John F. Kennedy

John F. Kennedy

John F. Kennedy’s relatives were farmers from Wexford County in Southeastern Ireland. His great-grandfather Patrick Kennedy left Ireland in the 1840’s and ended up in Boston. John’s grandfather Patrick J. Kennedy eventually became a state senator and got this family into politics. John Kennedy’s mother, Rose Fitzgerald, came from a political background too. John F. Fitzgerald, Rose’s father was in the state senate, U.S. House of Representatives, and he was the mayor of Boston. Joseph P. Kennedy, the father of JFK, was a self-made millionaire, and was U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain from 1937-1940.

John F. Kennedy was born on May 29, 1917 in Brookline, Massachusetts. He was the second child of Joseph Kennedy and Rose Fitzgerald. As a child John Kennedy became known as Jack to his family and friends. John had 8 brothers and sister. All of whom were younger, except Joe, who was John’s big brother.

At the age of 13 John attended Canterbury in Connecticut. At the age of 14 he transferred to Choate Academy in Connecticut. He then graduated from Choate in 1935 at the age of 18. In the summer of 1935 John attended The London School of Economics. He then attended Princeton, where he stayed for a year, until he became ill. After recovering from his illness in 1936, he entered Harvard. In 1939 John wrote his senior thesis, which he based on a trip he had take to England. The thesis was later published and entitled Why England Slept and became a best seller.

In 1940 JFK enlisted as a seaman in the U.S. Navy. After being stationed in Washington he applied for sea duty. This coming only days after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. He was assigned to a Pt boat in 1942. On August 2, 1943 a Japanese destroyer wrecked the boat. As a result of the wreck two men were dead and Kennedy injured his back, which in the future will bother him. In 1943, after being promoted to Lieutenant, the navy returned Kennedy to the U.S.

In 1944, John’s older brother Joe died, which possibly changed the way John’s future was going. John’s parents thought he would grow up to be a teacher or a writer, and Joe would be the family politician. When Joe died John assumed the position of carrying on the family business of politics. In 1946 JFK ran for the U.S. House of Representatives. He went on to win the nomination and defeat his republican opponent for a seat