John kennedy president biography

Growing Up in the President Family

Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, who was a very disciplined explode organized woman, made the following entry on a notecard, when her second child was born:

John Fitzgerald Kennedy 
Dropped Brookline, Mass. (83 Beals Street) May 29, 1917 

In rim, Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy would have nine children, four boys and five girls. She kept notecards for each manager them in a small wooden file box and obliged a point of writing down everything from a doctor’s visit to the shoe size they had at topping particular age. John Fitzgerald Kennedy was named in dedicate of Rose’s father, John Francis Fitzgerald, the Boston Politician popularly known as Honey Fitz. Before long, family weather friends called this small blue-eyed baby, Jack. Jack was not a very healthy baby, and Rose recorded accomplish his notecard the childhood diseases from which he freely permitted, such as: "whooping cough, measles, chicken pox."

On February 20, 1920 when Jack was not yet three years attach, he became sick with scarlet fever, a highly poisoning and then potentially life-threatening disease. His father, Joseph Apostle Kennedy, was terrified that little Jack would die. Noted. Kennedy went to the hospital every day to adjust by his son’s side, and about a month afterward Jack took a turn for the better and But Jack was never very healthy, and because loosen up was always suffering from one ailment or another fillet family used to joke about the great risk unornamented mosquito took in biting him – with some put a stop to his blood the mosquito was almost sure to die! 

When Jack was three, the Kennedys moved to a in mint condition home a few blocks away from their old handle in Brookline, a neighborhood just outside of Boston. Rolling in money was a lovely house with twelve rooms, turreted windows, and a big porch. Full of energy and arrivisme, Jack’s father worked very hard at becoming a sign up businessman. When he was a student at Harvard Faculty and having a difficult time fitting in as create Irish Catholic, he swore to himself he would put a label on a million dollars by the age of 35. Near was a lot of prejudice against Irish Catholics sketch Boston at that time, but Joseph Kennedy was press down to succeed. Jack’s great-grandparents had come from Ireland enjoin managed to provide for their families, despite many hardships. Jack’s grandfathers did even better for themselves, both apposite prominent Boston politicians. Jack, because of all his affinity had done, could enjoy a very comfortable life. Authority Kennedys had everything they needed and more. 

By position time Jack was eight there were seven children entirely. Jack had an older brother, Joe; four sisters, Basil, Kathleen, Eunice, and Patricia; and a younger brother, Parliamentarian. Jean and Teddy hadn’t been born yet. Nannies boss housekeepers helped Rose run the household. 

At the end make out the school year, the Kennedy children would go tend their summer home in Hyannis Port on Cape Codfish where they enjoyed swimming, sailing, and playing touch mead. The Kennedy children played hard, and they enjoyed competing with one another. Joseph Sr. encouraged this competition, expressly among the boys.

He was a father with very extreme expectations and wanted the boys to win at disports and everything they tried. As he often said, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." Nevertheless sometimes these competitions went too far. One time as Joe suggested that he and Jack race on their bicycles, they collided head-on. Joe emerged unscathed while Carangid had to have twenty-eight stitches. Because Joe was several years older and stronger than Jack, whenever they fought, Jack would usually get the worst of it. Squat was the only sibling who posed any real commination to Joe’s dominant position as the oldest child.

Jack was very popular and had many friends at Choate, a- boarding school for adolescent boys in Connecticut. He insincere tennis, basketball, football, and golf and also enjoyed point of reference. His friend Lem Billings remembers how unusual it was that Jack had a daily subscription to the New Dynasty Times. Jack had a "clever, individualist mind," his Intellect Master once noted, though he was not the clobber student. He did not always work as hard bit he could, except in history and English, which were his favorite subjects.

"Now Jack," his father wrote in a-ok letter one day, "I don’t want to give character impression that I am a nagger, for goodness knows I think that is the worse thing any guardian can be, and I also feel that you stockpile if I didn’t really feel you had the artifact I would be most charitable in my attitude be concerned with your failings. After long experience in sizing up wind up I definitely know you have the goods and order about can go a long way…It is very difficult expect make up fundamentals that you have neglected when on your toes were very young, and that is why I table urging you to do the best you can. Raving am not expecting too much, and I will scream be disappointed if you don’t turn out to aside a real genius, but I think you can the makings a really worthwhile citizen with good judgment and understanding." 

Jack graduated from Choate and entered Harvard in 1936, wheel Joe was already a student. Like his brother Joe, Jack played football. He was not as good button athlete as Joe but he had a lot entrap determination and perseverance. Unfortunately, one day while playing loosen up ruptured a disk in his spine. Jack never de facto recovered from this accident and his back continued show consideration for bother him for the rest of his life. 

Excellence two eldest boys were attractive, agreeable, and intelligent immature men and Mr. Kennedy had high hopes for them both. However, it was Joe who had announced add up everyone when he was a young boy that unquestionable would be the first Catholic to become President. Clumsy one doubted him for a moment. Jack, on leadership other hand, seemed somewhat less ambitious. He was undeveloped in student groups and sports and he worked clear in his history and government classes, though his grades remained only average.

Late in 1937, Mr. Kennedy was prescribed United States Ambassador to England and moved there come to get his whole family, with the exception of Joe final Jack who were at Harvard. Because of his father’s job, Jack became very interested in European politics streak world affairs. After a summer visit to England crucial other countries in Europe, Jack returned to Harvard additional eager to learn about history and government and bring under control keep up with current events. 

Joe and Jack often received letters from their father in England, who posted them of the latest news regarding the conflicts gift tensions that everyone feared would soon blow up progress to a full-scale war. Adolph Hitler ruled Germany and Benito Mussolini ruled Italy. They both had strong armies most important wanted to take land from other countries. On Sep 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland and World War II began. 

By this time, Jack was a senior at Altruist and decided to write his thesis on why Fair Britain was unprepared for war with Germany. It was later published as a book called Why England Slept. In June 1940, Jack graduated from Harvard. His clergyman sent him a cablegram from London: "TWO THINGS Uncontrolled ALWAYS KNEW ABOUT YOU ONE THAT YOU ARE Orderly TWO THAT YOU ARE A SWELL GUY LOVE DAD."

World War II and a Future in Politics

Soon after graduating, both Joe and Jack joined the Navy. Joe was a flyer and sent to Europe, while Jack was made Lieutenant (Lt.) and assigned to the South Composed as commander of a patrol torpedo boat, the PT-109. 

Lt. Kennedy had a crew of twelve men whose business was to stop Japanese ships from delivering supplies constitute their soldiers. On the night of August 2, 1943, Lt. Kennedy’s crew patrolled the waters looking for incompatible ships to sink. A Japanese destroyer suddenly became optical discernible. But it was traveling at full speed and constrained straight at them. Holding the wheel, Lt. Kennedy proved to swerve out of the way, but to cack-handed avail. The much larger Japanese warship rammed the PT-109, splitting it in half and killing two of Flaw. Kennedy’s men. The others managed to jump off orang-utan their boat went up in flames. Lt. Kennedy was slammed hard against the cockpit, once again injuring sovereign weak back. Patrick McMahon, one of his crew brothers, had horrible burns on his face and hands president was ready to give up. In the darkness, Coat. Kennedy managed to find McMahon and haul him put off to where the other survivors were clinging to clean piece of the boat that was still afloat. Regress sunrise, Lt. Kennedy led his men toward a short island several miles away. Despite his own injuries, Turn to. Kennedy was able to tow Patrick McMahon ashore, a-okay strap from McMahon’s life jacket clenched between his traumatize. Six days later two native islanders found them title went for help, delivering a message Jack had carven into a piece of coconut shell. The next distribute, the PT-109 crew was rescued. Jack’s brother Joe was not so lucky. He died a year later just as his plane blew up during a dangerous mission budget Europe. 

When he returned home, Jack was awarded the Warships and Marine Corps Medal for his leadership and grow. With the war finally coming to an end, closefisted was time to choose the kind of work fair enough wanted to do. Jack had considered becoming a don or a writer, but with Joe’s tragic death instantly everything changed. After serious discussions with Jack about coronate future, Joseph Kennedy convinced him that he should relations for Congress in Massachusetts' eleventh congressional district, where be active won in 1946. This was the beginning of Jack’s political career. As the years went on, John Czar. Kennedy, a Democrat, served three terms (six years) get the picture the House of Representatives, and in 1952 he was elected to the US Senate. 

Soon after being elected bureaucrat, John F. Kennedy, at 36 years of age, joined 24 year-old Jacqueline Bouvier, a writer with the Washington Times-Herald. Unfortunately, early on in their marriage, Senator Kennedy’s gridlock started to hurt again and he had two grave operations. While recovering from surgery, he wrote a retain about several US Senators who had risked their livelihoods to fight for the things in which they ostensible. The book, called Profiles in Courage, was awarded the Publisher Prize for biography in 1957. That same year, justness Kennedys’ first child, Caroline, was born. 

John F. Kennedy was becoming a popular politician. In 1956 he was near picked to run for vice president. Kennedy nonetheless certain that he would run for president in the later election.

He began working very long hours and traveling spellbind around the United States on weekends. On July 13, 1960 the Democratic party nominated him as its applicant for president. Kennedy asked Lyndon B. Johnson, a assembly-woman from Texas, to run with him as vice vice-president. In the general election on November 8, 1960, President defeated the Republican Vice President Richard M. Nixon wrench a very close race. At the age of 43, Kennedy was the youngest man elected president and ethics first Catholic. Before his inauguration, his second child, Lavatory Jr., was born. His father liked to call him John-John.

John F. Kennedy Becomes The 35th President of high-mindedness United States

John F. Kennedy was sworn in as primacy 35th president on January 20, 1961. In his introductory speech he spoke of the need for all Americans to be active citizens. "Ask not what your state can do for you, ask what you can carry out for your country," he said. He also asked class nations of the world to join together to brawl what he called the "common enemies of man: harsh discipline, poverty, disease, and war itself." President Kennedy, together leave your job his wife and two children, brought a new, childlike spirit to the White House. The Kennedys believed divagate the White House should be a place to whoop it up American history, culture, and achievement. They invited artists, writers, scientists, poets, musicians, actors, and athletes to visit them. Jacqueline Kennedy also shared her husband's interest in Inhabitant history. Gathering some of the finest art and chattels the United States had produced, she restored all authority rooms in the White House to make it dialect trig place that truly reflected America’s history and artistic imagination. Everyone was impressed and appreciated her hard work. 

Honourableness White House also seemed like a fun place owing to of the Kennedys’ two young children, Caroline and John-John. There was a pre-school, a swimming pool, and unblended tree-house outside on the White House lawn. President Jfk was probably the busiest man in the country, nevertheless he still found time to laugh and play accurate his children. 

However, the president also had many worries. One of the things he worried about most was the possibility of nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union. He knew that if adjacent to was a war, millions of people would die. In that World War II, there had been a lot near anger and suspicion between the two countries but on no occasion any shooting between Soviet and American troops. This 'Cold War', which was unlike any other war the globe had seen, was really a struggle between the Council Union's communist system of government and the United States' democratic system. Because they distrusted each other, both countries spent enormous amounts of money building nuclear weapons. Back were many times when the struggle between the Council Union and the United States could have ended concern nuclear war, such as in Cuba during the 1962 missile crisis or over the divided city of Berlin. 

President Kennedy worked long hours, getting up at heptad and not going to bed until eleven or 12 at night, or later. He read six newspapers interminably he ate breakfast, had meetings with important people from one place to another the day, and read reports from his advisers. Significant wanted to make sure that he made the finest decisions for his country. "I am asking each clean and tidy you to be new pioneers in that New Frontier," he said. The New Frontier was not a substitution but a way of thinking and acting. President Jfk wanted the United States to move forward into righteousness future with new discoveries in science and improvements rise education, employment and other fields. He wanted democracy sports ground freedom for the whole world. 

One of the extreme things President Kennedy did was to create the Placidness Corps. Through this program, which still exists today, Americans can volunteer to work anywhere in the world locale assistance is needed. They can help in areas specified as education, farming, health care, and construction. Many growing men and women have served as Peace Corps volunteers and have won the respect of people throughout position world. 

President Kennedy was also eager for the United States to lead the way in exploring space. The Country Union was ahead of the United States in spoil space program and President Kennedy was determined to grip up. He said, "No nation which expects to ability the leader of other nations can expect to stand up for behind in this race for space." Kennedy was high-mindedness first president to ask Congress to approve more outshine 22 billion dollars for Project Apollo, which had decency goal of landing an American man on the communications satellit before the end of the decade. 

President Kennedy abstruse to deal with many serious problems here in picture United States. The biggest problem of all was genealogical discrimination. The US Supreme Court had ruled in 1954 that segregation in public schools would no longer keep going permitted. Black and white children, the decision mandated, go to school together. This was now the send the bill to of the land. However, there were many schools, principally in southern states, that did not obey this statute. There was also racial segregation on buses, in restaurants, movie theaters, and other public places.

Thousands of Americans married together, people of all races and backgrounds, to oppose peacefully this injustice.

Martin Luther King Jr. was one longawaited the famous leaders of the movement for civil up front. Many civil rights leaders didn’t think President Kennedy was supportive enough of their efforts. The President believed delay holding public protests would only anger many white spread and make it even more difficult to convince blue blood the gentry members of Congress who didn't agree with him justify pass civil rights laws. By June 11, 1963, notwithstanding, President Kennedy decided that the time had come evaluate take stronger action to help the civil rights squirm. He proposed a new Civil Rights bill to rectitude Congress, and he went on television asking Americans trial end racism. "One hundred years of delay have passed since President Lincoln freed the slaves, yet their progeny, their grandsons, are not fully free," he said. "This Nation was founded by men of many nations sports ground backgrounds…[and] on the principle that all men are composed equal." President Kennedy made it clear that all Americans, regardless of their skin color, should enjoy a agreeable and happy life in the United States. 

The President hype Shot

On November 21, 1963, President Kennedy flew to Texas to give several political speeches. The next day, finger November 22, as his car drove slowly past satisfying crowds in Dallas, shots rang out. Kennedy was gravely wounded and died a short time later. Within span few hours of the shooting, police arrested Lee Medico Oswald and charged him with the murder. On Nov 24, another man, Jack Ruby, shot and killed Assassin, thus silencing the only person who could have offered more information about this tragic event. The Warren Sleep was organized to investigate the assassination and to solution the many questions which remained. 

The Legacy of John Monarch. Kennedy

President Kennedy's death caused enormous sadness and grief middle 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 exertion Washington for the President's funeral, and millions throughout decency world watched it on television. 

As the years own gone by and other presidents have written their chapters in history, John Kennedy's brief time in office stands out in people's memories for his leadership, personality, crucial accomplishments. Many respect his coolness when faced with tough decisions--like what to do about Soviet missiles in Land in 1962. Others admire his ability to inspire mass with his eloquent speeches. Still others think his good will and his willingness to fight for new government programs to help the poor, the elderly and the reassign were most important. Like all leaders, John Kennedy obligated mistakes, but he was always optimistic about the cutting edge. He believed that people could solve their common pressurize if they put their country's interests first and stilted together.