John F. Kennedy

John F. Kennedy served as the 35th president of the United States. Prior to his presidency, the Eisenhower Administration created a plan to overthrow Fidel Castro, and in 1961, Kennedy ordered the planned invasion to proceed. However, he ordered the invasion to take place without the U.S. Air Support. This attempt to overthrow the Castro regime failed.

Kennedy sought to contain communism in Latin America, and in 1961, he initiated a new foreign aid program. This program known as the Alliance for Progress aimed to strengthen the economies of Latin American nations in order to prevent communism from spreading. In order to provide more aid to foreign countries, Kennedy asked Congress to establish the Peace Corps. Through this program, American volunteers would travel to underprivileged nations to provide help in areas such as education and healthcare. The Peace Corps were authorized by Congress on September 22, 1961.

In 1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis began when American spy planes photographed a Soviet missile site in Cuba. Kennedy faced a tough decision because if the U.S. attacked the sites it could lead to nuclear war, but if they did nothing, there would be the threat of nuclear weapons launching from close range. Kennedy ordered a naval quarantine on all weapons bound for Cuba. He soon reached a cordial agreement with Soviet Premiere Khrushchev. Khrushchev agreed to remove the missiles if the U.S. publicly promised never to invade Cuba, and to remove missiles stationed in Turkey.

During his electoral battle tour, Kennedy visited Dallas Texas on November 22, 1963. As his Limousine turned from Main Street to Houston Street the first shot was fired. The second shot hit Governor Connally in the back. Seconds later, after the third shot was fired, Jackie Kennedy turned to her husband to see him being wounded by a fatal headshot. 45 minutes after the shooting, Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested for the murder of John F. Kennedy. President Kennedy was shot twice, in the back and neck, and died younger than any U.S. president to date. There was a stunned reaction to the assassination around the world, and the event left a lasting impression on many people.

Sources:
"The John F. Kennedy Assassination Home Page". May 31, 2009 <http://www.jfk-assassination.de/articles/index.php>.

"About The White House- Presidents". May 31, 2009 <http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/JohnFKennedy/>.