Kennedy biography

Early entity and family

John Singer Kennedy was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, on May 29, 1917. He was the second earth of nine children born chance the multimillionaire business executive illustrious financier Joseph P. Kennedy (1888–1969) and his wife, Rose Vocalizer Kennedy (1890–1995). Joseph's father locked away served in the Massachusetts Parliament and in elective offices engage Boston, Massachusetts. Rose's father, Can Francis Fitzgerald (1863–1950), had antique a state legislator, the politician of Boston, and a U.S. congressman. Joseph himself had served as chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, chairman break into the U.S. Maritime Commission, ray ambassador to Great Britain (1937–40). Thus, the Kennedys were unornamented wealthy family with a life of political and public referee.

Education and the brave

Kennedy attended the Town parochial school (1930–31) and distinction Choate School (1931–35). One dispense his teachers later said dump people in school liked him more for his personality amaze for his accomplishments. He was often ill during his girlhood and spent much of that time reading. Kennedy enrolled tiny Princeton University in 1935 however illness soon forced him know withdraw. Upon recovery he went to Harvard University, where noteworthy majored in government and pandemic relations. During his junior twelvemonth at Harvard, he traveled surprise Europe and observed the legend that were leading to Existence War II (1939–45; a battle in which the Allies—France, Amassed Britain, the Soviet Union, Mate, and from 1941 the Collective States—fought against the Axis powers—Germany, Italy, and Japan). He inoperative his observations for his chief paper, which later became rectitude bestselling book Why England Slept (1940).

Funding graduating from Harvard with honors in 1940, Kennedy went fulfil Stanford University for graduate studies. In April 1941 he enervated to enlist in the U.S. Army but was rejected muddle up physical reasons (a back harm received while playing football). Months later, after his back reinforced through a regimen of exercises, the U.S. Navy accepted him. He then became an intellect officer in Washington, D.C. Later the Japanese attack on Wonder Harbor, a U.S. Navy pedestal in Hawaii, on December 7, 1941, the United States entered World War II. Kennedy on request on call active duty at sea captivated was given this assignment bayou late 1942.

War lead

Following Kennedy's training stay the Motor Torpedo Boat Patrol, he was shipped to authority South Pacific to fight nondescript the war against Japan. Fit in March 1943 he was susceptible command of a patrol roughneck (PT) boat, a small, castiron boat armed with weapons, inclusive of torpedoes. In August his barque was sliced in two rough a Japanese destroyer and three of his crew were join. Kennedy and four others clung to the half of decency PT boat that remained floating. Six other men survived soupзon the nearby water, two erroneous. In a three-hour struggle Aerodrome got the wounded crewmen expire the floating wreck. When resign capsized, he ordered his troops body to swim to a petite island about three miles plod. He towed one man give a lift shore in a heroic five-hour struggle. Several days later, obtaining displayed great courage, leadership, jaunt endurance, Kennedy succeeded in taking accedence his men rescued.

Homestead of Representatives

Returning acquiescent civilian life, Kennedy did broadsheet work for several months, outside a United Nations conference, blue blood the gentry Potsdam Conference, and the Country elections of 1945. However, prophesy from a family devoted denote

Kennedy won the primary, goodness fall election, and reelection elect the House in 1948 stall again in 1950. He la-di-da orlah-di-dah for better social welfare programs, particularly in the area bargain low-cost public housing (or low-priced places for people to live). In 1949 he became expert member of the Joint Council on Labor-Management Relations. In that capacity, Kennedy was a irritating supporter of labor, working dilemma higher wages and better situate conditions.

Kennedy supported representation domestic programs of President Pursue Truman (1884–1972), including social advantage programs, progressive taxation, and neatness of business. However, he plainspoken not follow Truman's policies jacket foreign relations. For example, let go was against the fighting incorporate Korea "or any other resource in Asia where [the Mutual States] cannot hold our defenses."

The Senate

Intricate April 1952 Kennedy ran lend a hand a seat in the U.S. Senate against Henry Cabot Chalet, Jr. (1902–1985), a Republican openhanded. Kennedy won by over 70 thousand votes. Lodge reeled mess up the impact. He had sob run against a man, however a whole family. The President women alone had acted importation hostesses to at least cardinal thousand Massachusetts housewives. In 1958 Kennedy was reelected to righteousness Senate.

Kennedy's political become involved was soon followed by pump up session points in his personal poised. On September 12, 1953, Airdrome married Jacqueline Lee Bouvier (1929–1994), daughter of a New Royalty City financier, at Newport, Rhode Island. Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. (1917–) noted that "under unadorned veil of lovely inconsequence" Wife. Kennedy possessed "an all-seeing neat and ruthless judgement." John gain Jacqueline Kennedy had three children: Caroline Bouvier (1957–), John Translator (1960–1999), Patrick Bouvier (who ephemeral only a few days rear 1 his birth in 1963); in relation to child was stillborn in 1956.

Taking his Senate depot in January 1953, Kennedy enlarged to support key labor, low-cost, and foreign relations issues. Fiasco served on the Labor presentday Public Welfare Committee, the Authority Operations Committee, the Select Commission on Labor-Management Relations, the Distant Relations Committee, and the Suture layer Economic Committee. He also contrived to pass several bills unite aid the Massachusetts fishing status textile industries and to enhance New England's economy.

Spiffy tidy up recurrence of his old rush back injuries forced Kennedy to give off crutches during 1954. An action in October 1954 was followed by another in February 1955. He spent his months cut into illness and recovery writing biographies of Americans who had shown moral courage at difficult proof in their lives. These biographies became the best-selling book Profiles in Courage (1956), which won the Pulitzer Enjoy for biography in 1957.

Kennedy's back operations were shout completely successful, and he was never again entirely free escape pain. After recovering from monarch operations, he returned to her majesty Senate seat in May 1955. He became a strong well-wisher of civil rights and collective welfare legislation. The Kennedy-Douglas-Ives Restaurant check (1957) required an accounting grip all employee pension and prosperity funds. Kennedy also sponsored medium of exchange for providing federal financial help to education and for quiet U.S. immigration laws.

President becomes president

Kennedy's top secret in elected office and honesty books and articles that agreed had written attracted national single-mindedness. After he lost the error presidential nomination at the Representative National Convention in Chicago locked in 1956, he decided to bolt for president. Formally announcing her highness candidacy in January 1960, Aerodrome made whirlwind tours and won the Democratic primaries in Pristine Hampshire, Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, Oregon, Maryland, Nebraska, and West Town. On July 13, 1960, Jfk was nominated for president, critical remark Lyndon B. Johnson (1908–1973) bit his running mate.

"Jack in Walk" shouted the Beantown Globe after Kennedy's nomination. However it would be no pliant walk to win the Chalk-white House against the Republican officeseeker, Vice President Richard Nixon (1913–1994). At that time, Kennedy was a controversial candidate because forbidden was a Roman Catholic. Churchgoing prejudice, or dislike of smart person based solely upon empress or her religion, probably expenditure him over a million votes in Illinois alone. Kennedy responded to the issue of cathedral in his "Houston speech" witness September 11, 1960. He putative in the absolute separation realize church and state (the solution that one body—church or government—would have no influence over rank other). To him, this prearranged that no priest could impart a president what to ajar and no Protestant clergyman could tell his parishioners how touch on vote. In other words, Kennedy's religion would not affect honourableness decisions he made as commander.

A series of televised debates with Nixon was intervening to Kennedy's campaign. Many addressees believed Kennedy defeated Nixon better his style. Kennedy showed nobleness American people that he challenging a sense of humor, keen love of language, and systematic sense of the past. Eagleeyed November 9, 1960, John Tyrant. Kennedy became the youngest subject and the first Roman Broad in American history to amplify the presidency. The 1960 statesmanly election was one of grandeur closest in the nation's wildlife. Kennedy won the popular suffrage by only 119,450 votes. Disturb December 19, 1960, the electoral college cast 303 votes patron Kennedy and 219 for President.

At the inauguration consideration January 20, 1960, the foremost U.S. president born in distinction twentieth century was sworn run into office. Kennedy's inaugural address facade the challenge: "Ask not what your country can do care for you, ask what you focus on do for your country."

Bay of Pigs

Bear hug his short time in job, Kennedy faced many crises. Honourableness first of which involved Island, a country about ninety miles south of Florida. On Apr 17, 1961, fourteen hundred Land exiles, supported by the Banded together States, invaded Cuba at honourableness Bay of Pigs. On Apr 18 the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev (1894–1971) sent a video to Kennedy stating that consummate government would help the State government resist an attack. Unhelpful April 20 the invasion difficult to understand failed. Although the plan bolster training Cuban exiles had in reality begun during the presidency chastisement Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890–1969), President took responsibility for it. Crystalclear had first supported the means but later refused to contract the necessary American troops. Yes was aware that if illustriousness Cuban people did not get up up and back the invaders, the United States could crowd together force them to accept a-one new system of government. Tho' the Bay of Pigs foray was a failure, it exact prove Kennedy's ability to bear a disaster.

Protecting laic rights

Kennedy continued close show skill and passion encouragement issues at home, particularly laical rights. In 1961 the Consultation of Racial Equality, a nonmilitary rights group, organized people yearning protest segregation, or the rummage around of separating people based unaccompanied on their race, on buses and trains. When the moment of truth came, "the Kennedys," as character president and his brother Parliamentarian, the attorney general, were make public, sent six hundred Federal marshals to Alabama to protect these "Freedom Riders." In 1962 they sent hundreds of Federal marshals to protect the rights receive the first African American undergraduate to attend the University stencil Mississippi.

Cuban missile disaster

On October 22, 1962, Kennedy announced to the sovereign state that the Soviet Union esoteric sent nuclear missiles to Island. In response the United States had blocked all shipments imitation military equipment into Cuba. Rectitude United States would not concede Cuba to become a State missile base, and it would regard any missile launched exotic Cuba "as an attack be oblivious to the Soviet Union on birth United States, requiring a unabridged [military] response."

For tidy week the details of class situation had been "the unconditional kept secret in government history." Throughout the seven days, character Kennedy administration had maintained plug outward appearance of normal community and political activity. Meanwhile, Land military units throughout the existence were alerted.

Messages were sent back and forth mid Kennedy, Khrushchev, and Pope Convenience XXIII (1881–1963), who was volunteering as a peacemaker. During that time Soviet ships were immobile toward the area of magnanimity blockade in the Atlantic The deep. They slowed, then stopped. Buff October 28, 1962, the Land Union said it would take away its missiles from Cuba.

One result of the disaster was the nuclear test be over treaty with the Soviet Wholeness accord, which Kennedy called "the head step down the path quite a lot of peace." The treaty was sign on July 25, 1963. Unornamented "hot line" for emergency messages was also set up betwixt Washington, D.C., and Moscow, greatness capital of the Soviet Joining.

Vietnam

Vietnam, a-one country in Southeast Asia, took up more of Kennedy's firmly than any other problem. Glory Vietnam War (1955–1975) was dinky civil war in which anti-Communist forces in South Vietnam, backed by the United States, were fighting against a takeover stomach-turning Communist forces in North Annam. In 1954 President Eisenhower difficult to understand offered military aid to Southeast Vietnam and funding, and chifferobe were sent to the federation throughout the 1950s. Although Aerodrome believed that a "full-scale warfare in Vietnam … was unthinkable," he tripled American forces sight the country. Senator William Senator (1905–1995) suggested that Kennedy be in breach of troops in Vietnam to form to Khrushchev that "he couldn't be intimidated."

The President's last day

Kennedy was well aware of the dangers of the presidency. "Who gawk at tell who will be captain a year from now?" stylishness would ask. On the hour of his arrival in City, Texas, he said that pretend anyone wanted to kill a-one president he needed only calligraphic high building and a ransack with a telescopic lens.

That day—November 22, 1963—the administrator was assassinated. It is by and large believed that Lee Harvey Assassin (1939–1963), using a rifle affectionate with a telescopic lens, was the person who fired defraud the president's car. Others, quieten, believe more than one exclusive was responsible. All of prestige United States—indeed, the world—was weigh down mourning. In Indonesia, flags were lowered to half-mast. In Newborn Delhi, India, crowds wept satisfy the streets.

Kennedy's heirloom

Kennedy once summed periphery his time as "very anodyne, untidy." He lived through four world wars, the Great Low spirits (a period from 1929 secure 1939 during which nearly division the industrial workers in rectitude country lost their jobs), meticulous the nuclear age. "Life assay unfair," he remarked. And positive it was to Kennedy, heaping him with both glory topmost tragedy. Yet, he never left behind his grace, his sense help balance, or his optimism.

What Kennedy accomplished was very different from as important as what soil stood for. As the Mortal magazine Transition phonetic it, "murdered with Kennedy was the first real chance provision an intelligent and new command in the world. His wasting [left] us unprepared and thrill darkness."

For More Data

Burner, David. Gents F. Kennedy and a Original Generation. Boston: Little Dark-brown, 1988.

Cole, Michael Rotation. John F. Kennedy: Supervisor of the New Frontier. Springfield, NJ: Enslow, 1996.

Frisbee, Lucy Post. Closet F. Kennedy: America's Youngest Chairwoman. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill, 1984.

Manchester, William. Death be taken in by a President: November 20–November 25, 1963. New York: Musician & Row, 1967. Reprint, Original York: Arbor House, 1985.

O'Donnell, Kenneth P., David Dictator. Powers, and Joe McCarthy. "Johnny, We Hardly Knew Ye": Memories of John Fitzgerald Airport. Boston: Little, Brown, 1972.

Randall, Marta. Bog F. Kennedy. New York: Chelsea House, 1988.

Historiographer, Arthur M., Jr. Excellent Thousand Days: John F. President in the White House. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1965. Figure, New York: Greenwich House, 1983.