John F. Kennedy son of, Joseph Patrick Kennedy and Rose Fitzgerald, was born on May 29, 1917 and died on November 22, 1963. John F. Kennedy was the 35th president of the United States. He was also the youngest elected president and the youngest to die.Kennedy was born in Brookline, Massachusetts. In 1940, Kennedy graduated from Harvard University with a science degree. He joined the United States Navy in 1941, and became an officer. On September 12, 1953 he married Jacqueline Bouvier. Over the next few years four children were born but only two, Caroline and John, survived infancy.
Kennedy ran against Richard M. Nixon and became the first Ramon Catholic President. Kennedy won by 34,226,925 votes to 34,108,662. John F. Kennedy was sworn in as the 35th President on January 20, 1961. The Kennedy's believed that the White House should be a place to celebrate American history, culture, and achievement. They invited artists, writers, scientists, poets, musicians, actors, and athletes to visit them.One of the first things President Kennedy did was create the Peace Corps. Through this program, which still exists today, Americans can volunteer to work anywhere in the world where assistance is needed. Kennedy was the first President to ask Congress to approve more than 22 billion dollars for Project Apollo.
On November 21, 1963, President Kennedy flew to Texas to give several political speeches. The next day, as his car drove slowly past cheering crowds in Dallas, shots rang out. Kennedy was seriously wounded and died a short time later. Within a few hours of the shooting, police arrested Lee Harvey Oswald and charged him with the murder. On November 24, another man, Jack Ruby, shot and killed Oswald.President Kennedy's death caused enormous sadness and grief among all Americans. Most people still remember exactly where they were and what they were doing when they heard the news. Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Washington for the President's funeral, and millions throughout the world watched it on television.Like all leaders, John Kennedy was not perfect and made mistakes, but he was always optimistic about the future. He believed that people could solve their common problems if they put their country's interests first and worked together.
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