Our 35th president of the United States and the tragic events that took place on Friday, November 22, 1963, at 12:30 pm while riding in a presidential motorcade through Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas, have left an indelible mark on the psyche of the American people. When that assassin’s bullet tore through the young president from Brookline, Massachusetts, the eyes of the world looked on in horror before shutting in despair.
This moment has come to define the life and legacy of John Fitzgerald Kennedy and made it hard for people to think about anything else when his name is evoked. However, in his short 46 years on this good earth, he led a charismatic, colorful, and sometimes controversial life. He brought youth and vibrancy to the office of the president, never seen before on the American political stage.
But what were the key moments in JFK’s early life that shifted and shaped a man that, even today, is still remembered, revered, and relevant in popular culture? Here we look at the defining moments of a life that, although cut short, was lived to its fullest long before he sat behind the Resolute desk.