THE EARLY YEARS• John F. Kennedy (JFK)

was born in Brookline, Massachusetts on May 29, 1917.

• His grandfather, John Fitzgerald, seemed to spark John’s interest in government policies and affairs.

• After finishing Harvard and Stanford, he joined the navy.

MILITARY LIFE• John received the Navy

and Marine Corps Medal for rescuing 3 men after being rammed by a Japanese destroyer.

• He also received the Purple Heart, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal for his courage.

• He was honorably discharged in early 1945.

JOHN THE POLITICIAN• JFK’s older brother

was tabbed as the politician, but he was killed in WWII. This pushed John into becoming the family politician.

• In 1946, he beat his Republican opponent by a large margin to become the mayor of Boston.

MOVING UP IN POLITICS

• In 1952, he joined the U.S. Senate.

• He missed a lot of sessions in the Senate as he went through several spinal operations.

• Kennedy married Jacqueline Lee Bouvier on September 12, 1953

KENNEDY RUNS FOR PRESIDENT

• The Issues:– Moving the economy– Kennedy’s Catholicism

affecting his decisions– Cuba– Soviet space and

missile programs surpassing the U.S.

•Kennedy won against Nixon in one of the closest elections in American history.

•He was sworn in January 20, 1961.

PERSONAL JOYS AND TRAGEDIES

• John and Jackie had two children: Caroline and John Jr.

• Broadway plays, albums, and pop media revolved around the popular family.

•Jacqueline suffered a miscarriage in 1955 and gave birth to a stillborn daughter in 1956. The death of their newborn son in August 1963, Patrick Bouvier Kennedy, was a great loss.

•JFK carried on numerous extramarital dalliances throughout his presidency

KENNEDY’S PRESIDENCY

• Successes:– Cuban Missile Crisis– Space Race– Started the Peace

Corps and American Irish Foundation

– “Alliance for Progress”– Nuclear Test Ban

Treaty– “New Frontier” policy

•Failures:

•Sending troops to Vietnam

•Authorized napalm and other hazardous chemicals for battle

•Cuba and the Bay of Pigs scandal

LEE HARVEY OSWALD• Grew up in Fort

Worth, Texas.• Served in the marines

1956-1959.• Became a

Communist; moved to Russia. Moved back later.

• Worked at Texas State School Book Depository.

NOVEMBER 22, 196312:30 pm Dallas, Texas

• On a political trip, Kennedy was shot at least twice.

• In the video, the President clutches his throat and then takes a fatal blow to the head, causing him to slump in the car seat.

KENNEDY’S RESTING PLACE

• On March 14, 1967, Kennedy's body was moved to a permanent burial place and memorial at Arlington National Cemetery.

• Kennedy is buried with his wife and their deceased minor children; his brother Robert is also buried nearby.

•Kennedy’s grave is lit with an “eternal flame.”

•Some excerpts of his inaugural address are engraved on a plaque at his grave at Arlington.

•Kennedy and Taft are the only two U.S. Presidents buried at Arlington.

•Kennedy is also credited with giving American Catholics the full recognition they deserved as American citizens.

OSWALD’S ARREST• Oswald was arrested

in a theater 80 minutes after the assassination and was charged at 11:30 pm for his murder.

• Oswald was shot by Jack Ruby two days after the assassination in the police station on live TV

DID HE DO IT?• Oswald had already

tried to assassinate General Walker the same year

• Oswald called it a conspiracy

• Some theories are that the Russians or Castro put him up to it.

• It still remains controversial today who really killed JFK.

NO RECORDINGS, NO NOTES were kept