Jump to: navigation , search "JFK ", "John Kennedy ", and "Jack Kennedy " redirect here. For other uses, see JFK (disambiguation ) , John Kennedy (disambiguation ) , and Jack Kennedy (disambiguation ) . World War II Victory Medal [1] John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 November 22, 1963), commonly known as Jack Kennedy or by his initials JFK , was an American politician who served as the 35th President of the United States from January 1961 until his assassination in November 1963. Notable events that occurred during his presidency included the Bay of Pigs Invasion , the Cuban Missile Crisis , the Space Race by initiating Project Apollo (which later culminated in the moon landings ), the building of the Berlin Wall , the African-American Civil Rights Movement , and the increased US involvement in the Vietnam War . After military service as commander of Motor Torpedo Boats PT-109 and PT-59 during World War II in the South Pacific , Kennedy represented Massachusetts 's 11th congressional district in the U S House of Representatives from 1947 to 1953 as a Democrat . Thereafter, he served in the U S Senate from that state from 1953 until 1960. Kennedy defeated Vice President and Republican candidate Richard Nixon in the 1960 U S Presidential Election . At age 43, he was the youngest man to have been elected to the office , [2] [a] the second-youngest president (after Theodore Roosevelt ), and the first person born in the 20th century to serve as president . [3] To date [update ] , Kennedy has been the only Roman Catholic president and the only president to have won a Pulitzer Prize . [4] Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas , Texas on November 22, 1963. Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested that afternoon and charged with the crime that night . Jack Ruby shot and killed Oswald two days later, before a trial could take place. The FBI and the Warren Commission officially concluded that Oswald was the lone assassin . The United States House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA ) agreed with the conclusion that Oswald fired the shots which killed the president , but also concluded that Kennedy was probably assassinated as the result of a conspiracy . [5] Since the 1960s, information concerning Kennedy 's private life has come to light. Details of Kennedy 's health problems with which he struggled have become better known, especially since the 1990s. Although initially kept secret from the general public, reports of Kennedy being unfaithful in marriage have garnered much press. Kennedy ranks highly in public opinion ratings of U S presidents but there is a gap between his public reputation and his reputation among academics . [6] John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born at 83 Beals Street in Brookline , Massachusetts , on May 29, 1917 [7] to businessman /politician Joseph Patrick "Joe" Kennedy, Sr (18881969) and philanthropist /socialite Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald-Kennedy (18901995). His father was the oldest son of businessman /politician Patrick Joseph "P. J." Kennedy (18581929) and Mary Augusta Hickey-Kennedy (18571923). His mother was the daughter of Boston Mayor John Francis "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald (18631950) and Mary Josephine "Josie " Hannon-Fitzgerald (18651964). All four of his grandparents were the children of immigrants from Ireland . [1] His brothers were Joseph Patrick "Joe" Kennedy, Jr (19151944), Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy (19251968), and Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy (19322009). Joseph, Jr was killed in action during World War II while Robert and Ted were both prominent Senators . His sisters were Rose Marie "Rosemary" Kennedy (19182005), Kathleen Agnes "Kick" Kennedy (19201948), Eunice Mary Kennedy (19212009), Patricia Helen "Pat" Kennedy (19242006), and Jean Ann Kennedy (born 1928). Eunice founded the Special Olympics while Jean served as United States Ambassador to Ireland from 1993-1998. John lived in Brookline for 10 years and attended the Edward Devotion School , the Noble and Greenough Lower School , and the Dexter School through 4th grade . In 1927, the Kennedy family moved to 5040 Independence Avenue in Riverdale, Bronx , New York City . Two years later, they moved to 294 Pondfield Road in Bronxville, New York , where Kennedy was a member of Scout Troop 2. [1] The Kennedy family spent summers at their home in Hyannisport, Massachusetts and Christmas and Easter holidays at their winter home in Palm Beach, Florida . From 5th-7th grade, John attended the Riverdale Country School , a private school for boys . In September 1930, Johnnow 13 years oldattended the Canterbury School in New Milford, Connecticut . In late April 1931, he required an appendectomy , after which he withdrew from Canterbury and recuperated at home. [8] The Kennedy family at Hyannisport in 1931 with Jack at top left in white shirt . In September 1931, Kennedy was sent to the The Choate School in Wallingford, Connecticut for 9th through 12th grade . His older brother Joe Jr had already been at Choate for two years as a football player and leading student . John spent his first years at Choate in his brother 's shadow , and compensated for this with rebellious behavior which attracted a coterie. Their most notorious stunt was to explode a toilet seat with a powerful firecracker . In the ensuing chapel assembly, the strict headmaster George St . John brandished the toilet seat and spoke of certain "muckers " who would "spit in our sea ". The defiant John Kennedy took the cue and named his group The Muckers Club, which included roommate and friend Kirk LeMoyne "Lem" Billings . [9] While attending Choate , Kennedy was beset by health problems that culminated in 1934 with his emergency hospitalization at Yale New Haven Hospital . In June 1934, he was admitted to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota and diagnosed with colitis . Kennedy graduated from Choate in June of the following year. For the school yearbook , of which he had been business manager , Kennedy was voted the "most likely to succeed". [9] In September 1935, he made his first trip abroad with his parents and his sister Kathleen to London with the intent of studying under Harold Laski at the London School of Economics (LSE for short ) as his older brother Joe Jr had done. Ill-health forced his return to America in October of that year, when he enrolled late and spent six weeks at Princeton University . He was then hospitalized for observation at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston . He convalesced further at the Kennedy winter home in Palm Beach , then spent the spring of 1936 (along with his older brother Joe Jr ) working as a ranch hand on the 40,000 acres (160km2) "Jay Six " cattle ranch outside Benson, Arizona . [10] It is reported that ranchman Jack Speiden worked both brothers "very hard ". In September 1936, Kennedy enrolled at Harvard College , where he produced that year's annual "Freshman Smoker ", called by a reviewer "an elaborate entertainment, which included in its cast outstanding personalities of the radio , screen and sports world". [11] He tried out fo