PRESIDENT JFK

How would you act if you were president of the U.S.? Would you be very businesslike and serious?

President John F. Kennedy was one of the most liked presidents. His relaxed style made the crowds trust him and vote for him.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy, often called JFK, was the 35th president of the United States. He was born in 1917, in Brookline, Massachusetts, a neighborhood in Boston. His grandfather was the mayor of Boston and a U.S. congressman. John F. Kennedy served in the U.S. Navy from 1941 to 1944. He commanded a unit of patrol, or guard, boats during World War II.

In 1946, Kennedy ran for Congress and won. Congress is part of the legislative branch of the U.S. government and consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Kennedy joined the House of Representatives in January 1947 at the age of 29. There he helped pass laws to benefit the American people. JFK became known for his casual, or relaxed, style. He won reelection to the House of Representatives in 1948 and 1950. In 1952, JFK was voted into the Senate. Senators represent their entire state. Kennedy was a senator until he ran for president.

Kennedy announced that he was running for president on January 2, 1960. A person running for a position is a candidate. Kennedy chose Lyndon Baines Johnson of Texas as his running mate. Kennedy faced a difficult battle against the other candidate, Richard Nixon. Nixon had been vice president for two terms under the popular president, Dwight D. Eisenhower.

When candidates run for president, they have debates. A debate is an argument. Presidential debates are arguments candidates have with each other so voters know their opinions. The debates for this election were the first ones ever available for people to follow. Kennedy’s performance in the public debates won him the support of millions of Americans. He won the election and was the youngest man elected president. He was 43.

John F. Kennedy gave his first speech as president on January 20, 1961. The first speech a president gives is called an inaugural address. The most famous quote from JFK’s speech is, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” That means that sometimes people need to pitch in to help their country. In 1961, Kennedy approved a secret mission to help the Cuban people overthrow the Cuban patrol - guard casual - relaxed candidatesomeone running for a position debate - argument inaugural address - the first speech a president gives deploymove into position to attack dictator, Fidel Castro. Cuba is a small country 50 miles south of Florida. Castro was an ally of the USSR, the United States’ opponent. He was a harsh leader to the Cubans, who did not like him. The mission was named Bay of Pigs for the bay where it took place. The Bay of Pigs mission was not successful.

Another issue JFK dealt with in his short presidency was the Cuban Missile Crisis. In 1962, the USSR deployed missiles in Cuba. To deploy missiles means to move them into position to attack. These missiles were able to hit the U.S. with nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons are very powerful bombs that create huge explosions. The U.S. warned the Soviet Union to remove the missiles. At first the Soviet Union refused. The U.S. and the USSR came close to nuclear war. The crisis lasted 13 days. It ended when both countries agreed to remove all missiles from near the other country. The USSR agreed to remove the missiles from Cuba. The U.S. agreed to remove the missiles they had near the USSR in Turkey. This event is called the Cuban Missile Crisis.

On November 22, 1963, Kennedy was on a trip to Dallas, Texas. Kennedy was riding downtown in a convertible car when Lee Harvey Oswald shot him. Kennedy died soon after arriving at the hospital. JFK had two brothers who were also politicians. Bobby Kennedy headed the Justice Department, which is in charge of the court system. Bobby was killed while running for president in 1968. Edward, better known as Ted, was a Massachusetts senator. He served in the Senate from 1962 until his passing in 2009.