Born in brookline, the son of joe and Rose Kennedy
Graduates cum laude with a bachelor of science degree from Harvard University.
At age 24, he is sworn in as an ensign in the U.S. Navy.
Given command of PT-109 as a lieutenant.
In Blackett Strait, North Solomon Islands in the Pacific, PT-109 is sunk by the Japanese. Kennedy performed heroically in rescuing his crew
Kennedy's older brother, Joe Kennedy Jr., is killed when his Air Force plane explodes shortly after take-off.
Honorably discharged from the Navy with the full rank of lieutenant.
Elected as senator from Massachusetts and re-elected in 1958.
Marries Jacqueline Lee Bouvier in Newport, R.I. She is the daughter of John Vernon Bouvier III and Janet Lee Bouvier.
Loses his bid for the Democratic nomination for vice president.
The Kennedys' daughter, Arabella, is stillborn in Newport, R.I.
Defeats Richard M. Nixon to becomes the 35th president of the United States. Kennedy wins by a margin of 2/10 of 1 percent with 49.75 percent of the votes. Nixon receives 49.55 percent.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy Jr. is born at Georgetown University Hospital.
Meets with Nikita Khrushchev in Vienna on international issues. The focus of the meeting is disarmament, Germany, Laos and nuclear testing. They fail to agree on certain problems but issue a joint statement that they agrees to "maintain contact on all questions of interest to the two countries and for the whole world." After this meeting, the Soviets build a wall between East and West Berlin during the summer.
U.S. intelligence discovers that the Russians are building missile sites in Cuba, thus beginning the Cuban Missile Crisis. Kennedy orders a naval and air quarantine on all shipments of weapons to Cuba. Armed conflict seems imminent; however, the Soviets retreat and promise not to set up the missiles. The United States agrees not to attack Cuba.
During a visit to Germany, Kennedy speaks to an enormous crowd at Schoneberger Rathaus in the Rudolph Wilde Platz on June 26. Kennedy's stirring words on freedom excite the crowd: "All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin and therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words "Ich bin ein Berliner.' "
The Kennedys' second son, Patrick, is born five weeks premature and dies Aug. 9.
Signs the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty in Washington, D.C.
Kennedy discusses the prospect of a single global commercial space communications system. He transmits to Congress an annual report on the United Nations. He signs a bill authorizing medals commemorating the founding of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union (his last bill). That evening Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy host a cocktail party at the White House.
Kennedy begins his tour of Texas. His destinations are San Antonio, Houston, Fort Worth, Dallas and Austin.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy is shot at 12:30 p.m. while riding in an open-top limousine in a motorcade through downtown Dallas. He is pronounced dead at 1 p.m. at Parkland Memorial Hospital. Eighty minutes after the assassination, Lee Harvey Oswald is arrested. Later Oswald is charged with murder.
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