John F. Kennedy

Kennedy met his future wife, Jacqueline Bouvier at a dinner party. He was a congressman then. A year later, after being elected as the Senator, Kennedy walked the aisle with Jacqueline on September 12, 1953.

The couple was blessed with four children - Arabella, Caroline B., John F., Jr. and Patrick B., two of which died in infancy. Till date, Carolina is the only surviving member of Kennedy’s immediate family.

Kennedy was involved in a number of extra-marital relationships both before and after his marriage to Jacqueline. Some of the women he had been flirting with were Inga Arvad, Gene Tierney, Marilyn Monroe, Gunilla von Post, Judith Campbell, Mary Pinchot Meyer, Marlene Dietrich, Mimi Alford, and Pamela Turnure.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy was second of the four children of Joseph P. Kennedy and Rose Fitzgerald. While his father was a banker, later serving as the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission and Ambassador to Great Britain, his mother was a debutante.

Born in Brookline, young Kennedy completed his preliminary education from various schools, before the family shifted base to New York. Mischievous and playful, he excelled in English and history - subjects he had profound interest in, but remained a mediocre student overall.

Following his elder brother, Kennedy attended The Chaote School for his higher education. He graduated from the same in 1935 and wished to enrol himself at the London School of Economics. But his constantly failing health forced him to return to America where he sought admission at the Princeton University.

After spending a semester in Princeton, Kennedy moved to Harvard in 1936. His academic life at Harvard was a replica of his former years – he excelled in subjects that he loved but remained an average student on an overall basis due to his diversified interest.

With time, Kennedy developed an interest in political philosophy which made him serious about education. He completed his thesis in 1940 on ‘Appeasement of Munich’, which was so well received that it was turned to a book under the title ‘Why England Slept’. The book became a bestseller. Same year, Kennedy graduated from Harvard with a Bachelor of Science cum laude in international affairs.

Though Kennedy wished to join the army, his chronic lower back problem disqualified him medically for the same due to which Kennedy found himself a place in the US Navy.

Post attending the training session at the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps and Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Training Center, Kennedy was posted to Panama and later Pacific theatre, where he earned the title of Lieutenant of a PT boat.

In 1943, Kennedy’s boat was rammed by a Japanese warship. Unwilling to surrender, he showed utmost courage and bravery and rescued his crewmen to a nearby island from where they were saved six days later. The effort earned him the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for ‘extremely heroic conduct’ and a Purple Heart for the injuries he suffered.

The same year (1943), Kennedy assumed command of a gun boat which participated in a Marine rescue on Choiseul Island. The following year, he returned to America where he sought medical treatment and released himself from the duty.

In 1945, he took up the job of a special correspondent for the Hearst Newspaper. The job not only exposed him to journalism as a possible career option, but also brought him in public domain.

Meanwhile, the death of his elder brother, Joseph Kennedy Jr cast a shadow of disappointment in the Kennedy family, especially to his father who envisioned his son to take up the chair of the US President. Kennedy took it upon himself to fulfil the hopes and aspirations of his family and became the family’s political leader.

In 1946, Kennedy filled up for the position of James Michael Curley at the US House of Representatives, beating the Republican candidate by a large difference - his war hero status and a wealthy background aiding him in the process.

Kennedy served as a congressman for six years. However, he was frustrated with the job. The reason for the same was that unlike the profiles he previously held, the work was dull and boring and stifled young, inexperienced representatives like him with rules and procedures.

As such, in an effort to look for much more influential work and make ‘real’ contribution, Kennedy contested for the US Senate seat. The votes for Kennedy outnumbered those for his republican opponent, Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr thus helping Kennedy rise to a better position and larger platform.