John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 November 22, 1963), often referred to as John F. Kennedy, JFK or Jack Kennedy, was the 35th President of the United States. He served from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. A member of the politically prominent Irish-American Kennedy family, he is considered an icon of American liberalism. During World War II, he was cited for exceptional bravery while rescuing fellow sailors in the South Pacific. Kennedy served his home state of Massachusetts in Congress during 1947-60, as both a member of the House of Representatives and as U.S. Senator. He was elected President in 1960, in one of the closest elections in history.
Major events during his presidency included the Bay of Pigs invasion, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the building of the Berlin Wall, the Space Race, early events of the Vietnam War, and the American Civil Rights Movement. In rankings of U.S. presidents, historians usually grade Kennedy above average, but among the general public he is often regarded as among the greatest presidents. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963. Official investigations later determined Lee Harvey Oswald to be the culprit. His assassination is considered to be one of the most defining moments in U.S. history because of its traumatic impact on the entire nation, its impact on the political history of the ensuing decades, Kennedy's status as an icon for a new generation of Americans and American aspirations, and for the mystery and allegations of conspiracy that surround it.
