John F. Kennedy 1917-1963

An interesting background • Decorated WWII naval officer • Earned Pulitzer Prize for Profiles in Courage • Served exactly 1,000 days in office • First president born in the 20th century and youngest president ever elected Only Roman Catholic president Could read 1600 words a minute

Wins close election against Nixon The election of 1960 was the closest since 1884; Kennedy defeated Richard Nixon by fewer than 119,000 votes. By the way…..”Jack” is a common nickname for John and his family called JFK “Jack”

Youthful theme in Inaugural Address “Let the word go forth… That the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans… The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it…And so, my fellow Americans-ask not what your country can do for you-ask what you can do for your country.”

The Camelot Years With JFK’s youthful glamour and his talented advisors, the Kennedy White House reminded many of a modern-day Camelot, the mythical court of King Arthur.

Communism moves close to US The first test of Kennedy’s foreign policy came in Cuba, just 90 miles off the coast of Florida. Revolutionary leader, Fidel Castro, openly declared himself a communist and welcomed aid from the Soviet Union.

The Bay of Pigs Fiasco April 17,1961, 1500 Cuban exiles supported by the U.S. military landed at Baja de Cochinos, the Bay of Pigs Hoped to trigger a mass uprising that would overthrow Castro It did not! Cuban forces, backed by Soviet tanks and jet aircraft, easily repelled the exile invasion Some of the exiles were killed, others imprisoned

Cuban Missile Crisis In October, 1962, photographs taken by American planes revealed Soviet missile bases in Cuba-and some contained missiles ready to launch. They could reach U.S. cities in minutes.

On October 22, Kennedy ordered a naval blockade of Cuba to prevent further deliveries of Soviet weapons. He also demanded that the Soviets remove the missiles. Khrushchev promised to challenge the blockade, calling it “outright banditry.”

Time for schools to replace fire drills with duck and cover drills

On October 28, Khrushchev agreed to dismantle the missile bases in response to Kennedy’s promise not to invade Cuba.

Berliners love JFK - High point of Kennedy’s foreign travels was a trip he made to Berlin in 1963 to dramatize America’s commitment to West Berlin and West Germany. - His speech at the Berlin Wall, Kennedy electrified 150,000 Germans “Ich bin ein Berliner” (I am a Berliner), declaring the solidarity of all free people with the people of West Berlin.

JFK’s goal…a New Frontier Medical care for the elderly…. Rebuild blighted urban areas….

Aid education…. Build up the military….

Increase international aid…. Expand the space program…

Provide volunteer assistance to developing nations in Asia, Africa, and Latin America… And fight for civil rights.

Tragedy in Dallas: A Nation in Shock -Fall 1963, public opinion polls showed that Kennedy was losing popularity because of his advocacy of civil rights - On November 22, 1963, President and Mrs. Kennedy went to Texas to mend political fences with members of the state’s Democratic Party

It started as a beautiful day in Dallas - Crowds lined the streets of Dallas to greet the President. Texas - Governor John Connally and his wife Nellie sat in front of the Kennedys.

As the car approached a state building known as the Texas State Book Depository, rifle shots rang out.

Shock and confusion in the motorcade Kennedy was shot in the head. His car raced to a nearby hospital, where doctors frantically tried to revive him, but it was too late. President dead.

Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested for the shooting.

Could this get any worse? On Sunday, Nov. 24, as millions watched live television coverage of Oswald being transferred between jails, a nightclub owner named Jack Ruby broke through the crowd and shot and killed Oswald.

The nation stands still to grieve, cry and pay respect.

It all seems so final as the casket heads to Arlington National Cemetery.

A final salute from a young boy to his dad.

Arlington National Cemetery