John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born on May 29, 1917. His nickname was Jack, but he was also referred to as JFK.
JFK was one of the most-known American politicians and he served as the United State’s president from January 1961 until his assassination, which happened in November 1963.
John F. Kennedy was the 35th president of the U.S, and during his time in office, he had to deal with some important issues, such as the U.S involvement in the Cold War.
Continue reading and find out everything you must know about John F. Kennedy:
John F. Kennedy Facts
1. JFK’s family has always been important in the United States
The Kennedys have always been wealthy people, and John F. was aware of this.
The house where John F. grew up in had twelve rooms, a massive porch, and it was located in one of the best areas of Boston.
In addition, Jack -as John F. was also known, had six more siblings. He had one older brother, Joe, and then he had four sisters, Rosemary, Kathleen, Eunice, Patricia. And lastly, he had a younger brother called Robert, whom he adored and two other siblings named Jean and Teddy.
2. John F. Kennedy was really popular when he was younger
Everybody seemed to love him, and he had many friends at his boarding school, Choate. He was also quite good at playing sports, and his favourite ones were tennis, basketball and football.
He also enjoyed reading and even though he wasn’t the best student, he was still loved by everybody who met him.
Kennedy later entered Harvard in 1936, and graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Government and International Affairs in 1940.
3. John F. Kennedy also had a lot of health issues
From gastrointestinal problems to even asthma, it seemed to be that John F. was always either sick or at the hospital. Everybody knew the young man had serious and ongoing health problems.
This was a real problem for him, especially since he wanted to enlist in the U.S Army before his country decided to enter World War II, an interesting fact about John F. Kennedy.
However, Kennedy was not able to meet the established requirements for the admissions physical examination. However, he spoke to his dad who was hugely influential and John F. Kennedy ended up becoming a naval officer.
4. John F. Kennedy started to get involved in politics at a young age
When his dad became the U.S Ambassador in England, he would often take his son, John F. Kennedy with him, so he could witness politics and international relations firsthand.
After graduating from university and joining the Navy, Kennedy’s dad funded his son’s congressional career. John F. Kennedy ended up being elected as a member of the House of Representatives, a seat he occupied for six years, from 1947 to 1953.
In 1953 John F. Kennedy decided to join the Senate. Again, his dad was the main financial contributor to his campaign. He won his seat and he became a U.S Senator from 1953 to 1960.
Even though John was often ill during his time as a Senator, he still became a very influential politician in the U.S Senate.
5. John F. Kennedy won a Pulitzer prize
Kennedy wrote a book called Profiles in Courage, and, in 1957 he won his first Pulitzer Prize, an interesting fact about John F. Kennedy. However, there had been some speculation in regards to whether or not Kennedy was the only writer of said book.
It was known that Kennedy had a ghostwriter, Ted Sorenson, who would always help the President with his speeches. In 2008, the truth finally came out, as Sorenson hinted to The Wall Street Journal that he had helped the President to write most of his book.
6. John F. Kennedy decided to run for his country’s presidency
After such a relevant and magnificent political career, little John wanted to achieve something else, he wanted to become the 35th President of the United States.
He was sworn in on January 20, 1961. During his inaugural speech, he spoke to his fellow countrymen about the importance of becoming active citizens in order to make America great.
An interesting fact about JFK is that as a President, he wanted his country to overcome poverty, to become self-sufficient and to celebrate American history, its culture and its different achievements for the world to see.
He was also very involved with the White House’s night galas, and he would often ask for artists, musicians, and athletes to go and visit him.
He also had to deal with the constant threat of a nuclear war between the United States of America and the former Soviet Union.
He had to deal with the Cold War, something that was very different from any other war that had taken place. And he was in office when the missile crisis broke in Cuba during 1962.
7. President John F. Kennedy is Shot
President Kennedy’s political career didn’t last long. On November 21, 1963, the President and his wife, Jackie Kennedy, travelled to Texas in order to attend several political speeches. These meetings were really important as Kennedy wanted to campaign and stay on the ground for people to realize he was always connected to the citizens.
On November 22, the Presidential car was seen driving slowly through some cheering crowds in Dallas. A couple of minutes later, the situation went out of control as shots rang out. Nobody really saw where they were coming from, and President Kennedy was seriously wounded and died moments later.
Police found Lee Harvey Oswald, arrested him and charged him with the murder of the President. But the story turned to worse, because on November 24, another man called Jack Ruby, shot and killed Oswald.
The whole nation was truly sad, especially since they now didn’t have the chance to ask Oswald why he had done it.
Conclusion
President Kennedy remains one of the most beloved political figures in the United States and the rest of the world.
He is also considered as one of history’s most intriguing figures, and he has been thoroughly studied for many years by thousands – if not millions of people.
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