John F. Kennedy was one of the most popular presidents in American history. He was a young, handsome, and charismatic leader who inspired many Americans. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, but his legacy lives on.

In this article, we will explore Kennedy’s life, from his early childhood to his days as president. We will also learn about his family, his politics, and his assassination.

Table of Contents:

1. Early Life

2. Family

3. Education

4. Military Service

5. Political Career

6. Presidency

7. Assassination

8. Legacy

9. Top John F. Kennedy Quotes

Early Life

John F. Kennedy was born on May 29, 1917, in Brookline, Massachusetts. He was the second of nine children born to Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy.

Joseph Kennedy Sr. was a successful businessman and diplomat. He served as the ambassador to the United Kingdom from 1938 to 1940. Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy was a socialite and the daughter of a prominent Boston politician.

The Kennedy family was wealthy and influential. They were also Catholic, which was a minority religion in the United States at the time.

As a child, Kennedy was sickly. He suffered from various ailments, including pneumonia, Scarlet Fever, and whooping cough. He also had a bad back, which would plague him for the rest of his life.

Despite his health problems, Kennedy was an active child. He enjoyed touch football, sailing, and skiing. He also loved to read and was an excellent student.

In 1930, Kennedy’s father was appointed as the ambassador to the Court of St. James’s. The family moved to London, England.

Kennedy attended Catholic schools in England. He also traveled extensively with his family. These experiences would shape Kennedy’s views on the world.

In 1935, Kennedy’s father decided to move the family back to the United States. Kennedy enrolled at Princeton University. He planned to study international relations.

However, Kennedy’s education was interrupted by World War II. In 1940, he enlisted in the United States Navy.

Family

The Kennedy family was one of the most influential families in American politics. Kennedy’s grandfather, John F. Kennedy Sr., was a successful businessman and politician. His grandmother, Rose Kennedy, was a socialite and the daughter of a prominent Boston politician.

Kennedy’s father, Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., was a successful businessman and diplomat. He served as the ambassador to the United Kingdom from 1938 to 1940. He was also a member of Franklin Roosevelt’s cabinet.

Kennedy’s mother, Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, was a socialite and the daughter of a prominent Boston politician. She was a devoted mother and wife.

Kennedy had eight siblings: Joseph Jr., John, Robert, Edward, Patricia, Jean, Eunice, and Ted.

Joseph Jr. was Kennedy’s older brother. He served in the United States Navy during World War II. He was killed in action in 1944.

John was Kennedy’s younger brother. He served in the United States Navy during World War II. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1946. He was elected to the Senate in 1952. He was assassinated in 1968.

Robert was Kennedy’s younger brother. He served in the United States Marines during World War II. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1946. He was elected to the Senate in 1952. He was assassinated in 1968.

Edward was Kennedy’s younger brother. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1946. He was elected to the Senate in 1952. He was assassinated in 1968.

Patricia was Kennedy’s only sister. She married a wealthy businessman.

Jean was Kennedy’s only sister. She married a wealthy businessman.

Eunice was Kennedy’s only sister. She married a wealthy businessman.

Ted was Kennedy’s youngest brother. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1946. He was elected to the Senate in 1952.

Education

Kennedy attended Catholic schools in England. He also traveled extensively with his family. These experiences would shape Kennedy’s views on the world.

In 1935, Kennedy’s father decided to move the family back to the United States. Kennedy enrolled at Princeton University. He planned to study international relations.

However, Kennedy’s education was interrupted by World War II. In 1940, he enlisted in the United States Navy.

Military Service

Kennedy served in the United States Navy during World War II. He was stationed in the Pacific theater.

Kennedy’s military service was cut short by an injury. In 1943, he was diagnosed with Addison’s disease. He was also diagnosed with a malignant tumor in his spine.

Kennedy underwent surgery to remove the tumor. He also received treatment for his Addison’s disease. He was honorably discharged from the Navy in 1945.

Political Career

In 1946, Kennedy was elected to the House of Representatives. He served in the House for six years.

In 1952, Kennedy was elected to the Senate. He served in the Senate for ten years.

In 1960, Kennedy ran for president. He defeated Richard Nixon in a close election.

Presidency

Kennedy was sworn in as president on January 20, 1961.

Kennedy’s presidency was marked by Cold War tensions. He faced challenges from the Soviet Union and Cuba.

Kennedy also worked to improve civil rights in the United States. He supported the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. His vice president, Lyndon B. Johnson, succeeded him.

Assassination

Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas. He was shot by Lee Harvey Oswald.

Kennedy’s assassination was a shock to the nation. His death sparked a period of mourning.

Legacy

Kennedy’s assassination left a lasting mark on American history. He was a popular and charismatic president. His death was a tragedy.

Kennedy is remembered as a great president. He is also remembered as a victim of violence.

Top John F. Kennedy Quotes

“I have a nice home, the office is close by, and the pay is good.”

“If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.”

“The Federal Budget can and should be made an instrument of prosperity and stability, not a deterrent to recovery.”

“A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces but also by the men it honors, the men it remembers.”

“Let us not emphasize all on which we differ but all we have in common. Let us consider not what we fear separately but what we share together.”

“It may be different elsewhere. But democratic society – in it, the highest duty of the writer, the composer, the artist is to remain true to himself and to let the chips fall where they may.”

“And if we cannot end now our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity. For, in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children’s future. And we are all mortal.”

“The success of this Government, and thus the success of our Nation, depends in the last analysis upon the quality of our career services.”

“Our deep spiritual confidence that this nation will survive the perils of today — which may well be with us for decades to come — compels us to invest in our nation’s future, to consider and meet our obligations to our children and the numberless generations that will follow.”

“I can imagine a no more rewarding career. And any man who may be asked in this century what he did to make his life worth while, I think can respond with a good deal of pride and satisfaction: ‘I served in the United States Navy.”

“For one true measure of a nation is its success in fulfilling the promise of a better life for each of its members. Let this be the measure of our nation.”

“Our goal is not the victory of might but the vindication of right…not peace at the expense of freedom, but both peace and freedom, here in this hemisphere, and, we hope, around the world. God willing, that goal will be achieved.”

“…what really counts is not the immediate act of courage or of valor, but those who bear the struggle day in and day out – not the sunshine patriots but those who are willing to stand for a long period of time.”

“Rising tide lifts all boats.”

“Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.”

“For in a democracy, every citizen, regardless of his interest in politics, ‘hold office’; everyone of us is in a position of responsibility; and, in the final analysis, the kind of government we get depends upon how we fulfill those responsibilities. We, the people, are the boss, and we will get the kind of political leadership, be it good or bad, that we demand and deserve.”

“In the Chinese language, the word “crisis” is composed of two characters, one representing danger and the other, opportunity.”

“Children are the world’s most valuable resource and its best hope for the future.”

“It is increasingly clear that no matter what party is in power, so long as our national security needs keep rising, an economy hampered by restrictive tax rates will never produce enough jobs or enough profits.”

“Let both sides seek to invoke the wonders of science instead of its terrors. Together let us explore the stars, conquer the deserts, eradicate disease, tap the ocean depths and encourage the arts and commerce.”

“So let us begin anew—remembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness, and sincerity is always subject to proof. Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.”

“In serving his vision of the truth, the artist best serves his nation.”

“When I ran for presidency of the United States, I knew that this country faced serious challenges, but I could not realize – nor could any man realize who does not bear the burdens of this office – how heavy and constant would be those burdens.”

“…I am certain that after the dust of centuries has passed over our cities, we, too, will be remembered not for victories or defeats in battle or in politics, but for our contribution to the human spirit.”

“To further the appreciation of culture among all the people, to increase respect for the creative individual, to widen participation by all the processes and fulfillments of art – this is one of the fascinating challenges of these days.”

“I have pledged myself and my colleagues in the cabinet to a continuous encouragement of initiative, responsibility and energy in serving the public interest. Let every public servant know, whether his post is high or low, that a man’s rank and reputation in this Administration will be determined by the size of the job he does, and not by the size of his staff, his office or his budget.”

“That is the question of the New Frontier. That is the choice our nation must make—a choice that lies not merely between two men or two parties, but between the public interest and private comfort—between national greatness and national decline—between the fresh air of progress and the stale, dank atmosphere of “normalcy”—between determined dedication and creeping mediocrity. All mankind waits upon our decision. A whole world looks to see what we will do. We cannot fail their trust, we cannot fail to try.”

“My fellow Americans, let us take that first step. Let us…step back from the shadow of war and seek out the way of peace. And if that journey is a thousand miles, or even more, let history record that we, in this land, at this time, took the first step.”

“If more politicians knew poetry, and more poets knew politics, I am convinced the world would be a little better place in which to live.”

“I think the American people expect more from us than cries of indignation and attack. The times are too grave, the challenge too urgent, and the stakes too high—to permit the customary passions of political debate. We are not here to curse the darkness, but to light the candle that can guide us through that darkness to a safe and sane future.”

“I look forward to an America which will not be afraid of grace and beauty…an America which will reward achievement in the arts as we reward achievement in business or statecraft.”

“I have said that control of arms is a mission that we undertake particularly for our children and our grandchildren and that they have no lobby in Washington.”

“The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining – by filling three basic gaps in our anti-recession protection.”

“We can say with some assurance that, although children may be the victims of fate, they will not be the victims of our neglect.”

“A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on.”

“Too often in the past, we have thought of the artist as an idler and dilettante and of the lover of arts as somehow sissy and effete. We have done both an injustice. The life of the artist is, in relation to his work, stern and lonely. He has labored hard, often amid deprivation, to perfect his skill. He has turned aside from quick success in order to strip his vision of everything secondary or cheapening. His working life is marked by intense application and intense discipline.”

“My fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.”

“Now let me make it clear that I believe there can only be one defense policy for the United States and that is summed up in the word ‘first.’ I do not mean first, but. I do not mean first, when. I do not mean first, if. I mean first — period.”

“If freedom is to survive and prosper, it will require the sacrifice, the effort and the thoughtful attention of every citizen.”

“United there is little we cannot do in a host of cooperative ventures. Divided there is little we can do—for we dare not meet a powerful challenge at odds and split asunder.”

“We have become more and more not a nation of athletes but a nation of spectators.”

“A man does what he must—in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures – and that is the basis of all human morality.”

“This country cannot afford to be materially rich and spiritually poor.”

“We celebrate the past to awaken the future.”

“I have seen in many places housing which has been developed under government influences, but I have never seen any projects in which governments have played their part which have fountains and statues and grass and trees, which are as important to the concept of the home as the roof itself.”

“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future.”

“We must never forget that art is not a form of propaganda; it is a form of truth.”

“The life of the arts, far from being an interruption, a distraction, in the life of a nation, is very close to the center of a nation’s purpose…and is a test of the quality of a nation’s civilization.”

“The stories of past courage…can teach, they can offer hope, they can provide inspiration. But they cannot supply courage itself. For this each man must look into his own soul.”

“War will exist until that distant day when the conscientious objector enjoys the same reputation and prestige that the warrior does today.”

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