John F. Kennedy

American president. Born: 29 May 1917 in Brookline, Massachusetts, USA. Died: 22 November 1963 in Dallas, Texas, USA (aged 46). Husband of Jacqueline Kennedy, 1953-1963 (his death). Father of Caroline Kennedy (3). John Fitzgerald Kennedy, 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 prominent Kennedy political family, he is considered an icon of American liberalism. During World War II, he served as a naval lieutenant in the Pacific theater and was cited for exceptional bravery for the rescue of his men. Kennedy is the youngest person ever to have been elected president of the United States, at the age of 43. (Theodore Roosevelt was the youngest ever to serve as President of the United States.) Major events during his presidency included the failed 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 US presidents, historians usually grade him above average, but among the general public he is often regarded as among the greatest presidents. He was the first Roman Catholic to become President, the first president to serve who was born in the 20th century, the last to die while still in office, the last Democrat from the North to be elected, and the last to be elected while serving in the US Senate. Currently he's the youngest of any US president, at 46 years and 177 days, when he was assassinated on November 22, 1963. The assassination is often considered a defining moment in US history, both because of its traumatic impact on the entire nation, and because of Kennedy's elevation as an icon for a new generation of Americans and American aspirations.