Fun Fact 2: John Fitzgerald Kennedy was one of nine children born into an extremely wealthy family. His father, Joseph Kennedy, was a leading political figure from Boston, who became the US Ambassador to the United Kingdom. He was financially very stable, and when his nine children reached the age of 21 he gifted each of them $1,000,000!
Fun Fact 3: Although they had wealth, many tragedies emerged within the Kennedy family, John's elder brother Joe Junior, was killed in 1944 during World War 2. In 1948 John's sister Kathleen died in a plane crash. In 1956 John F Kennedy started his own family his first child was still born, the second died at two days old. Later that same year in 1963 John F Kennedy was assassinated. Five years later in 1968 John's brother Robert was also assassinated. On July 16, 1999, his son John F. Kennedy, Jr. was also involved in an airplane crash in which four members of the family died. These tragedies are just a few that have affected the family and the media claimed that the family have a curse, know as the Kennedy Curse
Fun Fact 4: JFK attended Harvard University and graduated with Bachelor of Science degree in international affairs in 1940
Fun Fact 5: On September 12, 1953 John F Kennedy married newspaper photographer Jacqueline Lee Bouvier, they married in Newport, Rhode Island. Together they had 4 children but only two survived infancy, and one died as an adult in a plane crash
Fun Fact 6: In 1957 John F Kennedy was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for his book called 'Profiles in Courage'. The compilation of short tales of bravery and integrity also formed the basis of a TV series of the same name, which was first broadcasted during 1964 - 1965
Fun Fact 7: In 1961, when he was 43 years of age, John F Kennedy became the 35th President of America. He was the youngest man elected as president and after just serving two years in office he became as the 4th US president to be assassinated
Fun Fact 8: John F Kennedy was the first Boy Scout to become President! He did not take a salary as president; he donated to charities including the boy scouts and the United Negro College Fund
Fun Fact 9: He did not see eye to eye with previous president, Dwight D Eisenhower who referred to John F Kennedy as "Little Boy Blue"
Fun Fact 10: John F Kennedy played a key role in the creation of the Peace Corps, promoting world peace and international friendship; over 210,000 Americans have joined the Peace Corps since it began in 1961
Fun Fact 11: In 1961 the 'Bay of Pigs' incident took place. It was an unsuccessful attempt by CIA-trained Cuban exiles who invaded southern Cuba to overthrow the government. The problems in Cuba escalated the following year with the Cuban Missile Crisis
Fun Fact 12: In 1962 a thirteen day worldwide crisis took place. Know as the Cuban Missile Crisis, JFK stopped the Russians from entering Cuba with nuclear missiles that could then be deployed to the US Naval quarantine surrounded Cuba and with strategic management JFK diverted the world from the brink of nuclear war
Fun Fact 13: John F Kennedy had one leg longer than the other and wore corrective shoes. Because of his condition he suffered from chronic back pain and occasionally, but privately, used crutches. The swimming pool at the White House was constantly heated to 90 degrees and JFK would swim regularly to ease the pain
Fun Fact 14: On November 22, 1963 while travelling in an open top car through Dallas, Texas. Aged 46 years, he became the 4th president to be assassinated, and the youngest president to die in office
Fun Fact 15: John F. Kennedy was once quoted a saying "The best road to progress is freedom's road" |
