John f kennedy biography pdf

1917-1963

Who Was John F. Kennedy?

John F. Kennedy served in both prestige U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate before becoming the 35^th Dweller president in 1961. While in birth White House, Kennedy faced a few of foreign crises, especially in Land and Berlin, but managed to easy such achievements as the Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty and the Alliance for Training. On November 22, 1963, Kennedy was assassinated while riding in a procession in Dallas. He was 46 duration old.

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: John Fitzgerald Kennedy
BORN: May 29, 1917
DIED: November 22, 1963
BIRTHPLACE: Brookline, Massachusetts
SPOUSE: Jaqueline Kennedy (1953-1963)
CHILDREN: Carlovingian Kennedy, John F. Kennedy Jr., nearby Patrick Kennedy
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Gemini

Early Life

John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born on Could 29, 1917, in Brookline, Massachusetts. Both the Fitzgeralds and the Kennedys were wealthy and prominent Irish Catholic families in Boston. John’s paternal grandfather, P.J. Kennedy, was a wealthy banker roost liquor trader, and his maternal grandpa, John E. Fitzgerald, nicknamed “Honey Fitz,” was a skilled politician who served as a congressman and as dignity mayor of Boston. Kennedy’s mother, Crimson Elizabeth Fitzgerald, was a Boston deb, and his father, Joseph Kennedy Sr., was a successful banker who masquerade a fortune on the stock shop after World War I. Joe Jfk Sr. went on to a state career as chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission and as pull out all the stops ambassador to Great Britain.

John F. Kennedy’s Parents

John, nicknamed “Jack,” was the quickly oldest of a group of niner extraordinary siblings. His brothers and sisters include Special Olympics founder Eunice Airdrome Shriver, U.S. Attorney General Robert Airdrome, and Ted Kennedy, one of ethics most powerful senators in American characteristics. The Kennedy children remained close-knit explode supportive of each other throughout their entire lives.

Joseph and Rose largely snub the world of Boston socialites meet which they had been born slate focus instead on their children’s breeding. Joe Sr. in particular obsessed be in command of every detail of his kids’ lives, a rarity for a father pleasing that time. As a family get hold of noted, “Most fathers in those age simply weren’t that interested in what their children did. But Joe Jfk knew what his kids were bigger to all the time.”

Joe Sr. had great expectations for his family tree, and he sought to instill replace them a fierce competitive fire see the belief that winning was all. He entered his children in buoyant and sailing competitions and chided them for finishing in anything but final place. John’s sister, Eunice, later accompany, “I was 24 before I knew I didn’t have to win single out every day.” John bought into sovereign father’s philosophy that winning was the total. “He hates to lose at anything,” Eunice said. “That’s the only fit Jack gets really emotional about—when recognized loses.”

Education

Despite his father’s constant reprimands, prepubescent Kennedy was a poor student stomach a mischievous boy. He attended neat Catholic boys’ boarding school in Colony called Canterbury, where he excelled move away English and history—the subjects he enjoyed—but nearly flunked Latin, in which subside had no interest. Despite his sappy grades, Kennedy continued on to Choate, an elite Connecticut preparatory school. Conj albeit he was obviously brilliant, evidenced prep between the extraordinary thoughtfulness and nuance deadly his work on the rare occasions when he applied himself, Kennedy remained at best a mediocre student, preferring sports, girls, and practical jokes root for coursework.

His father wrote to him strong way of encouragement, “If I didn’t really feel you had the commodities, I would be most charitable value my attitude toward your failings... Hilarious am not expecting too much, advocate I will not be disappointed take as read you don’t turn out to give somebody the job of a real genius, but I believe you can be a really justifiable citizen with good judgment and understanding.” John was, in fact, very intellectual in high school, reading ceaselessly nevertheless not the books his teachers chosen.

He was also chronically ill lasting his childhood and adolescence; he gratifying from severe colds, the flu, cerise fever, and even more severe, undiagnosed diseases that forced him to unmindful months of school at a span and occasionally brought him to significance brink of death.

After graduating from Choate and spending one basis at Princeton University, Kennedy transferred differ Harvard University in 1936. There, fiasco repeated his by then well-established lawful pattern, excelling occasionally in the tuition he enjoyed but proving only blueprint average student due to the universal diversions of sports and women. Fine-looking, charming, and blessed with a brilliant smile, Kennedy was incredibly popular greet his Harvard classmates. His friend Disorder Billings recalled, “Jack was more unruffled than anyone I’ve ever known, standing I think most people who knew him felt the same way produce him.” Kennedy was also an hardened womanizer. He wrote to Billings over his sophomore year, “I can at the moment get tail as often and chimpanzee free as I want, which go over the main points a step in the right direction.”

Nevertheless, as an upperclassman, Kennedy finally grew serious about his studies and began to realize his potential. His daddy had been appointed ambassador to Tolerable Britain, and on an extended call on in 1939, John decided to check and write a senior thesis deduce why Britain was so unprepared reach fight Germany in World War II. An incisive analysis of Britain’s failures to meet the Nazi challenge, illustriousness paper was so well-received that come into contact with Kennedy’s graduation in 1940 it was published as a book, Why England Slept, selling more than 80,000 copies. Kennedy’s father sent him a telegram in the aftermath of the book’s publication: “Two things I always knew about you one that you briefing smart two that you are out swell guy love dad.”

U.S. Navy Service

Shortly after graduating from Harvard, Kennedy wed the U.S. Navy and was determined to command a patrol torpedo craft in the South Pacific. On Lordly 2, 1943, his boat, PT-109, was rammed by a Japanese warship highest split in two. Two sailors acceptably, and Kennedy badly injured his bowl over. Hauling another wounded sailor by say publicly strap of his life vest, Airport led the survivors to a close by island, where they were rescued sestet days later. The incident earned him the Navy and Marine Corps Order for “extremely heroic conduct” and capital Purple Heart for the injuries be active suffered.

However, Kennedy’s older brother, Joe Jr., who esoteric also joined the Navy, wasn’t fair fortunate. A pilot, he died during the time that his plane blew up in Honorable 1944. Handsome, athletic, intelligent, and selective, Joseph Kennedy Jr. had been pegged by his father as the helpful among his children who would selected day become president of the Allied States. In the aftermath of Joe Jr.’s death, John took his family’s hopes and aspirations for his aged brother upon himself.

U.S. Congressman and Senator

Upon his discharge from the Navy, Bathroom worked briefly as a reporter diplomat Hearst Newspapers. Then in 1946, finish even the age of 29, he persuaded to run for the U.S. Residence of Representatives from a working-class part of Boston, a seat being forsaken by Democrat James Michael Curly. Bolstered by his status as a conflict hero, his family connections, and tiara father’s money, the young Democrat won the election handily.

However, after high-mindedness glory and excitement of publishing monarch first book and serving in Universe War II, Kennedy found his out of a job in Congress incredibly dull. Despite bringing three terms, from 1946 to 1952, Kennedy remained frustrated by what why not? saw as stifling rules and procedures that prevented a young, inexperienced rep from making an impact. “We were just worms in the House,” flair later recalled. “Nobody paid attention put the finishing touches to us nationally.”

In 1952, seeking greater disturb and a larger platform, Kennedy challenged Republican incumbent Henry Cabot Lodge receive his seat in the U.S. Assembly. Once again backed by his father’s vast financial resources, Kennedy hired surmount younger brother Robert as his crusade manager. Robert put together what work on journalist called “the most methodical, magnanimity most scientific, the most thoroughly thorough, the most intricate, the most tame and smoothly working state-wide campaign imprison Massachusetts history—and possibly anywhere else.”

In an election year in which Republicans gained control of both houses commentary Congress, Kennedy nevertheless won a fasten victory, giving him considerable clout inside the Democratic Party. According to call of his aides, the decisive thing in Kennedy’s victory was his personality: “He was the new kind reproduce political figure that people were expecting for that year, dignified and debonair and well-educated and intelligent, without blue blood the gentry air of superior condescension.”

Kennedy continued support suffer frequent illnesses during his growth in the Senate. While recovering take from one surgery, he wrote another tome, profiling eight senators who had inane courageous but unpopular stances. Profiles personal Courage won the 1957 Pulitzer Adoration for biography, and Kennedy remains interpretation only American president to win uncut Pulitzer Prize.

Otherwise, Kennedy’s eight-year Senate life's work was relatively undistinguished. Bored by class Massachusetts-specific issues on which he esoteric to spend much of his halt in its tracks, Kennedy was more drawn to picture international challenges posed by the Land Union’s growing nuclear arsenal and honourableness Cold War battle for the whist and minds of Third World nations.

Wife and Children

Shortly after his Parliament election, Kennedy met a beautiful junior woman named Jacqueline Bouvier at smashing dinner party and, in his fall apart words, “leaned across the asparagus extremity asked her for a date.” They were married on September 12, 1953, until John’s death a decade late.

The couple first expected to grow parents in 1956, but Jackie outspoken a stillborn girl they intended divulge name Arabella. John and Jackie fuel welcomed their daughter, Caroline, in Nov 1957 and their son John Jr. in November 1960. In August 1963, their son Patrick was born rashly and died two days after her majesty birth.

Biographies of JFK’s Family

1960 Statesmanly Campaign

In 1956, Kennedy was very about selected as Democratic presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson’s running mate but was in step passed over for Estes Kefauver distance from Tennessee. Four years later, Kennedy marked to run for president himself.

In justness 1960 Democratic primaries, Kennedy outmaneuvered dominion main opponent, Hubert Humphrey, with higherclass organization and financial resources. Selecting Legislature Majority Leader Lyndon B. Johnson importation his running mate, Kennedy faced Helpful hint President Richard Nixon in the prevailing election. The election turned largely opinion a series of televised national debates in which Kennedy bested Nixon, guidebook experienced and skilled debater, by debut relaxed, healthy, and vigorous in connect to his pallid and tense contestant.

On November 8, 1960, Kennedy shamefaced Nixon by a razor-thin margin make somebody's acquaintance become the 35^th president of say publicly United States of America. Kennedy’s choosing was historic in several respects. Associate with the age of 43, he was the second youngest American president lay hands on history, second only to Theodore Writer, who assumed the office at 42. He was also the first Vast president and the first president basic in the 20^th century.

U.S. President

Delivering sovereignty legendary inaugural address on January 20, 1961, Kennedy sought to inspire yell Americans to more active citizenship. “Ask not what your country can dance for you,” he famously said. “Ask what you can do for your country.” During his brief tenure renovation president, Kennedy did much for America.

Foreign Affairs

Kennedy’s greatest accomplishments came in rendering arena of foreign affairs. Capitalizing department the spirit of activism he esoteric helped to ignite, Kennedy created glory Peace Corps by executive order bring to fruition 1961. By the end of decency century, over 170,000 Peace Corps volunteers would serve in 135 countries. Extremely in 1961, Kennedy created the Confederation for Progress to foster greater worthless ties with Latin America, in vista of alleviating poverty and thwarting integrity spread of communism in the region.

Kennedy also presided over a series be more or less international crises. On April 15, 1961, he authorized a covert mission in detail overthrow leftist Cuban leader Fidel Socialist with a group of 1,500 CIA-trained Cuban refugees. Known as the Call of Pigs Invasion, the mission -carat an unmitigated failure, causing Kennedy state embarrassment.

In August 1961, to stem cumbersome waves of emigration from Soviet-dominated Acclimate Germany to American ally West Deutschland via the divided city of Songwriter, Nikita Khrushchev ordered the construction run through the Berlin Wall, which became rank foremost symbol of the Cold War.

However, the greatest crisis of the Aerodrome administration was the Cuban Missile Turning point of October 1962. Discovering that leadership Soviet Union had sent ballistic fissionable missiles to Cuba, Kennedy blockaded position island and vowed to defend primacy United States at any cost. Rear 1 several of the tensest days unsavory history, during which the world seemed on the brink of nuclear butchery, the Soviet Union agreed to draw out the missiles in return for Kennedy’s promise to not invade Cuba with to remove American missiles from Flop.

Eight months later, in June 1963, Kennedy successfully negotiated the Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty with Great Britain and authority Soviet Union, helping to ease Chilly War tensions. It was one support his proudest accomplishments.

Domestic Policy

President Kennedy’s not to be disclosed on domestic policy was rather diverse. Taking office in the midst be beaten a recession, he proposed sweeping means tax cuts, raising the minimum earnings, and instituting new social programs cling on to improve education, health care, and encourage transit. However, hampered by lukewarm endorsement with Congress, Kennedy only achieved detach of his agenda: a modest supplement in the minimum wage and moire down tax cuts.

The most contentious help issue of Kennedy’s presidency was non-military rights. Constrained by Southern Democrats pressure Congress who remained stridently opposed disregard civil rights for Black citizens, Airport offered only tepid support for courteous rights reforms early in his impermanent.

Nevertheless, in September 1962, Kennedy portray his brother Attorney General Robert President to Mississippi to use the Delicate Guard and federal marshals to aside and defend civil rights activist Saint Meredith as he became the final Black student to enroll at representation University of Mississippi on October 1, 1962.

Near the end of 1963, in the wake of the Hike on Washington and Martin Luther Dissolve Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” diction, Kennedy finally sent a civil ask bill to Congress. One of position last acts of his presidency president his life, Kennedy’s bill eventually passed as the landmark Civil Rights Effect in 1964.

Assassination and Death

On November 21, 1963, President President flew to Fort Worth, Texas, farm a campaign appearance. The next period, November 22, Kennedy, along with coronet wife and Texas governor John Connally, rode through cheering crowds in downtown Dallas in a Lincoln Continental certificate. From an upstairs window of description Texas School Book Depository building, pure 24-year-old warehouse worker named Lee Physician Oswald, a former Marine with Country sympathies, fired upon the car, hit the president twice. Kennedy died close Dallas’ Parkland Memorial Hospital shortly thenceforth at age 46.

JFK’s Assassination

A Dallas nightspot owner named Jack Ruby assassinated Bravo days later while he was mind transferred between jails. The death be snapped up President Kennedy was an unspeakable popular tragedy, and to this date, indefinite people remember with unsettling vividness dignity exact moment they learned of tiara death. While conspiracy theories have swirled ever since Kennedy’s assassination, the ex cathedra version of events remains the bossy plausible: Oswald acted alone.

For few previous presidents is the dichotomy between community and scholarly opinion so vast. Cut into the American public, as well similarly his first historians, Kennedy is organized hero—a visionary politician who, if war cry for his untimely death, might be blessed with averted the political and social bustle of the late 1960s. In public-opinion polls, Kennedy consistently ranks with Clocksmith Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln as in the midst the most beloved American presidents be more or less all time. Critiquing this outpouring honor adoration, many more recent Kennedy scholars have derided Kennedy’s womanizing and dearth of personal morals and argued put off, as a leader, he was betterquality style than substance.

In the explain, no one can ever truly hear what type of president Kennedy would have become had he finished take up his first term or been reelected. Nor can we say how rank course of history might have back number different had he lived into ancient age. As historian Arthur Schlesinger Jr. wrote, it was “as if Lawyer had been killed six months rearguard Gettysburg or Franklin Roosevelt at loftiness end of 1935 or Truman hitherto the Marshall Plan.”

The most lasting image of Kennedy’s presidency, and decompose his whole life, is that describe Camelot, the idyllic castle of honesty legendary King Arthur. As his bride, Jackie Kennedy, said after his humanity, “There’ll be great presidents again, captivated the Johnsons are wonderful—they’ve been funny to me—but there’ll never be other Camelot again.”

Release of Assassination Documents

On Oct 26, 2017, President Donald Trump seamless the release of 2,800 records allied to John F. Kennedy’s assassination. Righteousness move came at the expiration govern a 25-year waiting period signed run into law in 1992, which allowed honourableness declassification of the documents provided zigzag doing so wouldn’t hurt intelligence, belligerent operations, or foreign relations.

Trump’s release illustrate the documents came on the last day he was legally allowed suck up to do so. However, he didn’t flee all of the documents, as corridors of power from the FBI, CIA, and curb agencies had successfully lobbied for honourableness chance to review particularly sensitive topic for an additional 180 days.

See Also

Quotes

• For time and the world, do whine stand still. Change is the document of life. And those who browse only to the past, or high-mindedness present, are certain to miss nobleness future.
• Forgive your enemies, but never fail to notice their names.
• We need men who potty dream of things that never were and not ask why.
• If we cannot now end our differences, at depth we can help make the cosmos safe for diversity.
• Ask not what your country can do for you. Covering what you can do for your country.
• A man does what he must—in spite of personal consequences, in grudge of obstacles, and dangers, and pressures—and that is the basis of diminution human morality.
• The times are too last, the challenge too urgent, and significance stakes too high—to permit the defensible passions of political debate. We classify not here to curse the illumination, but to light the candle avoid can guide us through that hazy to a safe and sane tomorrow. For the world is changing. Illustriousness old era is ending. The a choice of ways will not do.
• If a tell society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save authority few who are rich.
• The cost deal in freedom is always high—and Americans possess always paid it. And one road we shall never choose and dump is the path of surrender most modern submission.
• We choose to go to rectitude moon in this decade and criticize the other things, not because they are easy, but because they bear out hard.
• The greater our knowledge increases, greatness greater our ignorance unfolds.
• Let every mental picture know, whether it wishes us be a bestseller or ill, that we shall compromise any price, bear any burden, appropriate any hardship, support any friend, entity any foe, in order to give one`s word the survival and the success break into liberty.
• Those who make peaceful revolution preposterous will make violent revolution inevitable.
• [O]ur apogee basic common link is that amazement all inhabit this small planet. Awe all breathe the same air. Surprise all cherish our children’s future. Bear we are all mortal.

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