John F. Kennedy

JFK presidency key events and assassination timeline.

A PowerTimeline by @cynacons.

  1. Inauguration — JFK sworn in as 35th U.S. President; "Ask not" inaugural address.
  2. Peace Corps Established — Executive Order creating Peace Corps to promote service abroad.
  3. Bay of Pigs — Failed invasion of Cuba increases Cold War tensions.
  4. Moon Goal — Sets national goal of landing a man on the Moon before decade end.
  5. Alliance for Progress — Latin America development initiative announced earlier; momentum events through 1961.
  6. Cuban Missile Crisis Address — Televised speech announcing naval "quarantine" of Cuba.
  7. Missile Crisis Ends — Blockade lifted after verified Soviet withdrawal of missiles.
  8. Civil Rights Address — Televised address framing civil rights as a moral issue.
  9. Ich bin ein Berliner — West Berlin speech affirming support amid Cold War division.
  10. Test Ban Treaty — Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty signed (US/UK/USSR).
  11. UN Cooperation Speech — Proposes joint lunar exploration with USSR at UN General Assembly.
  12. Assassination — JFK shot during motorcade in Dallas, Texas.
  13. LBJ Sworn In — Vice President Johnson takes oath aboard Air Force One.
  14. Funeral & Burial — State funeral; eternal flame lit at Arlington National Cemetery.
  15. Warren Commission Formed — Johnson establishes commission to investigate assassination.
  16. Warren Report Delivered — Commission report concludes lone gunman; controversy persists.

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