The 1960s ~ Lesson 4 John F. Kennedy
John Kennedy often went by his initials J.F.K. He was born into a large Catholic family. His family enjoyed competing with each other in games such as tag football. Kennedy went to a private school then to Harvard University.
Kennedy's father, Joseph Kennedy, was the United States ambassador to England right before World War II. J.F.K. spent time in England writing a book called Why England Slept. This book told his ideas about why England was not ready for war.
In 1941, Kennedy enlisted in the navy. He became captain of a patrol torpedo (PT) boat. Kennedy's boat was cut in half by a Japanese ship. Kennedy was wounded, but got all his men to a nearby island. Kennedy swam repeatedly into the ocean looking for his men and trying to find another PT boat. The group was found by natives working for an Australian navy man. Kennedy was able to write a note on a coconut and send it with the Australian.
After the war, Kennedy worked as a writer. He became a member of the House of Representatives in 1946. In 1952 he was elected to the U.S. Senate. In 1960, Kennedy won the Democratic nomination for Presidency.
During his presidency, Kennedy was faced with the shame of the Bay of Pigs then praised for how he handled the Cuban missile crisis. In 1963, he signed the Atomic Test Ban Treaty with Russia. Kennedy also helped with the Civil Rights Movement. Another of his accomplishments was the space program.
On November 22, 1963 Kennedy was in Dallas, Texas. He and his wife along with the Governor of Texas were riding in an open car when gunshots were fired. Kennedy was hit in the back of his head killing him before he could reach the hospital.
Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested for the shooting. Two days later Oswald was killed as he was being led from his jail cell.
Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson took the oath of office on Air Force One just a little over two hours later.