John F. Kennedy was born in Brookline, on May 29, 1917, and became one of the most charismatic leaders of the United States when he was elected president in 1961. Born into a political family, he graduated from Harvard in 1940; distinguished himself while in the military service, and then decided to run for political office after the War.
In 1946, he was elected to the U.S. Congress; serving three terms in the House of Representatives and eight years as a Senator. He began to campaign for President in 1956, after narrowly missing being picked as the Vice Presidential candidate by the Democratic Party. His platform was based on the ‘Rights of Man’—the civil and economic rights necessary to human dignity.
In his acceptance speech on July 15, 1960, to the Democratic National Convention, he noted that the nation needed strong and creative leadership in the White House, and that it would be that person’s responsibility to devote “every effort of body, mind and spirit…to lead our Nation back to greatness”. In the general election of November 8, 1960, he won over the Republican candidate, Richard M. Nixon, in a very close race.
He was sworn in as President on January 20, 1961, and in his inaugural speech, spoke of many of the issues he had campaigned on, mentioning America’s commitment to democracy and liberty; calling for international peace and arms control. Furthermore, he asked that Americans serve their country by stating: “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country”. He also asked the world community to join together to oppose “the common enemies of man—tyranny, poverty, disease and war itself”.
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, thus silencing the only person who could have offered more information about this tragic event.
