A man with a futuristic vision, John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963) commonly known by his initial JFK served as the 35th President of the United States. Born in an elite, politically involved Catholic family of Boston, Kennedy was elected as President at the age of 43. Before taking up the office of the President, Kennedy served in the U.S. House of Representatives and the US Senate. He defeated Vice President and Republican candidate Richard Nixon to become the President of the United States. The Cuban Missile Crisis, The Bay of Pigs Invasion, the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, the establishment of the Peace Corps, developments in the Space Race, the building of the Berlin Wall, the Trade Expansion Act to lower tariffs, and the Civil Rights Movement all took place during Kennedy’s presidency.
Here are some interesting things you need to know about former US President John F. Kennedy
8 Interesting Facts About Former US President John F. Kennedy
- On November 8, 1960, John F. Kennedy became the 35th President of the United States, defeating Nixon by a razor-thin margin. His appointment was historic as he became the second youngest American president, the first Catholic president and the first president born in the 20th century.
- Under his administration, the economic condition of the state which was under recession prospered notably. The GDP increased to 5.5% while the industrial production increased by 15%. Inflation remained steady at 1% and as for rate of unemployment, it came down markedly.
- During his time as a Congressman and later as U.S. President, John F Kennedy donated all of his salary to charity.
- He was the only American president to win a Pulitzer Prize for his work, Profiles in Courage, in the year 1957.
- Posthumously, John F. Kennedy was proffered with the Pacem in Terris Award. The Latin for ‘Peace on Earth’ – the award was named after a 1963 encyclical letter by Pope John XXIII that calls upon all people of goodwill to secure peace among all nations.
- John F. Kennedy has to his name numerous educational institutions around the globe including John F. Kennedy School of Government and John F. Kennedy University. Additionally, there are more than hundreds of schools, colleges that were named in his honor in England, Greece, Mauritius, Netherland, California and so on.
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The New York International Airport was renamed John F. Kennedy International Airport on December 24, 1963. Furthermore, John F. Kennedy Memorial Airport in Ashland, Wisconsin is named after him. The NASA Launch Operations Center at Cape Canaveral was renamed the John F. Kennedy Space Center.After John F. Kennedy’s WW2 PT boat was sunk, he wrote a message on a coconut asking for help. It worked. Kennedy kept the coconut and it became a Presidential paperweight.
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Numerous buildings, roads and bridges across the globe including Asia, Europe, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain have been named after John F Kennedy.John F Kennedy had such concerns about the space program’s high cost, that he proposed partnering with the Soviet Union on a joint expedition to the moon.The White House Correspondent’s Dinner was men-only until 1962, when JFK refused to attend unless women did.
Quotes from John F. Kennedy
“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country”
“The rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man is threatened”
“Forgive your enemies, never forget their names”
“We must stop to find out and thank people who made a difference in our lives”
“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future”
“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”
“The goal of education is the advancement of knowledge and the dissemination of truth”
“Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.”
