JFK

JFK primarily denotes John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), the 35th president of the United States. He served from January 20, 1961, until his assassination in Dallas, Texas. A Democrat from Massachusetts, Kennedy was the youngest person elected to the presidency and the first Catholic to hold the office. He came from the Kennedy political family, studied at Harvard, and served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, where he earned a Purple Heart.

Kennedy's presidency was marked by Cold War confrontations and ambitious domestic programs. His administration pursued civil rights advancements, launched the Peace Corps, and supported space exploration, culminating in the goal of landing a man on the Moon. Internationally, he authorized the failed Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961, managed the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, and pursued arms control through the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty of 1963, along with development aid through the Alliance for Progress.

Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963, in Dallas. Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested for the murder, and the Warren Commission concluded that Oswald acted alone, though conspiracy theories persist. His death created a lasting imprint on American politics and public memory, influencing civil rights activism and U.S. foreign policy in the 1960s and beyond.

JFK also refers to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, one of the busiest international airports in the United States, named in his honor.