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Quick Facts
- NAME: John F. Kennedy
- OCCUPATION: Civil Rights Activist, U.S. President, U.S. Representative
- BIRTH DATE: May 29, 1917
- DEATH DATE: November 22, 1963
- EDUCATION: The Choate School, Harvard College
- PLACE OF BIRTH: Brookline, Massachusetts
- PLACE OF DEATH: Dallas, Texas
- Full Name: John Fitzgerald Kennedy
- AKA: JFK
- AKA: John F. Kennedy
- Nickname: "Jack"
- AKA: Jack Kennedy
Best Known For
John F. Kennedy, the 35th U.S. president, negotiated the Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty and initiated the Alliance for Progress. He was assassinated in 1963.
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John F. Kennedy - Full Biography (44:08)
John F. Kennedy - Learning from Rose Kennedy
John F. Kennedy was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, the second child of Joseph Patrick and Rose Kennedy. Rose Kennedy taught her son a love of American history and politics.
John F. Kennedy - Debating Richard Nixon
Considered an underdog candidate, John F. Kennedy decided to focus on looking and acting presidential. When he faced Richard Nixon in America's first televised debates, he won over the public with his confidence and charm.
John F. Kennedy - Assassination
On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas.
John F. Kennedy - Full Biography
John F. Kennedy is remembered for challenging the American people: to put a man on the moon, to put aside racial prejudices, to join a volunteer corps. This special explores the life and legacy of the 35th President.
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Play NowJohn F. Kennedy. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 12:27, Jun 19, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/john-f-kennedy-9362930.
John F. Kennedy. [Internet]. 2013. The Biography Channel website. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/john-f-kennedy-9362930 [Accessed 19 Jun 2013].
"John F. Kennedy." 2013. The Biography Channel website. Jun 19 2013, 12:27 http://www.biography.com/people/john-f-kennedy-9362930.
"John F. Kennedy," The Biography Channel website, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/john-f-kennedy-9362930 [accessed Jun 19, 2013].
"John F. Kennedy," The Biography Channel website, http://www.biography.com/people/john-f-kennedy-9362930 (accessed Jun 19, 2013).
John F. Kennedy [Internet]. The Biography Channel website; 2013 [cited 2013 Jun 19] Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/john-f-kennedy-9362930.
John F. Kennedy, http://www.biography.com/people/john-f-kennedy-9362930 (last visited Jun 19, 2013).
John F. Kennedy. The Biography Channel website. 2013. Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/john-f-kennedy-9362930. Accessed Jun 19, 2013.
Synopsis
Born on May 29, 1917, in Brookline, Massachusetts, John F. Kennedy served in both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate before becoming the 35th president in 1961. As president, Kennedy faced a number of foreign crises, especially in Cuba and Berlin, but managed to secure such achievements as the Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty and the Alliance for Progress. On November 22, 1963, Kennedy was assassinated while riding in a motorcade in Dallas, Texas.
Contents
Quotes
"Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names."
"Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future."
"We need men who can dream of things that never were and not ask why."
"If we cannot now end our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity."
Early Life
John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born on May 29, 1917, in Brookline, Massachusetts. Both the Fitzgeralds and the Kennedys were wealthy and prominent Irish Catholic Boston families. Kennedy's paternal grandfather, P.J. Kennedy, was a wealthy banker and liquor trader, and his maternal grandfather, John E. Fitzgerald, nicknamed "Honey Fitz," was a skilled politician who served as a congressman and as the mayor of Boston. Kennedy's mother, Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald, was a Boston debutante, and his father, Joseph Kennedy Sr., was a successful banker who made a fortune on the stock market after World War I. Joe Kennedy Sr. went on to a government career as Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission and as an Ambassador to Great Britain.
John F. Kennedy, nicknamed "Jack," was the second oldest of a group of nine extraordinary siblings. His brothers and sisters include Eunice Kennedy, the founder of the Special Olympics, Robert Kennedy, a U.S. Attorney General and Ted Kennedy, one of the most powerful senators in American history. The Kennedy children remained close-knit and supportive of each other throughout their entire lives.
Joseph and Rose Kennedy largely spurned the world of Boston socialites into which they had been born to focus instead on their children's education. Joe Kennedy in particular obsessed over every detail of his kids' lives, a rarity for a father at that time. As a family friend noted, "Most fathers in those days simply weren't that interested in what their children did. But Joe Kennedy knew what his kids were up to all the time." Joe Sr. had great expectations for his children, and he sought to instill in them a fierce competitive fire and the belief that winning was everything. He entered his children in swimming and sailing competitions and chided them for finishing in anything but first place. John F. Kennedy's sister Eunice later recalled, "I was twenty-four before I knew I didn't have to win something every day." Jack Kennedy bought into his father's philosophy that winning was everything. "He hates to lose at anything," Eunice said. "That's the only thing Jack gets really emotional about -- when he loses."
Despite his father's constant reprimands, young Kennedy was a poor student and a mischievous boy. He attended a Catholic boys' boarding school in Connecticut called Canterbury, where he excelled at English and history, the subjects he enjoyed, but nearly flunked Latin, in which he had no interest. Despite his poor grades, Kennedy continued on to Choate, an elite Connecticut preparatory school.
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Famous Irish-Americans 80 people in this group
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Famous Military Veterans
View groupAmerica wouldn't be what it is today without Hollywood, and it certainly wouldn't be the same without its armed forces. Military veterans make the ultimate contribution to society—they put their lives on the line for their country. Since the nation's founding, the dedication and bravery of soldiers has been the a key pillar on which the United States stands. From Revolutionary War heroes to Vietnam veterans, here's a look at famous military veterans.
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The Kennedy Family
View groupThere's no such thing as royalty in the United States, but if anyone has ever come close to that level, it's the Kennedy family. For 64 years, Washington had at least one Kennedy in public office. Descended from Irish Catholics who fled the potato famine, the family has a strong tradition in the Democratic party, the most prominent member being President John F. Kennedy. In addition to fame and political power, the Kennedy clan has had more than its fair share of tragedy—several members of the family have died in accidents and assassinations, in what's been called the "Kennedy curse."
The Kennedy Family 15 people in this group
