First Catholic President

Famous Family

John F. Kennedy's father, Joseph Kennedy, was extremely wealthy and powerful. Franklin D. Roosevelt named him the head of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). He was made the ambassador to Great Britain in 1938.

JFK was one of nine children. He named his brother, Robert, as his attorney general. When Robert was running for president in 1968, he was assassinated by Sirhan Sirhan. His brother, Edward "Ted" Kennedy was the Senator from Massachusetts from 1962 until he died in 2009. His sister, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, founded the Special Olympics.

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Poor Health From Childhood

John F. Kennedy was in poor health as a child. As he grew older, he was diagnosed with Addison's Disease meaning his body did not produce enough cortisol leading to muscle weakness, depression, tanned skin, and more. He also had osteoporosis and had a bad back throughout his life.

3. First Lady: The Fashionable Jacqueline Lee Bouvier

Jacqueline "Jackie" Lee Bouvier was born into wealth. She attended Vassar and George Washington University before graduating with a degree in French Literature. She worked as a journalist before marrying Kennedy. She was looked up to as having a great sense of fashion and poise. She helped restore the White House with many original items of historical significance. She showed the public renovations through a television tour.

World War II War Hero

Kennedy joined the navy in World War II. He was given command of a boat called PT-109 in the Pacific. His boat was rammed by a Japanese destroyer. He and his crew were thrown in the water. Due to his efforts, he swam back four hours to shore saving a crewman at the same time. For this, he received the Purple Heart and the Navy and Marine Corps Medal.

Independent-Minded Representative and Senator

Kennedy won a seat in the House of Representatives in 1947 where he served for three terms. He was elected to the US Senate in 1953. He was seen as someone who did not necessarily follow the Democratic Party line. Critics were upset with him for not standing up to Senator Joe McCarthy.

Pulitzer Prize Winning Author

Kennedy won a Pulitzer Prize for his book Profiles in Courage. The book looked into the decisions of eight profiles who were willing to go against public opinion to do what is right.

First Catholic President

When Kennedy ran for the presidency in 1960, one of the campaign issues was his Catholicism. He openly discussed his religion and explained. As he said, "I am not the Catholic candidate for President, I am the Democratic Party's candidate for President who also happens to be a Catholic."

Дата добавления: 2015-11-16