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Start of John.
John F. Kennedy was born in Brookline, Massachusetts. -
Graduation from Harvard.
John F. Kennedy graduates from Harvard with a degree in International Affairs. His senior thesis, a critique of Britain's preparedness for World War II, will later serve as the foundation for his first book, Why England Slept. -
Navy Enlistment.
On the eve of America's entry into World War II, JFK enlists in the Navy. His older brother, Joe Jr., is already training to be a navy pilot. -
Command of PT Boat
After an eight-week training course in Rhode Island, Kennedy is assigned to take command of a patrol boat stationed in the South Pacific. He sails west from San Francisco, but does not arrive at his final destination—the Solomon Islands—for another month and a half. -
The hero.
Kennedy helped some of his marooned crew back to safety, and was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for heroism. -
Death of Brother Joe, Jr.
Joseph Kennedy, Jr., Jack's older brother, is killed while fighting in Europe. Jack, the second oldest Kennedy child, is now "next in line" for political leadership within the powerful Kennedy clan. -
Election to Congress
With the help of his father's campaign financing, Jack is elected to the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts' 11th District. -
Death of Sister Kathleen.
Kennedy's sister, Kathleen, is killed in a plane crash. Her tragic death reminds Jack of his mortality and inspires him to pursue politics with greater fervor and dedication. -
Bobby Kennedy Becomes Campaign Manager
Jack Kennedy's younger brother, Bobby, becomes his campaign manager in the 1952 Senate race, signaling the birth of an enduring political partnership between the two brothers. -
Marriage.
He married Jacqueline Bouvier. -
Kennedy Inaugural.
JFK is sworn into the Presidency and delivers his inaugural address, a landmark speech in which he urges Americans to seek out opportunities to serve their country. -
Beginning of a political life.
The Democratic party nominated him as its candidate for president. Kennedy asked Lyndon B. Johnson, a senator from Texas, to run with him as vice president. -
Elected.
In the general election,Kennedy defeated the Republican Vice President Richard M. Nixon in a very close race. -
Winner.
35th president of the United States, 43-year-old John F. Kennedy became the youngest man and the first Roman Catholic to hold that office. -
Peace Corps.
John F. Kennedy establishes the Peace Corps by executive order. -
The Bay of the Pigs.
Less than three months into JFK's presidency, a group of CIA-trained Cuban exiles attempts to invade Cuba at the Bay of Pigs. The Cuban army quickly thwarts their efforts, and the Kennedy-approved fiasco becomes a major embarrassment for the new president. -
Moon.
Kennedy announces his goal of putting a man on the moon. -
Missiles.
President John Kennedy notified Americans about the presence of the missiles, explained his decision to enact a naval blockade around Cuba and made it clear the U.S. was prepared to use military force if necessary to neutralize this perceived threat to national security. -
Pulls Missiles Out of Cuba.
After a week of extreme U.S.-Soviet tension, the Cuban Missile Crisis ends when Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev finally agrees to remove the missiles from Cuba. -
Liberty.
President Kennedy decided that the time had come to take stronger action to help the civil rights struggle. He proposed a new Civil Rights bill to the Congress, and he went on television asking Americans to end racism. President Kennedy made it clear that all Americans, regardless of their skin color, should enjoy a good and happy life in the United States. -
Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.
U.S. and Soviet officials sign the Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, agreeing not to test nuclear bombs in air, space, or water. -
Young death.
He was hardly past his first thousand days in office, JFK was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, becoming also the youngest President to die.
