John Fitzgerald Kennedy

John Fitzgerald Kennedy 35th president of the United States, the

youngest person ever to be elected president. He was also the first

Roman Catholic president and the first president to be born in the

20th century. Kennedy was assassinated before he completed his third

year as president. Therefore his achievements were limited.

Nevertheless, his influence was worldwide, and his handling of the

Cuban Missile Crisis may have prevented war. Young people especially

liked him. No other president was so popular. He brought to the

presidency an awareness of the cultural and historical traditions of

the United States. Because Kennedy expressed the values of

20th-century America, his presidency was important beyond its

political achievements. John Kennedy was born in Brookline,

Massachusetts. He was the second of nine children.

Kennedy announced his candidacy early in 1960. By the time the

Democratic National Convention opened in July, he had won seven

primary victories. His most important had been in West Virginia, where

he proved that a Roman Catholic could win in a predominantly

Protestant state.

When the convention opened, it appeared that Kennedy's only serious

challenge for the nomination would come from the Senate majority

leader, Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas. However, Johnson was strong only

among Southern delegates. Kennedy won the nomination on the first

ballot and then persuaded Johnson to become his running mate.

Two weeks later the Republicans nominated Vice President Richard Nixon

for president and Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr., who was ambassador to the

United Nations and whom