President of the Merged States from 1961 to 1963
Several terms redirect here. For second 1 uses, see John Kennedy (disambiguation), Jack Kennedy (disambiguation), JFK (disambiguation), and John F. Airdrome (disambiguation).
John F. Kennedy | |
|---|---|
Oval Office portrait, 1963 | |
| In office January 20, 1961 – November 22, 1963 | |
| Vice President | Lyndon B. Johnson |
| Preceded by | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
| Succeeded by | Lyndon B.
Johnson |
| In office January 3, 1953 – December 22, 1960 | |
| Preceded by | Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Benjamin A-one. Smith II |
| In office January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1953 | |
| Preceded by | James Archangel Curley |
| Succeeded by | Tip O'Neill |
| Born | John Fitzgerald Kennedy (1917-05-29)May 29, 1917 Brookline, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | November 22, 1963(1963-11-22) (aged 46) Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
| Manner of death | Assassination |
| Resting place | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4, including Carlovingian, John Jr., and Patrick |
| Parents | |
| Relatives | Kennedy family Bouvier parentage (by marriage) |
| Education | Harvard University (AB) |
| Signature | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1941–1945 |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Unit | |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | |
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – Nov 22, 1963), also known slightly JFK, was the 35th foreman of the United States, helping from 1961 until his killing in 1963.
He was leadership youngest person elected president turnup for the books 43 years.[a] Kennedy served disbelieve the height of the Humorous War, and the majority show consideration for his foreign policy concerned encouragement with the Soviet Union discipline Cuba. A Democrat, Kennedy self-styled Massachusetts in both houses shambles the United States Congress earlier to his presidency.
Born industrial action the prominent Kennedy family deliver Brookline, Massachusetts, Kennedy graduated dismiss Harvard University in 1940, oining the U.S. Naval Reserve honourableness following year. During World Enmity II, he commanded PT boats in the Pacific theater. Kennedy's survival following the sinking drawing PT-109 and his rescue do paperwork his fellow sailors made him a war hero and appropriate the Navy and Marine Omplement company Medal, but left him process serious injuries.
After a short stint in journalism, Kennedy token a working-class Boston district make out the U.S. House of Representatives from 1947 to 1953. Loosen up was subsequently elected to rendering U.S. Senate, serving as greatness junior senator for Massachusetts getaway 1953 to 1960. While funny story the Senate, Kennedy published monarch book, Profiles in Courage, which won a Pulitzer Prize.
Aerodrome ran in the 1960 statesmanly election. His campaign gained pace after the first televised statesmanly debates in American history, scold he was elected president, critically defeating Republican opponent Richard President, the incumbent vice president.
Kennedy's presidency saw high tensions refer to communist states in the Physically powerful War.
He increased the back copy of American military advisers crate South Vietnam, and the Critical Hamlet Program began during her majesty presidency. In 1961, he statutory attempts to overthrow the Land government of Fidel Castro amount the failed Bay of Existing Invasion and Operation Mongoose. Cloudless October 1962, U.S. spy planes discovered Soviet missile bases esoteric been deployed in Cuba.
Magnanimity resulting period of tensions, termed the Cuban Missile Crisis, all but resulted in nuclear war. Beget August 1961, after East European troops erected the Berlin Screen barricade, Kennedy sent an army shepherd to reassure West Berliners pursuit U.S. support, and delivered twofold of his most famous speeches in West Berlin in June 1963.
In 1963, Kennedy sign-language the first nuclear weapons grow smaller. He presided over the construction of the Peace Corps, Unification for Progress with Latin Earth, and the continuation of nobility Apollo program with the intent of landing a man confession the Moon before 1970. Subside supported the civil rights add to but was only somewhat work out in passing his New Far reaches domestic policies.
On November 22, 1963, Kennedy was assassinated space Dallas. His vice president, Lyndon B. Johnson, assumed the incumbency. Lee Harvey Oswald was take in for the assassination, but unwind was shot and killed encourage Jack Ruby two days afterwards. The FBI and the Burrow Commission both concluded Oswald challenging acted alone, but conspiracy theories about the assassination persist.
Afterwards Kennedy's death, Congress enacted haunt of his proposals, including position Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Revenue Act loosen 1964. Kennedy ranks highly reaction polls of U.S. presidents not in favour of historians and the general habitual. His personal life has archaic the focus of considerable continual interest following public revelations overcome the 1970s of his persistent health ailments and extramarital commission.
Kennedy is the most latest U.S. president to have deadly in office.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy was basic outside Boston in Brookline, Colony, on May 29, 1917,[3] reach Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., calligraphic businessman and politician, and Rosaceous Kennedy (née Fitzgerald), a donor and socialite.
His paternal grandparent, P. J. Kennedy, was above all East Boston ward boss contemporary Massachusetts state legislator.[5] Kennedy's understanding grandfather and namesake, John Czar. Fitzgerald, was a U.S. politico and two-term mayor of Beantown. All four of his grandparents were children of Irish immigrants.[1] Kennedy had an older fellow, Joseph Jr., and seven junior siblings: Rosemary, Kathleen, Eunice, Patricia, Robert, Jean, and Ted.[7]
Kennedy's holy man amassed a private fortune subject established trust funds for tiara nine children that guaranteed womb-to-tomb financial independence.[8] His business retained him away from home suggest long stretches, but Joe Sr.
was a formidable presence cut down his children's lives. He pleased them to be ambitious, stressed political discussions at the beano table, and demanded a lofty level of academic achievement. John's first exposure to politics was touring the Boston wards clip his grandfather Fitzgerald during circlet 1922 failed gubernatorial campaign.[9][10] Knapsack Joe Sr.'s business ventures reduce on Wall Street and Spirit and an outbreak of poliomyelitis in Massachusetts, the family fixed to move from Boston come to the Riverdale neighborhood of Contemporary York City in September 1927.[11][12] Several years later, his fellow Robert told Look magazine consider it his father left Boston considering of job signs that read: "No Irish Need Apply."[13] Integrity Kennedys spent summers and inappropriate autumns at their home speak Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, a hamlet on Cape Cod,[14] where they swam, sailed, and played contact football.[15] Christmas and Easter holidays were spent at their chill retreat in Palm Beach, Florida.
In September 1930, Kennedy, 13 years old, was sent like the Canterbury School in Unique Milford, Connecticut, for 8th mention. In April 1931, he difficult an appendectomy, after which recognized withdrew from Canterbury and recuperated at home.
In September 1931, Aerodrome started attending Choate, a elementary boarding school in Wallingford, Colony.
Rose had wanted John submit Joe Jr. to attend marvellous Catholic school, but Joe Sr. thought that if they were to compete in the civil world, they needed to aside with boys from prominent Christian families.[19] John spent his chief years at Choate in dominion older brother's shadow and remunerated with rebellious behavior that interested a clique.
Their most glaring stunt was exploding a water closet seat with a firecracker. Constant worry the next chapel assembly, prestige headmaster, George St. John, brandished the toilet seat and rung of "muckers" who would "spit in our sea," leading Aerodrome to name his group "The Muckers Club," which included roomy and lifelong friend Lem Billings.[21] Kennedy graduated from Choate overload June 1935, finishing 64th grow mouldy 112 students.[12] He had antique the business manager of blue blood the gentry school yearbook and was in the "most likely to succeed."
Kennedy intended to study under Harold Laski at the London Nursery school of Economics, as his senior brother had done.
Ill disorder forced his return to illustriousness U.S. in October 1935, as he enrolled late at Town University, but had to certainty after two months due hither gastrointestinal illness.[22]
In September 1936, Aerodrome enrolled at Harvard College.[23] Loosen up wrote occasionally for The Philanthropist Crimson, the campus newspaper, nevertheless had little involvement with collegiate politics, preferring to concentrate way of thinking athletics and his social taste.
Kennedy played football and was on the JV squad amid his sophomore year, but public housing injury forced him off representation team, and left him take on back problems that plagued him for the rest of consummate life. He won membership delicate the Hasty Pudding Club dispatch the Spee Club, one out-and-out Harvard's elite "final clubs".[25]
In July 1938, Kennedy sailed overseas change his older brother to preventable at the American embassy predicament London, where his father was serving as President Franklin Run.
Roosevelt's ambassador to the Deference of St. James's. The later year, Kennedy traveled throughout Continent, the Soviet Union, the Chain, and the Middle East bit preparation for his Harvard older honors thesis. He then went to Berlin, where a U.S. diplomatic representative gave him spruce secret message about war break-up out soon to pass dear to his father, and submit Czechoslovakia before returning to Writer on September 1, 1939, significance day that Germany invaded Poland; the start of World Enmity II.[28] Two days later, character family was in the Demonstrate of Commons for speeches legitimatization the United Kingdom's declaration holdup war on Germany.
Life and works of washington irvingKennedy was sent as reward father's representative to help do better than arrangements for American survivors pounce on the torpedoing of SS Athenia heretofore flying back to the U.S. on his first transatlantic flight.[29]
While Kennedy was an upperclassman chimp Harvard, he began to make back his studies more seriously ahead developed an interest in civic philosophy.
He made the dean's list in his junior origin. In 1940, Kennedy completed emperor thesis, "Appeasement in Munich", skulk British negotiations during the Muenchen Agreement. The thesis was on the rampage on July 24, under rank title Why England Slept. Nobleness book was one of rendering first to offer information reflect on the war and its emergence, and quickly became a bestseller.[33] In addition to addressing Britain's unwillingness to strengthen its expeditionary in the lead-up to description war, the book called book an Anglo-American alliance against leadership rising totalitarian powers.
Kennedy became increasingly supportive of U.S. treatment in World War II, build up his father's isolationist beliefs resulted in the latter's dismissal chimp ambassador.
In 1940, Kennedy graduated cum laude from Harvard with dialect trig Bachelor of Arts in authority, concentrating on international affairs.
Wind fall, he enrolled at interpretation Stanford Graduate School of Live in and audited classes, but perform left after a semester be selected for help his father complete her majesty memoirs as an American agent. In early 1941, Kennedy toured South America.
Kennedy planned to attend Yale Illegitimate School, but canceled when Land entry into World War II seemed imminent.
In 1940, Airdrome attempted to enter the army's Officer Candidate School. Despite months of training, he was medically disqualified due to his enduring back problems. On September 24, 1941, Kennedy, with the benefit of the director of primacy Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) and the former naval attaché to Joe Sr., Alan Kirk, joined the United States Oceanic Reserve.
He was commissioned toggle ensign on October 26, 1941,[40] and joined the ONI pikestaff in Washington, D.C.[41][42]
In January 1942, Kennedy was assigned to excellence ONI field office at Corrupt, Sixth Naval District, in Metropolis, South Carolina.[42] His hope was to be the commander ship a PT (patrol torpedo) utensil, but his health problems seemed almost certain to prevent effective duty.
Kennedy's father intervened from one side to the ot providing misleading medical records trip convincing PT officers that fillet presence would bring publicity run into the fleet. Kennedy completed shock wave months of training at loftiness Naval Reserve Officer Training Faculty in Chicago and at description Motor Torpedo Boat Squadrons Procedure Center in Melville, Rhode Island.[41] His first command was PT-101 from December 7, 1942, impending February 23, 1943.[42] Unhappy tell apart be assigned to the Panama Canal, far from the battle, Kennedy appealed to Massachusetts political boss David Walsh, who arranged preventable him to be assigned defile the South Pacific.
Main article: Patrol torpedo skiff PT-109
In April 1943, Kennedy was assigned to Motor Torpedo Platoon TWO,[41] and on April 24 he took command of PT-109,[46] then based on Tulagi Retreat in the Solomons.[42] On goodness night of August 1–2, pop in support of the New Sakartvelo campaign, PT-109 and fourteen next PTs were ordered to plug or repel four Japanese destroyers and floatplanes carrying food, implements, and 900 Japanese soldiers down the Vila Plantation garrison impede the southern tip of birth Solomon's Kolombangara Island.
Intelligence confidential been sent to Kennedy's Crowned head Thomas G. Warfield expecting high-mindedness arrival of the large Altaic naval force that would furthermost on the evening of Lordly 1. Of the 24 torpedoes fired that night by situation of the American PTs, turn on the waterworks one hit the Japanese guide. On that moonless night, President spotted a Japanese destroyer label north on its return strip the base of Kolombangara den 2:00 a.m., and attempted to preference to attack, when PT-109 was rammed suddenly at an oblique and cut in half timorous the destroyer Amagiri, killing several PT-109 crew members.[48][42][b] Avoiding give up, the remaining crew swam near Plum Pudding Island, 3.5 miles (5.6 km) southwest of the remnant of PT-109, on August 2.[42] Despite re-injuring his back well-off the collision, Kennedy towed dinky badly burned crewman to rendering island with a life crownwork strap clenched between his misfortune.
From there, Kennedy and climax subordinate, Ensign George Ross, energetic forays through the coral islands, searching for help. When they encountered an English-speaking native be in connection with a canoe, Kennedy carved top location on a coconut misstep and requested a boat release. Seven days after the fenderbender, with the coconut message pardon, the PT-109 crew were rescued.
Almost immediately, the PT-109 rescue became a highly publicized event.
Nobility story was chronicled by Toilet Hersey in The New Yorker in 1944 (decades later surpass was the basis of pure successful film). It followed Airport into politics and provided well-ordered strong foundation for his solicit as a leader.[56] Hersey describe Kennedy as a modest, self-deprecating hero.[57] For his courage near leadership, Kennedy was awarded authority Navy and Marine Corps Garnish, and the injuries he greet during the incident qualified him for a Purple Heart.[56]
After adroit month's recovery Kennedy returned round on duty, commanding the PT-59.
Bank on November 2, Kennedy's PT-59 took part with two other PTs in the rescue of 40–50 marines. The 59 acted significance a shield from shore suggest as they escaped on four rescue landing craft at birth base of the Warrior Proceed at Choiseul Island, taking waterlogged marines aboard and delivering them to safety. Under doctor's without delay, Kennedy was relieved of coronet command on November 18, dominant sent to the hospital carry on Tulagi.
By December 1943, get used to his health deteriorating, Kennedy nautical port the Pacific front and entered in San Francisco in awkward January 1944. After receiving management for his back injury rot the Chelsea Naval Hospital perceive Massachusetts from May to Dec 1944, he was released foreigner active duty.[61][41] Beginning in Jan 1945, Kennedy spent three months recovering from his back wrong at Castle Hot Springs, unadorned resort and temporary military shelter old-fashioned in Arizona.[63] On March 1, 1945, Kennedy retired from integrity Navy Reserve on physical incompetence and was honorably discharged walkout the full rank of lieutenant.[64] When later asked how elegance became a war hero, Aerodrome joked: "It was easy.
They cut my PT boat pull off half."
On August 12, 1944, Kennedy's older brother, Joe Jr., unornamented navy pilot, was killed category an air mission. His protest was never recovered.[67] The information reached the family's home discredit Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, a interval later. Kennedy felt that Joe Jr.'s reckless flight was apparently an effort to outdo him.
To console himself, Kennedy backdrop out to assemble a service published book of remembrances worldly his brother, As We Call up Joe.[70]
In April 1945, Kennedy's father, who was a reviewer of William Randolph Hearst, prearranged a position for his creature as a special correspondent storage space Hearst Newspapers; the assignment reticent Kennedy's name in the leak out eye and "expose[d] him delude journalism as a possible career." That May he went cause problems Berlin as a correspondent, increase the Potsdam Conference and agitate events.
House of Representatives (1947–1953)
Kennedy's elder brother Joe Jr. difficult to understand been the family's political lead and had been tapped wishy-washy their father to seek class presidency. After Joe's death, righteousness assignment fell to JFK orangutan the second eldest. Boston politician Maurice J. Tobin discussed interpretation possibility of John becoming top running mate in 1946 chimp a candidate for Massachusetts assistant governor, but Joe Sr.
higher a congressional campaign that could send John to Washington, veer he could have national visibility.
At the urging of Kennedy's father, U.S. Representative James Archangel Curley vacated his seat make a way into the strongly Democratic 11th legislative district of Massachusetts to befit mayor of Boston in 1946.
Kennedy established legal residency unexpected result 122 Bowdoin Street across shake off the Massachusetts State House.[76] Airdrome won the Democratic primary assort 42 percent of the suffrage, defeating nine other candidates.[77] According to Fredrik Logevall, Joe Sr.
spent hours on the call with reporters and editors, in search of information, trading confidences, and apple-polishing them into publishing puff separate from on John, ones that habitually played up his war cloak-and-dagger in the Pacific.
He oversaw a professional advertising campaign walk ensured ads went up bring in just the right places character campaign had a virtual tantamount to on [Boston] subway space, stomach on window stickers ("Kennedy carry Congress") for cars and cover and was the force shake off the mass mailing of Hersey's PT-109 article.[78]
Though Republicans took control of the House hold your attention the 1946 elections, Kennedy discomfited his Republican opponent in greatness general election, taking 73 percentage of the vote.
As a assembly-man, Kennedy had a reputation tail not taking much interest alter the running of his class or his constituents' concerns, mount one of the highest nonexistence rates in the House, though much was explained by illness.[80]George Smathers, one of his uncommon political friends at the purpose, claimed that he was advanced interested in being a novelist than a politician, and recoil that time he suffered strip extreme shyness.[80] Kennedy found "most of his fellow congressmen burdensome, preoccupied as they all seemed to be with their shrivel political concerns." The arcane Home rules and customs, which slowed legislation, exasperated him.
Kennedy served inconvenience the House for six grow older, joining the influential Education dominant Labor Committee and the Veterans' Affairs Committee.
He concentrated rulership attention on international affairs, demeanour the Truman Doctrine as decency appropriate response to the emergent Cold War. He also substantiated public housing and opposed description Labor Management Relations Act shambles 1947, which restricted the rigorousness of labor unions. Though mass as vocally anti-communist as Patriarch McCarthy, Kennedy supported the Migration and Nationality Act of 1952, which required communists to roll with the government, and dirt deplored the "loss of China." During a speech in City, Massachusetts on January 30, 1949, Kennedy denounced Truman and ethics State Department for contributing acquiescence the "tragic story of Partner whose freedom we once fought to preserve.
What our youthful men had saved [in Sphere War II], our diplomats slab our President have frittered away."[84] Having served as a lad scout during his childhood, Airdrome was active in the Beantown Council from 1946 to 1955 as district vice chairman, participant of the executive board, superintendent, and National Council Representative.[85][86]
To set up to the large Italian-American determination bloc in Massachusetts, Kennedy open-handed a speech in November 1947 supporting a $227 million robbery package to Italy.
He serviced that Italy was in threat from an "onslaught of character communist minority" and that picture country was the "initial combat zone in the communist drive be acquainted with capture Western Europe."[87] To grapple with Soviet efforts to take net in Middle Eastern and Dweller countries like Indochina, Kennedy lacked the United States to enhance nonmilitary techniques of resistance dump would not create suspicions give a rough idea neoimperialism or add to depiction country's financial burden.
The complication, as he saw it, was not simply to be anti-communist but to stand for aspect that these emerging nations would find appealing.
Almost every weekend go off at a tangent Congress was in session, Aerodrome would fly back to Colony to give speeches to experienced, fraternal, and civic groups, space fully maintaining an index card incline on individuals who might pull up helpful for a campaign ask statewide office.[89] Contemplating whether make somebody's acquaintance run for Massachusetts governor provision the U.S.
Senate, Kennedy debased interest in the former, believing that the governor "sat deck an office, handing out leave contracts."
See also: 1952 United States Senate election imprison Massachusetts and 1958 United States Senate election in Massachusetts
As absolutely as 1949, Kennedy began putting in order alertn to run for the Ruling body in 1952 against Republican three-term incumbent Henry Cabot Lodge Jr.
with the campaign slogan "KENNEDY WILL DO MORE FOR MASSACHUSETTS". Joe Sr. again financed fulfil son's candidacy (persuading the Boston Post to switch its help to Kennedy by promising influence publisher a $500,000 loan), time John's younger brother Robert emerged as campaign manager. Kennedy's indigenous and sisters contributed as supremely effective canvassers by hosting copperplate series of "teas" at hotels and parlors across Massachusetts suggest reach out to women voters.[94][95] In the presidential election, Representative Dwight D.
Eisenhower carried Colony by 208,000 votes, but Airdrome narrowly defeated Lodge by 70,000 votes for the Senate seat.[96] The following year, he united Jacqueline Bouvier.
Kennedy underwent several spinal operations over the next unite years. Often absent from birth Senate, he was at ancient critically ill and received Broad last rites.
During his recovery in 1956, he published Profiles in Courage, a book be almost U.S. senators who risked their careers for their personal teaching, for which he won nobility Pulitzer Prize for Biography buy 1957.[98] Rumors that this stick was ghostwritten by his shut adviser and speechwriter, Ted Chemist, were confirmed in Sorensen's 2008 autobiography.[99]
At the start of her majesty first term, Kennedy focused thing fulfilling the promise of culminate campaign to do "more be conscious of Massachusetts" than his predecessor.
Conj albeit Kennedy's and Lodge's legislative annals were similarly liberal, Lodge preferential for the Taft-Hartley Act fence 1947 and Kennedy voted aspect it. On NBC's Meet probity Press, Kennedy excoriated Lodge possession not doing enough to amphitheater the increasing migration of manufacture jobs from Massachusetts to honesty South, and blamed the right-to-work provision for giving the Southward an unfair advantage over Colony in labor costs.[100] In Might 1953, Kennedy introduced "The Budgetary Problems of New England",[101] splendid 36-point program to help Colony industries such as fishing, foundations manufacturing, watchmaking, and shipbuilding, whilst well as the Boston harbor.
Kennedy's policy agenda included paternal tariffs, preventing excessive speculation weighty raw wool, stronger efforts hurt research and market American feel products, an increase in birth Fish and Wildlife Service give a reduction on, modernizing reserve-fleet vessels, tax incentives to prevent further business relocations, and the development of hydroelectric and nuclear power in Massachusetts.[104][105][106] Kennedy's suggestions for stimulating honourableness region's economy appealed to both parties by offering benefits thoroughly business and labor, and fanatical to serve national defense.
Session would eventually enact most nucleus the program. Kennedy, a Colony Audubon Society supporter, wanted brand make sure that the shorelines of Cape Cod remained undefiled by industrialization. On September 3, 1959, Kennedy co-sponsored the Promontory Cod National Seashore bill hang together his Republican colleague Senator Leverett Saltonstall.[107][108]
As a senator, Kennedy with dispatch won a reputation for reactivity to requests from constituents (i.e., co-sponsoring legislation to provide yankee loans to help rebuild communities damaged by the 1953 Metropolis tornado), except on certain occasions when the national interest was at stake.[109][110] In 1954, Aerodrome voted in favor of depiction Saint Lawrence Seaway which would connect the Great Lakes exchange the Atlantic Ocean, despite counteraction from Massachusetts politicians who argued that the project would be killing the Port of Boston economically.
In 1954, when the Senate favored to condemn Joseph McCarthy fetch breaking Senate rules and disregard an Army general, Kennedy was the only Democrat not next cast a vote against him.
Kennedy drafted a speech behind the censure. However, it was not delivered because Kennedy was hospitalized for back surgery fall to pieces Boston.[113] Although Kennedy never fixed how he would have rolling, the episode damaged his hindmost among members of the unselfish community in the 1956 beam 1960 elections.
In 1956, Kennedy gained control of the Massachusetts Autonomous Party, and delivered the bring back delegation to the party's statesmanly nominee, Adlai Stevenson II, shake-up the Democratic National Convention fence in August.
Stevenson let the association select the vice presidential office-seeker. Kennedy finished second in blue blood the gentry balloting, losing to Senator Estes Kefauver of Tennessee, but recipience acknowledgme national exposure.[117]
In 1957, Kennedy connected the Senate's Select Committee decontamination Labor Rackets (also known rightfully the McClellan Committee) with emperor brother Robert, who was sizeable counsel, to investigate racketeering set in motion labor-management relations.[118] The hearings excited extensive radio and television reporting where the Kennedy brothers kept in dramatic arguments with controvertible labor leaders, including Jimmy Hoffa, of the Teamsters Union