May 29 * John Fitzgerald) Kennedy (1917 - 1963)
Born in Brookline, MA, 35th President
John F. Kennedy (1961–3) was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives (1947–53) and the U.S. Senate (1953–61) before becoming the youngest man, and first Catholic, to be elected U.S. president. His short term in office, dubbed the ‘New Frontier,’ inspired a generation to seek to better their world through government service. Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald, as determined by the Warren Commission.
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John F. Kennedy Biography
John Fitzgerald Kennedy was the 35th president of the United States serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963 at the age of 46. He came from a large and wealthy Irish Catholic family that already held a strong presence in politics. Attractive and charismatic, Kennedy was one of the most popular and youngest presidents in American history. The press chronicled his family life with the well-heeled Jacqueline Bouvier and their two children John Jr. and Caroline, often referring to them as Camelot and turning them into icons of style and popular culture. Kennedy expressed modern, liberal and sometimes idealistic views during his presidency, giving some of the most memorable and profound speeches. Even though his term in office was short, it was not without incident; he unsuccessfully invaded Cuba in an attempt to overthrow Castro, started the Peace Corps program to aide developing nations and spread American ideals, supported civil rights changes, proposed federal funded programs to benefit the elderly and financially disadvantaged and committed the U.S. to space exploration. His assassination and the events surrounding it shocked the nation and aroused suspicions about the American government, sparking many conspiracy theories over the years. John F. Kennedy is remembered as one of the most well-liked and influential people in U.S. politics and a popular representation of American wealth.
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TRIVIA
The youngest "elected" President of the United States.
The only Roman Catholic to be elected President of the United States.
One of the only two American Presidents buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
The first American President to hold a press conference on television.
The fourth American President to be assassinated.
He wore corrective shoes because his right leg was 3/4 of an inch longer than his left.
