35

John F. Kennedy
35th President of the United States

John F Kennedy
1961- 1963



Vice President: Lyndon B Johnson (1961-63)
Born: May 29, 1917, in Brookline, Massachusetts
Died: November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas
Career/Occupation: Author, Public Official
Religion: Catholic
Education: Graduated from Harvard College (1940)
Political Party: Democratic
Nickname(s): "JFK", Jack
Secret Service Code Name: Lancer





Other Government Positions:

• Member of U.S. House of Representatives, 1947-53 
• United States Senator, 1953-61

Presidential Salary: $100,000 + $50,000 expense account

Presidential Firsts:

The first president, who was Catholic.

The first president born in the 20th century
(Kennedy was born in 1917 and took office in 1961).

The first president to participate in the first televised presidential debates.
He took part in four televised debates in 1960 (along with future president Richard Nixon).

The first president inaugurated with a living grandparent
(Mary Josephine Hannon, his grandmother on his mother's side)

The first president to have been a Boy Scout.

The first president to be awarded a Pulitzer Prize, received the Pulitzer Prize for Biography in 1957, for his book Profiles in Courage.

The first president to have previously served in the United States Navy.

The first president to have a brother serve in the U.S. Senate while in office.
His brother Edward "Ted" Kennedy was in the U.S. Senate during JFK's presidency.

The first president to have a brother serve in the Cabinet while in office.
His brother Robert Kennedy, was Attorney General.

The first president to be survived by both his parents. Kennedy died in 1963.
His father Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. outlived him by six years, dying in 1969. His mother Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy outlived him by more than 30 years, dying in 1995.

The first president to be survived by a grandparent.
Kennedy died in 1963. His maternal grandmother, Mary Josephine Hannon, died in 1964 at the age of 98.

The first president to be younger than four of his successors.
He was Younger than Johnson, Nixon, Ford, and Reagan.

The first president to be assassinated and die on the same date.

The first president who was a Democrat to be assassinated.

The first president to use the Situation Room.

The first president to win fewer states than his opponent while winning a majority of the electoral vote.

The first president to visit Austria, Costa Rica, Venezuela and Ireland while in office.

The first president to receive a Presidential Medal of Freedom.
He was awarded posthumously on December 6, 1963.

The first president to receive the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, awarded for his heroism as commanding officer of Motor Torpedo Boat PT-109 when the ship was rammed and sunk by the Japanese destroyer Amagiri in 1943.

The first president to receive the Purple Heart.
He earned the award in 1943 after he was wounded in action aboard PT-109.