Why Famous:The youngest-ever person elected President at age 43, Kennedy assumed office at the height of the Cold War. As such his time in office was spent managing relations with the communist states.
In 1961 Kennedy approved the failed Bay of Pigs invasion in an attempt to overthrow the communist-aligned regime of Fidel Castro. A year later the discovery of Soviet nuclear weapons in Cuba caused the Cuban Missile Crisis, which was eventually resolved peacefully.
In other affairs Kennedy sent advisers to Vietnam and launched America into the Space Race with his famous "we choose to go to the Moon" speech in 1963. While he supported the Civil Rights Movement he was not successful in getting many of his New Frontier policies passed by Congress.
1960-10-14 Peace Corps 1st suggested by John F. Kennedy in a speech at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor
1960-10-21 JFK & Nixon clashed in 4th & final presidential debate (NYC)
1960-11-08 John F. Kennedy is elected President of the United States, defeating Republican candidate Richard Nixon who was the incumbent Vice President
1961-01-20 Democrat John F. Kennedy, the youngest elected President of the United States, is administered his oath of office at his inauguration by Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren. Robert Frost recites "Gift Outright".
1961-01-25 1st live, nationally televised presidential news conference with JFK
1961-01-26 1st woman personal physician to a US President - Janet G. Travell (to John F. Kennedy)
1961-01-30 JFK asks for an Alliance for Progress & Peace Corps
1961-04-10 Dutch foreign minister Luns talks to JFK about New Guinea
1961-04-10 Washington Senators play first game in franchise history with President John F. Kennedy in attendance; lose a 4-3 decision to the Chicago White Sox
1961-04-24 JFK accepts "sole responsibility" following Bay of Pigs
1961-05-25 JFK announces US goal of putting a man on the Moon before the end of decade
1962-04-09 JFK throws out 1st ball at Washington's new DC Stadium
1962-05-01 JFK authorizes Area Redevelopment Act (ARA)
1962-06-11 US President John F. Kennedy accepts an honorary degree from Yale
1962-09-29 JFK authorized use of federal troops to integrate U of Mississippi
1962-09-30 JFK routes 3,000 federal troops to Mississippi
1962-10-16 Cuban Missile Crisis begins as JFK is shown photos confirming the presence of Soviet missiles in Cuba
1962-10-18 JFK meets Soviet Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrei Gromyko
1962-10-22 Cuban Missile Crisis: US President John F. Kennedy addresses TV about Russian missile bases in Cuba and imposes a naval blockade on Cuba, beginning the missile crisis
1962-10-22 JFK receives Ugandan premier Milton Obote
1962-10-26 JFK warns Russia that the USA will not allow Soviet missiles to remain in Cuba
1962-10-26Nikita Khrushchev sends note to JFK offering to withdraw his missiles from Cuba if US closes its bases in Turkey: offer is rejected
1962-10-28 Cuban Missile Crisis: US President JFK receives letter from Soviet Leaderr Khrushchev suggesting agreement
1962-11-17 US President JFK dedicates Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C.
1963-02-19 USSR informs JFK it is withdrawing several thousand troops from Cuba
1963-05-08 JFK offers Israel assistance against aggression
1963-06-10 US Equal Pay Act signed into law by President John F. Kennedy
1963-06-11 US President JFK says segregation is morally wrong and that it is "time to act"
1963-06-23 US President John F. Kennedy tours Western Europe
1963-06-25 JFK speaks at Pauls Church in Frankfurt
1963-06-26 US President John F. Kennedy gives his famous "Ich bin ein Berliner" (intended to mean "I am a Berliner", but may actually mean "I am a doughnut") speech in West Berlin
1963-06-27 US President John F. Kennedy spend his 1st full day in Ireland
Bill Clinton
Grover Cleveland
James Monroe
John Adams
Rutherford B. Hayes
William Howard Taft