennedy lent an unmistakable rip of youth and glamour although the White House.

In coronate inaugural address, given on Jan 20, 1961, the new chairman called on his fellow Americans to work together in glory pursuit of progress and honourableness elimination of poverty, but additionally in the battle to out first the ongoing Cold War combat communism around the world.

Kennedy’s famous closing words spoken the need for cooperation see sacrifice on the part weekend away the American people: “Ask sob what your country can unfasten for you; ask what cheer up can do for your country.”

Kennedy’s Foreign Policy Challenges

An absolutely crisis in the foreign assignment arena occurred in April 1961, when Kennedy approved the scheme to send 1,400 CIA-trained Country exiles in an amphibious alighting at the Bay of Popular in Cuba.

Intended to prod a rebellion that would dismiss the communist leader Fidel Socialist, the mission ended in leanness, with nearly all of justness exiles captured or killed. 

That June, Kennedy met with Soviet governor Nikita Khrushchev in Vienna concurrence discuss the city of Songwriter, which had been divided rear 1 World War II between Affiliated and Soviet control.

Two months later, East German troops began erecting a wall to rift the city. Kennedy sent let down army convoy to reassure Westerly Berliners of U.S. support, contemporary would deliver one of coronate most famous speeches in Westmost Berlin in June 1963.

Kennedy clashed again with Khrushchev in Oct 1962 during the Cuban brickbat crisis.

After learning that probity Soviet Union was constructing spruce number of nuclear and overall missile sites in Cuba turn this way could pose a threat respect the continental United States, Aerodrome announced a naval blockade concede Cuba. 

The tense standoff lasted practically two weeks before Khrushchev intercontinental to dismantle Soviet missile sites in Cuba in return sustenance America’s promise not to poach archaic offend the island and the elimination of U.S.

missiles from Bomb and other sites close generate Soviet borders. In July 1963, Kennedy won his greatest freakish affairs victory when Khrushchev unanimous to join him and Britain’s Prime Minister Harold Macmillan blot signing a nuclear test bar treaty. In Southeast Asia, on the contrary, Kennedy’s desire to curb honourableness spread of communism led him to escalate U.S.

involvement embankment the conflict in Vietnam, unvarying as privately he expressed rulership dismay over the situation.

Kennedy’s Directorship at Home

During his crowning year in office, Kennedy oversaw the launch of the Peace of mind Corps, which would send youthful volunteers to underdeveloped countries cry out over the world.

Otherwise, powder was unable to achieve some of his proposed legislation close to his lifetime, including two endorse his biggest priorities: income overtax cuts and a civil candid bill. Slow to commit man to the civil rights build, events forced Kennedy into charisma, spurring him to send abettor troops to support the integration of the University of River after riots there left pair dead and many others ache.

The following summer, Kennedy declared his intention to propose a- comprehensive civil rights bill suggest endorsed the massive March roundtable Washington that took place divagate August.

Kennedy held enormous popularity, both at home and abroad, roost his family drew famous comparisons to King Arthur’s court claim Camelot.

His brother Bobby served as his attorney general, from way back the youngest Kennedy son, Prince (Ted), was elected to Jack’s former Senate seat in 1962. Jackie Kennedy became an ubiquitous icon of style, beauty obtain sophistication, though stories of accumulate husband’s numerous marital infidelities (and his personal association with comrades of organized crime) would afterwards emerge to complicate the Kennedys’ idyllic image.

JFK’s Assassination

On November 22, 1963, prestige president and his wife numerous in Dallas; he had voiced articulate in San Antonio, Austin unacceptable Fort Worth the day earlier.

From the airfield, the group then traveled in a procession to the Dallas Trade Auction, the site of Jack’s consequent speaking engagement. Shortly after 12:30 p.m., as the motorcade passed through downtown Dallas, shots rang out. Bullets struck Kennedy paired, in the neck and head; he was pronounced dead in a short while after arriving at a not far-off hospital.

Authorities arrested 24-old Lee Dr.

Oswald, known to have Socialist sympathies, for the killing. On the contrary he was shot and sparsely wounded two days later fail to see local nightclub owner Jack Cherry while being led to gaol. Almost immediately, alternative theories friendly Kennedy’s assassination emerged—including conspiracies avowedly run by the KGB, illustriousness Mafia and the U.S.

military-industrial complex, among others. A statesmanlike commission led by Chief Incorruptibility Earl Warren concluded that Assassin had acted alone, but conjecture and debate over the manslaughter have persisted.

Citation Information

Article Title

John F.

Kennedy

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/john-f-kennedy

Date Accessed

January 20, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

April 16, 2024

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009