Featured Article Summary #53

On November 22, 1963, John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. He was shot while riding in a motorcade with his wife and other officials. Kennedy was taken to the hospital but was pronounced dead. Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson then became president. The man who shot Kennedy, Lee Harvey Oswald, was later apprehended and killed. The official investigation concluded that Oswald acted alone, though there are many conspiracy theories surrounding the assassination. Kennedy's death had a major impact on the country and was the first of several high-profile assassinations in the decade. John F. Kennedy became the 35th president of the United States in 1960. His presidency was marked by the Cold War and his efforts to counter the Soviet Union. He authorized operations to overthrow Castro's communist government in Cuba, but declined to involve American troops. In 1963, Kennedy traveled to Texas to smooth over tensions in the Democratic Party and viewed the trip as a way to launch his reelection campaign. Lee Harvey Oswald was a former U.S. Marine who became a communist and defected to the Soviet Union. He returned to the United States, settled in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, and was suspected of attempting to assassinate General Edwin Walker. Oswald then established a chapter of the Fair Play for Cuba Committee in New Orleans and visited the Soviet and Cuban embassies in Mexico City. He eventually found work at the Texas School Book Depository, where he carried a package that is believed to have contained the rifle used in the assassination of John F. Kennedy. On November 22, President Kennedy arrived in Dallas and boarded a convertible limousine with the First Lady, Governor Connally and his wife, and Secret Service agents. The motorcade followed a 10-mile route through Dallas, passing through different areas to allow Kennedy to connect with the crowds. Despite concerns about protestors, Kennedy was well received by enthusiastic crowds. As Kennedy's limousine passed the Texas School Book Depository, multiple shots were fired. Witnesses heard three shots, with the second and third shots closer together. Governor Connally recognized the sound as a rifle and was struck by a shot that he did not hear. Kennedy was hit in the back and throat by a shot that likely would have been survivable. Connally was also injured by the same bullet, which exited his chest and shattered his wrist. Kennedy was fatally shot in the head as the limousine passed the grassy knoll. Secret Service Agent Clint Hill heard the shots and jumped onto the car to protect Kennedy. Bystander James Tague was wounded by either a bullet or concrete fragments. The FBI later found evidence linking the wound to Oswald's ammunition. Tague testified that he was wounded by the second shot.