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Years of life of John Kennedy. President with a mysterious death - John Kennedy

John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy(English) John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , also known as JFK; May 29, 1917, Brookline - November 22, 1963, Dallas) - American politician, 35th President of the United States (1961-1963). In the modern public consciousness, Kennedy is most often associated with his mysterious murder, which shocked the whole world, numerous hypotheses for the resolution of which are put forward to this day.

A World War II veteran who rose to the rank of lieutenant, Kennedy spent the entire Solomon Islands campaign commanding the torpedo boat PT-109. He was awarded many awards for his bravery during hostilities.

Immediately after the end of the war, he began his political career, in 1947 he was elected from Massachusetts to the US House of Representatives, where he remained until 1953. At the same time he became a Massachusetts senator and held this position until 1960. At the beginning of the decade, in the next presidential election, Democrat 43-year-old Kennedy narrowly defeated Republican Richard Nixon, thus becoming the only Catholic US president and the first president born in the 20th century.

Kennedy's almost three-year presidency was marked by the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Bay of Pigs operation, the space race between the USSR and the USA, which led to the start of the Apollo space program, as well as serious steps towards equal rights for blacks.

On November 22, 1963, while visiting Dallas, Texas, John F. Kennedy was wounded by a sniper rifle in his open limousine on one of the central streets cities. The President was immediately taken to Parkland Hospital, where, after unsuccessful attempts at resuscitation, he was pronounced dead at about 13:00 local time. The specially created Warren Commission showed that Kennedy's killer was lone shooter Lee Harvey Oswald. A huge number of social polls conducted across the country showed that at least 60% of the American population did not believe that Oswald killed the president or at least acted alone.

A large number of objects, streets, schools and others are named after Kennedy in the United States (for example, the international airport in New York). According to the majority of the country's citizens, Kennedy is one of the ten greatest American presidents in history.

Ancestors

Main article: Kennedy family

Maternal grandfather - John Francis Fitzgerald (1863-1950), eloquent politician, three times mayor of Boston. He graduated from Boston College and was elected to the US Congress in 1894. From 1906 to 1914, he served as mayor of Boston, regularly giving up this position to other politicians as their terms expired. Until the end of his life he remained one of the most prominent political figures in the area; he predicted to his grandson John that he would become president. He was married to his second cousin, Mary Josephine Hannon, and had six children.

Paternal grandfather - Patrick Joseph Kennedy (1858-1929), entrepreneur and politician, was elected to the US House of Representatives from Massachusetts. At the age of fourteen he left school and started working, since his family had nothing to live on. Over time, with the money he earned, he opened a small chain of bars and eateries, and founded an alcohol and coal company. He was married to the daughter of a bar owner, Mary Hickey, and the marriage produced four children.

Parents

Mother - Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald (1890-1995), philanthropist, matriarch of the Kennedy clan. She attended Catholic school and Manhattanville College.

Father - Joseph Patrick Kennedy (1888-1969), entrepreneur and politician, patriarch of the Kennedy clan, US Ambassador to Great Britain. He studied at the Boston Latin School and graduated from Harvard University. At a young age he became president of the bank's board Columbia Trust, doubled his capital.

Joseph and Rose met in 1906, but the girl, according to her father’s plan, was to marry another young man who she categorically did not like. In October 1914, Joseph and Rose married and moved permanently to Brookline, where a year later their first child, Joseph Patrick Kennedy, Jr., was born.


The Kennedys
in a New York restaurant
November 1940

Kennedy Sr. believed that banking was above all and, as he later wrote in his memoirs, “all roads are open to the banker, since he plays an important role in the development of any entrepreneurial activity" Joseph did not plan to be a major figure in his own city, he wanted to reach a higher level - the banking industry of Boston and New York. His intentions were destroyed by the First World War, he left the bank and went to work for a steel and shipbuilding company Bethlehem Steel, that in Quincy, thus avoiding conscription to the front. One of his colleagues later said:

In the mid-1920s, Kennedy became a member of a brokerage firm Bramin, thereby becoming one of the most successful investors of his generation.

Steady climbing career ladder Joseph was repulsed by Rose, she wanted something more orderly and calm family life. By the early 1930s, she had already given birth to nine children and was worried about her huge family after doctors discovered that her eldest daughter Rosemary was lagging behind. mental development from their peers. To take her mind off her family problems at least a little, Rose traveled a lot throughout the States and Europe. Joseph often cheated on his wife, in particular with silent film star, three-time Oscar nominee Gloria Swanson, in whose films he often invested his own money.

At the peak of his career, Kennedy Sr. was friendly with Pope Pius XII, newspaper magnate W.R. Hearst, and was a personal adviser to US President Franklin Roosevelt. Joseph expected that his eldest son Joe Jr. would go through the same path in life as himself, and pinned all his hopes on him, and not on John.

As historian and longtime Columbia University professor Alan Brinkley notes, “long before members of the Kennedy clan became prominent political figures, the family was already among the most famous Irish families in America.”

Birth and early years

John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the second of Joseph and Rose's children, was born in Brookline, on Beales Street, at 3 a.m. on May 29, 1917. The boy was named after John the Evangelist. John the Apostle) and Rose's father, John Francis Fitzgerald. According to the old American tradition, John was called Jack by his loved ones.

Soon after John was born, the family moved from a cramped house to a huge one on Abbotsford Road. There he went to the Dexter school, where only he and his brother Joseph were Catholics. As a child, John was frail, caused by all sorts of illnesses: from chicken pox to scarlet fever, from which he almost died. Kennedy's most vivid childhood memory was touring constituencies with his grandfather John in 1922, when he was running for governor.

Having become a major economic figure in the center of America and possessing a capital of $2 million, in 1927 Joseph Kennedy moved his family to the capital of stock trading - New York, more precisely, to its mini-district Riverdale, and then Bronxville. In Massachusetts, Kennedy Sr. still had property - a family estate in the small village of Hyannis Port. There John began going to Riverdale Country School, where he studied neither well nor poorly.

Secondary education

In the fall of 1930, thirteen-year-old John was sent to Catholic school Canterbury, which was located far from home - in the city of New Milford, Connecticut. He continued to get sick regularly and missed his family; in letters he complained to them that at school he was “being pestered about religion; The only time you can go outside is when the Yale team is playing Harvard, or the Armed Forces team." John spent almost the entire school year in the hospital, and in recent months he practiced home schooling. Despite his illnesses, he was active in sports at school, participating in baseball, basketball and track and field.

Kennedy began his ninth grade at the private boarding school Choate Rosemary Hall, where his brother Joseph had already studied, and before that his future political colleagues Adlai Stevenson II and Chester Bowles. At Choate, John also did not receive high grades; according to historian Alan Brinkley, "his work was sloppily completed, and he had a reputation for being unserious and unfocused in a school that made order a principle." Kennedy often called Choate a prison; his health did not improve; he spent a long time in the famous Mayo Clinic.

A rebel by nature, Kennedy joined the so-called "Maker Club", in which its members sang obscene songs concerning teachers and administration. Despite his defiant behavior, John was not expelled from school and he graduated, although not with a perfect certificate.

Higher education

After completing his secondary education, Kennedy began to think about further education. In 1935, he entered Harvard University, but at the very end of August he took his documents and went to the London School of Economics and Political Science, personally to the prominent economist, Professor Harold Laski, who later spoke warmly of Kennedy. In the capital of England, John fell ill again, this time with jaundice, and returned to his homeland, where he was enrolled at Princeton University, in particular because he was already studying there best friend Lem Billings.

Princeton seemed to Kennedy "a depressingly provincial little university town." Having not completed his first semester, he again fell ill in one of the Boston hospitals with an illness unknown to doctors. For several weeks, John underwent examinations and tests, which he later called “the most difficult test in my entire storm-battered life.” Eventually the young man was diagnosed with leukemia. Kennedy did not believe it and turned out to be right - soon the doctors admitted that they had made a mistake.

John spent the rest of the school year at a resort in Palm Beach, at a ranch in Arizona, and in Los Angeles. In August 1936, he was again accepted into Harvard University, whose admissions committee issued its verdict about Kennedy: “Jack has excellent mental abilities, but does not have a deep interest in studying... There is reason to believe that he can enroll.”

At Harvard, John studied better than at Choate or Princeton, read a lot, and did not give up sports. Kennedy spent the summer holidays of 1937 on a large-scale trip to European countries with Lem Billings, which was sponsored by his father. He also arranged for John to meet the future Pope Cardinal Pacelli and several other major world figures. The young man was especially impressed by countries with fascist regimes, in particular Italy and Germany.

Upon returning from the cruise, the amazed Kennedy began to become seriously interested in history and political science. He was eager to succeed not only academically, but also in student society, setting himself the goal of getting into one of Harvard's social clubs. He soon became a member of the club Hasty Pudding, published in the university newspaper The Harvard Crimson. However, John was most proud of being a member of the club Spee and spent almost all his free time from studying at his headquarters.

Kennedy learned about the outbreak of World War II while vacationing at a resort in Antibes. Returning to Harvard, he entitled his senior thesis “The Politics of Appeasement in Munich,” with the help of a whole team, from his father’s assistants to stenographers and typists. “A poorly written but conscientious, interesting and intelligent analysis of a complex problem” was the verdict of Kennedy’s supervisors. Despite the mediocrity of this thesis, she, with the help of a newspaper journalist The New York Times Arthur Crock, was released as a separate book under a different title, “Why England Slept.”

The analytical work of the young Kennedy caused a wide public response, which was dictated, according to Alan Brinkley, by “the almost complete lack of interest on the part of political analysts of that time in the question of the readiness of democratic states to resist totalitarian regimes" In it, John also first mentioned the thesis, which later became one of the key points of his political doctrine: “Democracy must be strong and combat-ready to endure the hardships of a long, intense struggle with the increasingly powerful communist world.”

The Second World War

After graduating from Harvard, Kennedy, B.S., wondered what he should do next. There was an idea to start studying law; in 1941, he applied to Yale University and even studied for a few months at Stanford, but soon America was officially involved in World War II. John knew that due to constant illnesses he would not be enlisted at the front. A year before the events at Pearl Harbor, he attempted to undergo a medical examination, but was denied due to a back injury. Here his father and his acquaintances (in particular, Admiral Alan Kirk) helped, with the help of whose influence in October Kennedy was sent to the Washington intelligence department of the US Navy.

While in the Navy, Kennedy prepared reports for headquarters and found the job boring. He longed for real military action; as historian Alan Brinkley believed:

His reign was from 1961 to 1963, when he was assassinated. Kennedy was a participant in the war of 1939-1945, as well as a member of the Senate.

Childhood and adolescence

According to local American tradition, he was called Jack. He was first elected to the Senate at the age of 43. In the entire history of the United States, he was the youngest president. John Kennedy was born on May 29, 1917 in small town called Brooklay in a Catholic family. He was the second child in the family.

As a child, John Kennedy had a very frail build, was often ill, and almost died due to scarlet fever. When he grew up, many women, on the contrary, were crazy about him. When the boy was ten years old, his family moved to a twenty-room house. At school, the future president was distinguished by his rebellious spirit, and his academic performance left much to be desired. Despite the fact that John Kennedy Jr. was very often sick, he continued to play sports intensively.

After graduating from school, he entered the truth, but did not stay there for long due to health problems. Returning to the States, Kennedy continued his studies - now at Princeton. He soon falls ill and doctors diagnose him with leukemia. Kennedy does not believe the doctors, and later they themselves admit that the diagnosis was incorrect.

Traveling through Europe and participating in hostilities

In 1936, John Kennedy returned to Harvard University. In the summer he travels to European countries, which further fuels his interest in politics and international relations. Under the patronage of his father, the future president meets the head catholic church- Pope Pius XII.

Despite poor health, Kennedy took part in hostilities, which lasted until 1945. At the front he takes Active participation in battles, showing courage in rescuing a boat sunk by enemy troops. And after leaving the armed forces, he takes up work as a journalist.

Beginning of a political career

In 1946, John F. Kennedy was elected to the House of Congress. Then the same post is occupied by him three more times. In 1960, his candidacy was first nominated for the post of president of the country, and finally, in 1961, he became the head of the United States. Many of Kennedy's contemporaries were impressed by his determination, intelligence and wisdom in governing the country. For example, Kennedy managed to achieve a ban on nuclear testing. He also carried out many popular reforms and became the lover of the entire nation.

Personal life of the president

John Fitzgerald Kennedy was married to Jacqueline Lee Bouvier, who was 12 years younger than him. Instead of flowers and chocolates, Kennedy gave her books, which he himself considered the most valuable. Their wedding took place in the city of Newport. Subsequently, the Kennedy family had four children. However, the older girl and younger boy died. Middle daughter Caroline became a writer. Son John died under tragic circumstances in a plane crash.

Also John Kennedy had a large number of extramarital affairs. Among his passions was Pamela Turner, who worked as a press secretary for his wife Jacqueline. Swedish aristocrat Gunilla von Post described her relationship with the president in a book. Also, the infamous Marilyn Monroe had an affair with Kennedy.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy: death

Before the upcoming elections in 1963, Kennedy began a series of trips around the country. On November 21, 1963, his procession was on the streets of Dallas. Exactly at half past one, three shots rang out. The first bullet went through and also wounded the governor of Texas. Another of the shots hit the head and became fatal.

Within five minutes the president was taken to the hospital. But the doctors were powerless against such wounds, and already at about one o'clock in the afternoon the death of the president was reported. The governor of Texas, John Connally, survived. After two hours, the police arrested a murder suspect, Lee Harvey Oswald, and two days later he was shot dead by Jack Ruby, whom authorities suspected of having connections with the mafia. Ruby was sentenced to death.

But after filing an appeal, he managed to get a pardon. A new trial date had not yet been set when Ruby was discovered. cancer. He died in January 1967. There are many versions according to which John Fitzgerald Kennedy could have been killed. According to one of them, the reprisal against the president was a response to his program to combat organized crime.

Wikipedia has articles about other people with this surname, see Kennedy.

January 20, 1961 – November 22, 1963
Vice President: Lyndon Johnson
Predecessor: Dwight Eisenhower
Successor: Lyndon Johnson
Senator from Massachusetts
January 3, 1953 – December 22, 1960
Predecessor: Henry Lodge
Successor: Benjamin Smith
January 3, 1947 - January 3, 1953
Predecessor: James Curley
Successor: Type O'Neil
Citizenship: USA
Religion: Catholicism
Birth: 29 May 1917 ( 1917-05-29 )
Brookline, Massachusetts, USA
Death: November 22, 1963 ( 1963-11-22 ) (46 years old)
Dallas, Texas, USA
Burial place: Arlington National Cemetery, Washington
Father: Joseph Kennedy
Mother: Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald Kennedy
Spouse: Jacqueline Bouvier (since 1953)
Children: Caroline Kennedy, John Fitzgerald Kennedy Jr. And Patrick Bouvier Kennedy
The consignment: US Democratic Party
Military service
Years of service: 1941-1945
Affiliation: USA USA
Type of army: US Navy
Rank: lieutenant
Commanded: torpedo boat PT-109
Battles: Solomon Islands campaign
Autograph:
Awards:

Jack considered it his duty to participate in hostilities. In addition, he knew that the biography of a combat officer would help him move up the career ladder, no matter what profession he chose. Besides life principles his family, raising children in the spirit of competition and the desire for success, did not allow him to even think about the fact that during the war he could sit somewhere in the rear.

After spending a short time at intelligence headquarters, John was transferred to a naval shipyard in Charleston, South Carolina. In July 1942, he became part of the naval school that trained officers. In Portsmouth and Newport he was trained in the basics of operating a fast torpedo boat and in the spring of 1943 he took command of the boat PT-109. Before this, dreaming of becoming his commander, Kennedy again turned to his father and Massachusetts Senator David I. Walsh for help. John was immediately redirected to the Pacific Ocean, where fighting between the USA and Japan were in full swing.

On August 2, Kennedy received the task of attacking Japanese ships as part of fifteen other boats. During a night raid, an enemy destroyer that jumped out of the darkness rammed and cut PT-109 in half. When he fell onto the deck, John severely injured his previously injured back. Of the thirteen sailors, two died instantly; the rest were saved thanks to Kennedy’s timely and clear actions. For five hours, the boat crew swam to the nearest shore, with Kennedy dragging one of the wounded along with him.

On the island of Nauro, John carved a small message on a coconut shell indicating the coordinates of the boat crew. A week later, Kennedy and his men sailed home on another New Zealand patrol torpedo boat from the New Georgia Islands.

In the following days, the American press wrote with admiration about the feat of Kennedy and the entire team, in which John was most often referred to as “Kennedy’s son.” For his courage during combat, John was awarded numerous orders and medals, including the Purple Heart and the Navy and Marine Corps Medal. The order honoring Kennedy was signed personally by Admiral William Halsey: “His courage, endurance and leadership skills helped save several human lives in full accordance with the high traditions of the United States maritime service."

Ten days after the incident with PT-109 Kennedy returned to the front. In December 1943, he contracted malaria, his back injury reappeared, and due to his critical health, John decided to return home. Already in the new year, 1944, Kennedy arrived in San Francisco and was hospitalized at the Mayo Clinic, where he remained for several long months. In March 1945, a few months before the end of the war, he was officially transferred to the reserve.

World War II and John F. Kennedy

Lieutenant John F. Kennedy in full dress, 1942

Kennedy on board PT-109, 1943

Start of a political career

John F. Kennedy on the personality of Adolf Hitler
One can easily understand how in just a few years, having overcome the hatred that now surrounded him, Hitler would turn into one of the most significant figures in history. Cherishing boundlessly ambitious plans that he wanted to realize for his country, he posed a threat to humanity. But the mystery that shrouds his life and death will long outlive him. There was something about him about which legends are made.

Recordings of John F. Kennedy during a tour of Europe, 1945

A few months after leaving the reserve, Kennedy took up journalism - covering the creation of the United Nations in San Francisco for the media conglomerate W. R. Hearst Hearst Corporation. Then he went on another tour of Europe, during which he again reflected on the key political events and personalities of that time.

After the death of the eldest child, Joseph, in August 1944, all hopes in the family were placed on John. Upon returning from Europe, his father began to persuade him to enter politics, although he doubted his political inclinations. John knew for sure that he would not engage in journalism. Kennedy Sr. helped lay the foundation for his son's future political career - he contacted Massachusetts Congressman in the US House of Representatives James Michael Curley, to whom he offered to vacate his seat in the House in exchange for resolving some of his problems. So John F. Kennedy entered the US House of Representatives and began his political career.

From 1947 to 1953, Kennedy represented Boston in the US Congress as a Democratic congressman. In 1953, Kennedy became a senator, winning a bitter battle with Senator Lodge. The future president's most controversial decision during this period was the decision not to participate in the Senate vote to censure Senator Joseph McCarthy over his leadership of the House Un-American Activities Committee. Researchers have suggested various motivations for this move (including hospital stays and a reluctance to undermine the trust of conservative voters), but Kennedy himself famously said in 1960:

I never called myself perfect. I fulfilled the usual quota of mistakes for a politician. The Joe McCarthy case? I found myself in a losing situation. My brother worked for Joe. I was against it, I didn't want him to work for Joe, but he did. How the hell could I stand up and condemn Joe McCarthy when my own brother worked for him? Thus, it was not so much a matter of political duty as a personal problem.

Original text(English)

– I never said I was perfect. I"ve made the usual quota of mistakes. The Joe McCarthy thing? I was caught in a bad situation. My brother was working for Joe. I was against it, I didn"t want him to work for Joe, but he wanted to . And how the hell could I get up there and denounce Joe McCarthy when my own brother was working for him? So it wasn't so much a thing of political liability as it was a personal problem

Later life

President of the U.S.A

Official portrait of the White House Presidential Gallery

Election campaign

Main article: US presidential election (1960)

When John F. Kennedy, the Democratic presidential candidate, won the 1960 election, he was 43 years old. When Kennedy officially announced his candidacy in early 1960, he was opposed in the Democratic primaries by Senator Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota, Senator Stuart Symington of Missouri, Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson of Texas, and Adlai Stevenson. By the time the convention opened in Los Angeles, Kennedy had already secured his victory and was confirmed in the first round of voting. Two weeks later, the Republicans elected Vice President Richard Nixon as their candidate. In televised debates with his rival Richard Nixon, Kennedy came across as businesslike, eloquent and energetic. During the election campaign, he spoke of the need to move decisively forward into the new decade, because “new frontiers are at hand - whether we are looking for them or not.” Kennedy concentrated his efforts on the populous states of the Northeast, counting on his running mate Senator Johnson to provide the Democrats with traditional Southern support. This strategy brought success, but the advantage was insignificant. Kennedy defeated Nixon with a majority of 119 thousand votes (out of 69 million voters). Kennedy and Johnson received 303 electoral votes, Nixon and Lodge - 219, and Senator Harry Flood Bird - 15. Decisive role According to the press, it was not the political platform of his party or the expectations of “energetic leadership” and Kennedy’s promised policy of “flexible response” to challenges that played a role in ensuring Kennedy’s victory. outside world, but how he looked on the television screen.

Kennedy was to become the first Catholic president in the country's history.

Presidency

John Kennedy was elected president in November 1960.

"The Kennedy government will be able to take a number of steps" in in the right direction“ (regarding the possibility of improving US-Soviet relations), but this will only be done gradually. It is difficult to expect fundamental changes in US policy in the near future, since Kennedy will be bound by certain obligations regarding the continuity of foreign policy" (Cyrus Eaton, 1960).

On January 20, 1961, John Kennedy took the oath of office and thus became the 35th President of the United States. Kennedy ended his first inaugural address with the exhortation: “Think not of what the country can give you, but of what you can give it.” Along with the new president, the government included completely new people with connections in US financial-monopoly circles, or people who had already succeeded in the political field.

The Kennedy administration included: Vice President Lyndon Johnson, Secretary of State D. Rusk (specialist in the field of political science, served in the Pentagon, State Department, since 1952 headed the Rockefeller Foundation), Secretary of Defense R. McNamara (professional businessman, president Ford concern), Secretary of the Treasury D. Dillon (served in the Eisenhower administration), Secretary of Justice Robert Kennedy (Kennedy's brother, led the election campaign).

Of Kennedy's first 200 appointments to senior government positions, about half were government officials, 18% were university professors, 6% were businessmen, which contrasted sharply with the composition of his predecessor Eisenhower's administration, where only 6% were university professors, and 42% were businessmen.

Domestic policy

The beginning of Kennedy's presidency coincided with a phase of cyclical recovery in the economy. However, by the spring of 1962, the economic situation had become noticeably more complicated: growth rates had slowed, the level of unemployment, which had begun to decline, froze at 5.5%, and the volume of new capital investments had also decreased. In May, this was compounded by a drop in stock prices on the stock exchange - the sharpest since 1929. Ending the economic downturn was one of the new administration's top priorities, but Kennedy lost business confidence by pushing steel prices in 1962, which the government found excessive. The administration entered into a confrontation with steel companies led by the United States Steel Corporation ( United States Steel Corporation), which, despite the insistence of the administration, which had previously forced the steelworkers' union to limit its demands for an increase wages within the framework of the “guidelines”, they decided to demonstratively sharply increase steel prices. Only by using all the levers of pressure, White House managed to achieve the reversal of this decision at the cost of worsening relations with monopolies.

He achieved this immediate goal, but lost the strong support of industrialists. For example, in January 1963, Kennedy sent Congress a program to cut corporate income taxes (from 52 to 47%) and reduce personal income tax rates (from 20-91 to 14-65%) by total amount about $10 billion with the actual abandonment of tax reform. When Kennedy tried to pass a tax cut through Congress to stimulate savings and revive the economy, conservative opposition dashed any hope of passing legislation that would create a budget deficit. At the same time, he promised to reduce government spending on social needs and balance the federal budget.

Despite individual successes, Kennedy's presidency as a whole cannot be called successful in terms of legislation. He received no new allocations for the development of education and medical care the elderly, and the minimum wage increased slightly. Thus, the extension of the payment period for unemployment benefits in 1961-1962. left more than 3 million unemployed behind; increases in the minimum hourly wage (to $1.15 in 1961 and $1.25 in 1963) affected only 3.6 million of the 26.6 million low-wage workers. The government's measures to combat unemployment - the 1961 law to help depressed areas, the 1962 law to retrain displaced workers, appropriations for public works, etc. - did not lead to significant changes for the better in the field of employment. The movement for a shorter (35 hours) working week was gaining momentum.

Kennedy advocated for equal rights for blacks, taking the model of Abraham Lincoln, supported Martin Luther King and met with him in Washington in 1963.

One of President Kennedy's decisions was to stop issuing silver coins and certificates due to the constant rise in price of silver. In 1963, on his initiative, Congress passed Public Law 88-36, authorizing the Federal Reserve to issue $1 and $2 notes and prohibiting the Treasury from issuing silver certificates. Since the Treasury still had to issue these certificates during the transition period, Kennedy signed Executive Order 11110 on the same day, which delegated the authority to issue silver certificates to the Treasury. There is a conspiracy theory that erroneously connects this decree with the issuance of US Treasury notes in 1963. It is therefore assumed that Kennedy was going to deprive the Fed of its monopoly on the issue of money, and therefore this decision allegedly became the reason for the conspiracy against the president.

Foreign policy

Kennedy advocated for improved relations between the United States and the USSR, but his reign was also marked by great foreign policy tensions: the unsuccessful Bay of Pigs landings, the Berlin Crisis, the Cuban Missile Crisis (one of the phrases recorded in the diary of the 35th president was “fear of loss breeds suspicion.” - this is how Kennedy himself argued for this crisis).

Under Kennedy there was increased US intervention in civil war in South Vietnam; in 1961 he sent the first regular units to South Vietnam armed forces USA (before that only military advisers served there). By the end of 1963, the United States had spent billions of dollars on the Vietnam War.

In March 1961, an organization called the Peace Corps was created, which on a voluntary basis provided assistance to the population of developing countries in eliminating illiteracy and acquiring basic labor skills and knowledge.

On March 13, 1961, Kennedy proclaimed the Alliance for Progress program, designed to promote the economic and political development of Latin American countries. The official goals of this program were: to ensure an annual increase in industrial production in Latin American countries of at least a year, to eliminate illiteracy on the continent, and to carry out agrarian reforms. It was planned to allocate billions of dollars to finance this program over a ten-year period, which was almost ten times the entire amount of American aid Latin America from 1945 to 1960.

In 1961, Kennedy created the US Agency for International Development to help address economic and political problems developing countries.

John Kennedy did a lot for space exploration, initiating the launch of the Apollo program (“We decide to go to the moon”). He proposed to the First Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee, Khrushchev, to join forces in preparing a flight to the Moon, but he refused.

In Moscow, on August 5, 1963, an agreement was signed between representatives of the USSR, the USA and Great Britain banning nuclear weapons tests in three areas - in the air, on land and under water. On October 17, representatives of the USSR and the USA voted for the unanimous decision of the UN General Assembly to ban the launch into orbit of objects with nuclear weapons on board.

Kennedy in the presidential limousine, moments before the assassination

Main article: Assassination of John Kennedy

John Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963 in Dallas, Texas; While the presidential motorcade was moving through the city streets, shots were heard. The first bullet hit the president in the back of the neck and came out of the front of the throat, the second hit the head and caused destruction of the skull bones in the back of the head, as well as damage to the brain matter. President Kennedy was taken to the operating room, where he was pronounced dead half an hour after the assassination attempt. In addition, Texas Governor Connolly, who was riding in the same car, was seriously injured, and one of the passers-by was also slightly injured.

Lee Harvey Oswald, who was arrested on suspicion of murder, was shot two days later in police custody by Dallas resident Jack Ruby, who also later died in prison.

The Warren Commission's official report into the Kennedy assassination was published in 1964; According to this report, Oswald was the president's killer, and all the shots were fired by him from the top floor of the building. According to the report, no murder plot could be identified.

Official data on the Kennedy assassination is contradictory and contains a number of “blank spots”. There are many different conspiracy theories about this case: it is questioned whether Oswald even fired at the car or that he was the only shooter. It is assumed that the murder is connected with various major figures in politics and business, the deliberate elimination of witnesses is seen, etc. One of these versions is presented in the film “JFK” by Oliver Stone. Films about John Kennedy included: “PT 109” (1963) - about Kennedy’s participation in World War II; TV series "The Kennedys" and "The Kennedy Clan" ( Kennedy, in 1983 and The Kennedys in 2011); "John F. Kennedy: Daring Youth" ( J.F.K.: Reckless Youth, 1993).

Private life

Brothers and sisters:

  • Joseph Patrick Kennedy Jr. (1915-1944)
  • Rosemary Kennedy (1918-2005)
  • Kathleen Agnes Kennedy (1920-1948)
  • Eunice Mary Kennedy (1921-2009). Husband - Sargent Robert Shriver (1915-2011). Their daughter, Maria Shriver (1955), was the wife of Arnold Schwarzenegger.
  • Patricia Kennedy (1924-2006). She was married to American actor Peter Lawford (1923-1984).
  • Robert Francis Kennedy (1925-1968)
  • Jean Ann Kennedy Smith (1928-)
  • Edward Moore Kennedy (1932-2009)

In 1953, Kennedy married Jacqueline Lee Bouvier, from this marriage four children were born, two died shortly after childbirth; survived by daughter Caroline and son John. John died in 1999 in a plane crash.

  1. Arabella (b. and d. 1956)
  2. Caroline Kennedy (b. 1957)
  3. John Fitzgerald Kennedy Jr. (1960-1999)
  4. Patrick (b. and d. 1963)

After the death of John Kennedy, Jacqueline married Aristotle Onassis.

In November 2002, after the expiration of medical secrets, medical reports were made public. Physical illnesses Kennedy turned out to be more serious than previously thought. He experienced constant pain from his damaged spine, despite repeated treatment, in addition to troubles from severe digestive problems and Addison's disease. Kennedy repeatedly had to take Novocaine injections before press conferences in order to appear healthy.

He was the richest US president.

Author of books

Profiles in courage(Profiles of Courage). - NY-Evanston: Harper & Raw, 1957.
The book gives short biographies people whom Kennedy considered models of courage in politics. IN 1957 Kennedy received the Pulitzer Prize for this book, the highest award in journalism. The book was republished in 1964.
Why England slept- NY, 1961.
Edition of Kennedy's thesis.
A nation of immigrants- NY-Evanston: Harper & Raw, 1964.
America the beautiful in the worlds - 1964

“Personal Diary of the 35th President of the United States” - After Kennedy’s death, a diary was published in which John Kennedy wrote down his sayings and thoughts.

Memory

Half dollar 1967 with the image of Kennedy. Silver

Postage stamp with the image of the Eternal Flame

  • Kennedy's portrait appears on the 50-cent coin issued in 1964.
  • In 1963, New York's Idlewid International Airport was renamed John F. Kennedy International Airport. At the same time, the airport code was replaced by a combination of the letters JFK (according to the initials of John Fitzgerald Kennedy).
  • In 1966, the Harvard Institute of Government, one of the faculties of Harvard University, was named after Kennedy.
  • The aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) is named after him.
  • The NASA space center located at Cape Canaveral is also named after him.

Awards

Received during hostilities
  • Navy and Marine Corps Medal
  • Purple Heart
  • United States Defense Service Medal
  • American Campaign Medal
  • Medal "For the Asia-Pacific Campaign"
  • World War II Victory Medal
Received in peacetime
  • Pulitzer Prize (1957)
  • Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
  • Order of the Star of Italy

Kennedy in culture

  • The animated series Clone High features a Kennedy clone as a character.
  • In April 2011, the premiere of the mini-series “The Kennedy Clan” took place, describing the life of the Kennedy family.
  • The novel “Pandora's Box” by American writer Elizabeth Gage tells the story of a young politician, his life, love and death. The plot clearly shows a parallel with John Kennedy.
  • In the second season of the American TV series “Smash” (in Russian translation “Life is like a show”) a musical is staged about the relationship between John Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe.
  • John Kennedy is mentioned in the movie "Back to the Future" when Marty McFly, having found himself in the past, asks Doc's address from his ancestors, to which his grandfather replies "it's a block from Maple Street", to which Marty is surprised to say "that's the alley John Kennedy."


Name: John Kennedy

Age: 46 years old

Place of Birth: Massachusetts, USA

A place of death: Texas, USA

Activity: 35th President of the United States

Family status: was married to Jacqueline Leigh Bouvier

John Kennedy - biography

Too young, too successful, too charismatic... How many of these “too’s” can you list when it comes to the 35th President of the United States, John Kennedy! But one day fate decided that everything has its time.

John Kennedy - childhood, youth

At 3 a.m. on May 29, 1917, the second of nine children of Joseph and Rose Kennedy was born on Beales Street in Brookline. This boy had to go through many trials, rule a huge country and die in an instant...

He grew up as a sickly child. The teachers did not see any special talents in him: frivolous, careless, uncollected. John took revenge on them as best he could, for example, he joined a forbidden school club, where students composed obscene songs about teachers.


In 1935, Kennedy, with the help of his father, entered Harvard, but after a few months he withdrew his documents, deciding to go to study at the London Academy of Political Science. He also left her, preferring Princeton. But he didn’t stay there for long either: the doctors said that he had leukemia, fortunately, they were wrong... Tired of wanderings and illnesses, Kennedy returned to Harvard.

His father was incredibly surprised when John said that he was interested in politics. However, plans had to be postponed: the Second World War began.

John Kennedy - Finding Yourself

How useless he is... While others are risking their lives, he hangs around medical examinations in the hope that he will be accepted into the army. Not suitable - that's all!

Kennedy Sr., looking at the suffering of his son, got him a job in the intelligence department of the US Navy. My son was assigned to prepare reports, but he wanted to be in the thick of things! This was only possible when John entered the naval school. Soon he was entrusted with command of the boat.

On August 2, 1943, the Kennedy boat took part in an operation against Japanese ships in Pacific Ocean. Suddenly the boat was broken in half by a blast wave, and Kennedy was wounded. It took 5 hours for John and his team to swim to the shore. Kennedy returned as a real hero: newspapers wrote about him, friends and strangers gossiped about him. And he himself understood: fame and power go hand in hand.

John did not return to the army - the time had come to think about a political career. And this time his father helped him: he invited one of the congressmen from Massachusetts to vacate his seat in the US House of Representatives. In exchange for this, Joseph promised to settle some of his financial problems. The agreement was concluded.

For six years, Kennedy represented the state of Massachusetts in the House, and then rose even higher - he became a senator.

John Kennedy - "He's just like us!"

John Kennedy - biography of personal life

His career was going uphill, but the far-sighted politician understood that no one would want to see a bachelor in higher positions. It was not difficult to catch up: in 1953, John married the exquisite Jacqueline Lee Bouvier. Voters gasped - here it is, an example of an ideal American family. And when the couple began to have children, their love for the young senator crossed all boundaries. Alas, two of the Kennedy babies died shortly after birth. But two more survived - son John and daughter Caroline.


With such support, Kennedy could confidently run for president. Handsome, fit, white teeth... Richard Nixon, his main competitor, had no chance.

John was damn lucky: the beginning of his presidential term coincided with an upturn in the country's economy. And then a dark streak began: the Berlin crisis, then the Caribbean crisis, rising unemployment... The President was supported by a whole retinue of advisers, and together with them he successfully solved the problems hanging over the state. Kennedy advocated improving the lives of the lower classes, equalizing the rights of blacks, developing space, and most importantly, he became for everyone the personification of something new, a sip fresh air. This president was so close to the people: here he is talking to voters from the screen, holding a press conference, holding an informal meeting. "He's just like us!" - the Americans thought.

John Kennedy - In Bed with Marilyn

Everyone admired the president's family, but what did family mean to Kennedy himself?

From the covers of magazines, his wife Jackie smiled, and locked herself in her room, crying bitterly. The president's loveliness was legendary. No facts - just guesses. According to some reports, Kennedy's son-in-law, actor Peter Lawford, watched Hollywood stars in a special villa, who then indulged in pleasures with John. The president himself did not even remember their faces and names. But there were exceptions.

In the summer of 1954, a reception was held at his villa. Among the invited guests was a recently risen star - an actress. She came with her husband, basketball player Joe DiMaggio, but flirted with all her might with Kennedy, who responded favorably to her advances. At some point, the situation became so tense that Di Maggio almost by force was going to take his wife away from the evening. Not so...

The lovers met secretly, but Kennedy and Monroe's romance was not noticed except by the blind. Marilyn did not give up hope that one day she would take the place of the first lady, however, due to the actress’s problems with alcohol, relations with the president worsened. Kennedy was worried that she would say something while drunk. This thought especially began to torment him after Monroe sang “Happy Birthday, Mister President!” at the celebration of his 45th birthday. Her undisguised passion and languid gaze left no one in doubt about their connection...

Marilyn was prevented from further jeopardizing Kennedy's status by being gently removed from the presidency. She suffered, cried... In August 1962, Monroe was found dead in her own bedroom, and on November 22, 1963, Kennedy himself died.

John Kennedy - tragic death

The motorcade with the presidential couple moved slowly along Elm Street in Dallas, Texas. John, as always, greeted the audience with a smile. A second - and he jerks forward unnaturally. Red drops scatter in all directions. One more - and Kennedy falls on Jacqueline. The crowd of thousands freezes.

Kennedy John Fitzgerald (1917-1963), 35th President of the United States (1961-1963).

Born on May 29, 1917 in Brookline (Massachusetts) into one of the most famous and influential families in the United States. He studied at Harvard University, graduating with honors in 1940.

The following fall, he enlisted in the US Navy and, with the rank of second lieutenant, commanded a torpedo boat in the Solomon Islands (in the Pacific Ocean, east of New Guinea); was seriously wounded and twice awarded for bravery.

After the end of World War II he worked as a correspondent. In 1946, Kennedy entered Congress on the ticket Democratic Party from Massachusetts. He established himself as a liberal politician, but in foreign policy was one of the first to support the development of the Cold War.

In 1952, Kennedy was elected to the Senate. In January 1960, he announced his candidacy for the presidency and, having won the election, became the youngest president in US history.

Kennedy proposed a program of socio-economic reforms. It was not possible to fully implement it. Under him, the range of both peaceful and military methods of protecting the country’s interests in the global confrontation with the USSR expanded. Special attention allocated to the states of the Third World. In March 1961, the Peace Corps was created to serve American volunteers in developing countries.

During the Berlin (1961) and Cuban (1962) crises, when the two superpowers stood on the verge of nuclear war, peace was maintained largely thanks to Kennedy's brilliant political gift. Since the spring of 1963, the president increasingly spoke out in favor of peaceful coexistence with the USSR.

On November 22, 1963, during a campaign trip to Dallas, Texas, Kennedy was mortally wounded by two shots to the head from a sniper rifle. The assassination of the president is officially considered solved, but the true reasons and organizers of the crime are still unknown.

Kennedy was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington.

 


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