JFK: A Timeline 1917-1963

• MAY 29, 1917: Born in Brookline, Mass., the son of Joe and Rose Kennedy (Fitzgerald) and the great-grandson of Irish immigrants.

• JUNE 1940: Graduates cum laude with a bachelor of science degree from Harvard University.

• JULY 1940: Kennedy's college thesis "Appeasement in Munich," about Britain's failure to prepare itself against Nazi Germany, is published as a book titled Why England Slept.

• SEPTEMBER 1941: At age 24, he is sworn in as an ensign in the U.S. Navy.

• MARCH 1943: Given command of PT-109 as a lieutenant.

• AUG. 3, 1943: While on active duty in Blackett Strait, North Solomon Islands in the Pacific, PT-109 is sunk by the Japanese. Kennedy performed heroically in rescuing his crew.

JFK – The Politician

• NOV. 5, 1946: Elected as a U.S. representative for the 11th Congressional District in Boston at age 29. He is re-elected in 1948 and 1950.

• NOV. 4, 1952: Elected as senator from Massachusetts and re-elected in 1958.

• SEPT. 12, 1953: Marries Jacqueline Lee Bouvier in Newport, R.I. She is the daughter of John Vernon Bouvier III and Janet Lee Bouvier.

• OCT. 21, 1954: Undergoes surgery for a back injury he received during the PT-109 incident.

• FEBRUARY 1955: Undergoes a second back operation during which he almost dies. During his recovery, he writes Profiles in Courage, which won a Pulitzer Prize for biography in 1957.

• NOV. 27, 1957: Caroline Bouvier Kennedy is born at Cornell Medical Center, New York.

• JULY 13, 1960: Receives the Democratic nomination for president.

• NOV. 8,1960: Defeats Richard M. Nixon to become the 35th president of the United States. Kennedy wins by a margin of 2/10 of 1 percent with 49.75 percent of the votes. Nixon receives 49.55 percent.

• NOV. 25, 1960: John Fitzgerald Kennedy Jr. is born at Georgetown University Hospital.

• JAN. 20, 1961: At age 43, takes the oath of office to become the 35th president of the United States. He is the youngest elected president and the first president to be Roman Catholic. In his inaugural speech, Kennedy speaks these words: "And so, my fellow Americans ... ask not what your country can do for you ... ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world ... ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man."

• MARCH 1, 1961: Signs a bill creating the Peace Corps.

• APRIL 17, 1961: The Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba. Kennedy supports the invasion to oust that country's Communist leader, Fidel Castro, but the invasion fails. Kennedy is heavily criticized.

• Invasion planned by Eisenhower and Nixon!!!

• JUNE 3-4, 1961: Meets with Nikita Khrushchev in Vienna on international issues. The focus of the meeting is disarmament, Germany, Laos and nuclear testing. They fail to agree on certain problems but issue a joint statement that they agree to "maintain contact on all questions of interest to the two countries and for the whole world." After this meeting, the Soviets build a wall between East and West Berlin during the summer.

• OCT. 16-28, 1962: U.S. intelligence discovers that the Russians are building missile sites in Cuba, thus beginning the Cuban Missile Crisis. Kennedy orders a naval and air quarantine on all shipments of weapons to Cuba. Armed conflict seems imminent; however, the Soviets retreat and promise not to set up the missiles. The United States agrees not to attack Cuba.

The Assassination of John F. Kennedy

NOV. 21, 1963 (THURSDAY): Kennedy begins his tour of Texas. One of the cities on the tour is Dallas.

NOV. 22, 1963 (FRIDAY): John Fitzgerald Kennedy is shot at 12:30 p.m. He is pronounced dead at 1 p.m. at Parkland Memorial Hospital.

Note: The assassination is filmed by Abraham Zapruder (the Zapruder film)

Lyndon B. Johnson is sworn in as President of the United States

- Texas- LBJ and JFK not great friends- Texans did not like Kennedy- LBJ took the oath of office on Air Force One

Lee Harvey Oswald is Arrested

- Former Marine- Lived in USSR - Married to a Russian- Supported Castro- Worked at the TSBD- Owned the gun found at the TSBD- Oswald claims he is innocent

NOV. 24, 1963 (SUNDAY): Jack Ruby fatally shoots Lee Harvey Oswald.

- Ruby is a Dallas night club owner-Ruby is connected to the mafia

2 Big Questions????

1. WHO killed John F. Kennedy?

2. WHO wanted John F. Kennedy dead?

Possible Answers to #1:(names please)

1. Lee Harvey Oswald

2.

3.

4.

5.

Possible Answers to #2:

1. Lee Harvey Oswald2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10.

Possible Answers to #2:

1. Lee Harvey Oswald2. Cuba/Castro3. Soviet Union/Khrushchev4. CIA – Bay of Pigs5. FBI – Bay of Pigs6. U.S. Military Leaders – Missile Crisis7. The Mafia – Cuba Connections - gambling8. Texas Businessmen – Cuba – cattle/sugarcane9. LBJ – wanted to be President?10. Jackie – Marilyn Monroe11. JFK – “Blaze of Glory”

The Government Investigation

• NOV. 29, 1963: President Lyndon B. Johnson appoints the Warren Commission to investigate the assassination.

And…

- The Warren Commission concludes – after investigating all of the possibilities that we listed plus a few others that…

Lee Harvey Oswald Acted Alone!!!

The Legacy of John F. Kennedy

- What did John F. Kennedy accomplish in his short presidency?

- What impact does his presidency still have today?

- On Monday, using the CFF laptops we will investigate these questions!

“Code of Honor”

Chapters 12 and 13

The JFK Legacy

- The Space Program – man on the moon/Cape Canaveral becomes Cape Kennedy

- Civil Rights Movement Support

- Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

- Continued Involvement in Vietnam

• SEPT. 12, 1962: Delivers a speech at Rice University, pledging that the United States will put a man on the moon "before the end of this decade." Seven years later, on July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong walks on the moon.

• This is a direct result of the Russians “beating” the US in the space race – Sputnik – 1957 – math/science classes!

• NOV. 16, 1963 (SATURDAY): Visits Cape Canaveral. Ten days after his visit, the cape was renamed Cape Kennedy. Today it is known as the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral.

• JUNE 11, 1963: Sends the Alabama National Guard to the University of Alabama to protect two African-American students who won a court order to attend the college. Kennedy speaks on television later in the day and expresses his support for the civil rights movement.

• OCT. 7, 1963: Signs the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty in Washington, D.C.: "with our courage and understanding enlarged by this achievement, let us press onward in quest of man's essential desire for peace.“

• United States/USSR/Great Britain sign

• No test detonations above ground

• Designed to slow the arms race/Cold War

The Vietnam War

- Reading Assignment: 864-876