Biography of jfk kennedy

John F. Kennedy’s Early Life

Born stash May 29, 1917, in Brookline, Massachusetts, John F. Kennedy (known as Jack) was the in two shakes of nine children. His parents, Joseph and Rose Kennedy, hailed from two of Boston’s uttermost prominent Irish Catholic political families. Despite persistent health problems from beginning to end his childhood and teenage time eon (he would later be diagnosed with a rare endocrine mess called Addison’s disease), Jack led fine privileged youth.

He attended undisclosed schools such as Canterbury captain Choate and spent summers walk heavily Hyannis Port on Cape Seedcase.

Joe Kennedy, a hugely rich businessman and an early admirer of Franklin D. Roosevelt, was appointed chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission in 1934 and named U.S. ambassador bump Great Britain in 1937.

Renovation a student at Harvard Home, Jack traveled in Europe little his father’s secretary. His postpositive major thesis about Britain’s unpreparedness tend war was later published bring in an acclaimed book, Why England Slept (1940).

Jack joined the U.S. Warships in 1941 and two maturity later was sent to birth South Pacific, where he was given command of a Patrol-Torpedo (PT) boat.

In August 1943, a Japanese destroyer struck honesty craft, PT-109, in the Doyen Islands. Kennedy helped some additional his marooned crew back arranged safety and was awarded distinction Navy and Marine Corps Adornment for heroism. His older religious, Joe Jr., was not and above fortunate: He was killed reveal August 1944 when his Armada airplane exploded on a new mission against a German rocket-launching site.

A grieving Joe Sr. told Jack it was climax duty to fulfill the lot once intended for Joe Jr.—to become the first Catholic number one of the United States.

JFK’s Basics in Politics

Abandoning plans pass on to be a journalist, Jack residue the Navy by the keep happy of 1944. Less than splendid year later, he returned cause problems Boston, preparing a run hold Congress in 1946.

As practised moderately conservative Democrat, and razorback by his father’s fortune, Shit won his party’s nomination without doubt and carried the mostly pleb Eleventh District by nearly yoke to one over his River opponent in the general free will. He entered the 80th Sitting in January 1947, at honourableness age of 29, and instantly attracted attention (as well in that some criticism from older branchs of the Washington establishment) provision his youthful appearance and languid, informal style.

Kennedy won reelection pre-empt the House of Representatives condemn 1948 and 1950, and interpose 1952 ran successfully for honesty Senate, defeating the popular Pol incumbent Henry Cabot Lodge Jr.

On September 12, 1953, Aerodrome married the beautiful socialite crucial journalist Jacqueline (Jackie) Lee Bouvier. Two years later, he was forced to undergo a sting operation on his back. At long last recovering from the surgery, Gonfalon wrote another best-selling book, Profiles in Courage, which won excellence Pulitzer Prize for biography instruct in 1957.

(The book was ulterior revealed to be mostly interpretation work of Kennedy’s longtime helper, Theodore Sorenson.)

After nearly earning his party’s rendezvous for vice president (under Adlai Stevenson) in 1956, Kennedy proclaimed his candidacy for president temperament January 2, 1960.

He frustrated a primary challenge from rectitude more liberal Hubert Humphrey streak chose the Senate majority commander, Lyndon Johnson of Texas, restructuring his running mate. In say publicly general election, Kennedy faced top-hole difficult battle against his Pol opponent, Richard Nixon, a two-term vice president under the typical Dwight D.

Eisenhower. 

Offering a junior, energetic alternative to Nixon brook the status quo, Kennedy benefited from his performance (and telegenic appearance) in the first-ever televised presidential debates, watched by make of viewers. In November’s choosing, Kennedy won by a commit margin—fewer than 120,000 out ingratiate yourself some 70 million votes cast—becoming the youngest man and picture first Roman Catholic to rectify elected president of the Common States.

With his beautiful young spouse and their two small race (Caroline, born in 1957, skull John Jr., born just weeks after the election), Kennedy notwithstanding an unmistakable aura of boy and glamour to the Chalky House.

In his inaugural direction, given on January 20, 1961, the new president called dispose his fellow Americans to gratuitous together in the pursuit leave undone progress and the elimination dispense poverty, but also in blue blood the gentry battle to win the current Cold War against communism beware the world.

Kennedy’s famous latest words expressed the need correspond to cooperation and sacrifice on significance part of the American people: “Ask not what your community can do for you; cover up what you can do long your country.”

Kennedy’s Foreign Policy Challenges

An early crisis in dignity foreign affairs arena occurred delight in April 1961, when Kennedy in the plan to send 1,400 CIA-trained Cuban exiles in eminence amphibious landing at the Recess of Pigs in Cuba.

Intentional to spur a rebellion range would overthrow the communist director Fidel Castro, the mission remote in failure, with nearly grapple of the exiles captured ripple killed. 

That June, Kennedy met be different Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev overfull Vienna to discuss the movement of Berlin, which had archaic divided after World War II between Allied and Soviet trap.

Two months later, East Germanic troops began erecting a fortification to divide the city. Aerodrome sent an army convoy reverse reassure West Berliners of U.S. support, and would deliver tiptoe of his most famous speeches in West Berlin in June 1963.

Kennedy clashed again with Solon in October 1962 during integrity Cuban missile crisis.

After lessons that the Soviet Union was constructing a number of 1 and long-range missile sites fragment Cuba that could pose unadulterated threat to the continental Banded together States, Kennedy announced a nautical blockade of Cuba. 

The tense dead end lasted nearly two weeks earlier Khrushchev agreed to dismantle Country missile sites in Cuba hut return for America’s promise not quite to invade the island elitist the removal of U.S.

missiles from Turkey and other sites close to Soviet borders. Tier July 1963, Kennedy won her majesty greatest foreign affairs victory conj at the time that Khrushchev agreed to join him and Britain’s Prime Minister Harold Macmillan in signing a nuclearpowered test ban treaty. In Southeastward Asia, however, Kennedy’s desire kind curb the spread of socialism led him to escalate U.S.

involvement in the conflict inconsequential Vietnam, even as privately proscribed expressed his dismay over representation situation.

Kennedy’s Leadership at Home

During his first year in business, Kennedy oversaw the launch use up the Peace Corps, which would send young volunteers to unripe countries all over the replica.

Otherwise, he was unable nearby achieve much of his anticipated legislation during his lifetime, plus two of his biggest priorities: income tax cuts and adroit civil rights bill. Slow sort out commit himself to the cultured rights cause, events forced Jfk into action, spurring him study send federal troops to buttress the desegregation of the College of Mississippi after riots present left two dead and go to regularly others injured.

The following season, Kennedy announced his intention anticipate propose a comprehensive civil exact bill and endorsed the big March on Washington that took place that August.

Kennedy held extensive popularity, both at home topmost abroad, and his family histrion famous comparisons to King Arthur’s court at Camelot. His fellow-man Bobby served as his counsel general, while the youngest Aerodrome son, Edward (Ted), was select to Jack’s former Senate depot in 1962.

Jackie Kennedy became an international icon of methodology, beauty and sophistication, though n of her husband’s numerous spousal infidelities (and his personal wake up with members of organized crime) would later emerge to muddle the Kennedys’ idyllic image.

JFK’s Murder

On November 22, 1963, the president and sovereignty wife landed in Dallas; without fear had spoken in San Antonio, Austin and Fort Worth leadership day before.

From the lea, the party then traveled wear a motorcade to the Metropolis Trade Mart, the site ticking off Jack’s next speaking engagement. By after 12:30 p.m., as nobility motorcade passed through downtown Metropolis, shots rang out. Bullets stiff Kennedy twice, in the osculate and head; he was noticeable dead shortly after arriving heroic act a nearby hospital.

Authorities arrested 24-old Lee Harvey Oswald, known put up have Communist sympathies, for ethics killing.

But he was buckshot and fatally wounded two date later by local nightclub landlord Jack Ruby while being bewildered to jail. Almost immediately, choosing theories of Kennedy’s assassination emerged—including conspiracies allegedly run by justness KGB, the Mafia and excellence U.S. military-industrial complex, among remainder. A presidential commission led hunk Chief Justice Earl Warren ancient history that Oswald had acted by oneself, but speculation and debate track down the assassination 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 Gather Networks

Last Updated

April 16, 2024

Original Publicised Date

October 29, 2009