Learn about the failed Bay of Pigs invasion and the Cuban missile crisis that occurred during U.S. President John F. Kennedy's tenure
An overview of John F. Kennedy.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Transcript
NARRATOR: John F. Kennedy took office as the 35th president of the United States in 1961. At the age of 43, he was the youngest person ever elected to the presidency. Kennedy was a very popular leader, and his assassination in 1963 was a shock to the country and the world.
Kennedy was the second of nine children born to a prominent Boston family. His father was a wealthy banker and businessman who also held posts in the national government. The Kennedy family valued both academic achievement and athletic competition. John attended Harvard University, where he was a star swimmer and a good golfer. He also played football at Harvard until a back injury forced him to stop. Though severe back pain continued to plague him all his life, he still took part in the family's legendary touch football games.
After Kennedy graduated from Harvard, the United States entered World War II. Kennedy joined the Navy and commanded a torpedo boat, known as PT 109, in the South Pacific. A Japanese ship rammed and split his boat in half, severely injuring Kennedy and stranding him and his crew far behind enemy lines. Kennedy kept his crew together and led them to safety. For his heroism, he was awarded the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Medal.
Before the war Kennedy had considered a career in journalism. The family expected that his older brother, Joe, would be the first Kennedy to enter politics. When Joe was killed in the war, however, the family's political ambitions passed to John. In 1946 his family connections helped him win a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. After three terms in the House, Kennedy was elected to the Senate in 1952. Four years later he just missed being nominated as the Democratic candidate for vice president. His near victory made him one of the best-known political figures in the country.
In 1960 the Democrats made Kennedy their nominee for the presidency. His Republican opponent was Vice President Richard Nixon.
During the campaign Kennedy and Nixon faced each other in a series of debates on live television. Kennedy's poise and youthful appearance in the debates made a positive impression on viewers and gave him a critical advantage over his opponent. Adding to Kennedy's appeal was his wife, Jacqueline, who was known for her sophistication and style. Kennedy defeated Nixon by a narrow margin. His inaugural speech captured the country's imagination with its memorable call to public service.
JOHN F. KENNEDY: The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor, will light our country and all who serve it, and the glow from that fire will truly light the world. And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.
[APPLAUSE]
NARRATOR: From the start of his presidency, Kennedy was concerned with foreign affairs. Cold War tensions between communist and Western countries were rising. Kennedy promised to take a strong stance against the spread of communism. The first test of this policy came in Cuba, which was ruled by a communist dictatorship led by Fidel Castro. Kennedy approved a U.S.-backed invasion of Cuba to overthrow Castro. But the Bay of Pigs invasion—named after the site of the main landing in Cuba—was a disaster. Every member of the invasion force was either killed or captured. The incident embarrassed Kennedy and worsened relations between the United States and the Soviet Union.
Continued tensions led to perhaps the defining moment of Kennedy's presidency. In 1962 the United States discovered that the Soviet Union was building nuclear missile bases in Cuba, which put the eastern United States in range of atomic weapons. Kennedy ordered U.S. warships to form a blockade to prevent Soviet ships from reaching Cuba. After 13 anxious days, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles, and the world stepped back from a potential nuclear war. Following this event—known as the Cuban missile crisis—Kennedy and Khrushchev sought to reduce the tension between their countries. In 1963 the Soviet Union and the United States, along with Great Britain, signed the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which banned all tests of nuclear weapons except those conducted underground. Kennedy called the treaty a "victory for mankind."
Another legacy of Kennedy's presidency was the Peace Corps. This government organization provides volunteers to assist developing countries in such areas as health care, agriculture, education, and technology. Since its founding in 1961, more than 200,000 volunteers have served in the Peace Corps.
President Kennedy did not live to see another of his cherished projects come to pass. As the civil rights movement gained momentum, Kennedy put forth a sweeping civil rights bill in 1963. Later that year, however, Kennedy was assassinated during a visit to Dallas, Texas. Several months later his successor, Lyndon B. Johnson, signed the historic Civil Rights Act into law.
Kennedy was the second of nine children born to a prominent Boston family. His father was a wealthy banker and businessman who also held posts in the national government. The Kennedy family valued both academic achievement and athletic competition. John attended Harvard University, where he was a star swimmer and a good golfer. He also played football at Harvard until a back injury forced him to stop. Though severe back pain continued to plague him all his life, he still took part in the family's legendary touch football games.
After Kennedy graduated from Harvard, the United States entered World War II. Kennedy joined the Navy and commanded a torpedo boat, known as PT 109, in the South Pacific. A Japanese ship rammed and split his boat in half, severely injuring Kennedy and stranding him and his crew far behind enemy lines. Kennedy kept his crew together and led them to safety. For his heroism, he was awarded the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Medal.
Before the war Kennedy had considered a career in journalism. The family expected that his older brother, Joe, would be the first Kennedy to enter politics. When Joe was killed in the war, however, the family's political ambitions passed to John. In 1946 his family connections helped him win a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. After three terms in the House, Kennedy was elected to the Senate in 1952. Four years later he just missed being nominated as the Democratic candidate for vice president. His near victory made him one of the best-known political figures in the country.
In 1960 the Democrats made Kennedy their nominee for the presidency. His Republican opponent was Vice President Richard Nixon.
During the campaign Kennedy and Nixon faced each other in a series of debates on live television. Kennedy's poise and youthful appearance in the debates made a positive impression on viewers and gave him a critical advantage over his opponent. Adding to Kennedy's appeal was his wife, Jacqueline, who was known for her sophistication and style. Kennedy defeated Nixon by a narrow margin. His inaugural speech captured the country's imagination with its memorable call to public service.
JOHN F. KENNEDY: The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor, will light our country and all who serve it, and the glow from that fire will truly light the world. And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.
[APPLAUSE]
NARRATOR: From the start of his presidency, Kennedy was concerned with foreign affairs. Cold War tensions between communist and Western countries were rising. Kennedy promised to take a strong stance against the spread of communism. The first test of this policy came in Cuba, which was ruled by a communist dictatorship led by Fidel Castro. Kennedy approved a U.S.-backed invasion of Cuba to overthrow Castro. But the Bay of Pigs invasion—named after the site of the main landing in Cuba—was a disaster. Every member of the invasion force was either killed or captured. The incident embarrassed Kennedy and worsened relations between the United States and the Soviet Union.
Continued tensions led to perhaps the defining moment of Kennedy's presidency. In 1962 the United States discovered that the Soviet Union was building nuclear missile bases in Cuba, which put the eastern United States in range of atomic weapons. Kennedy ordered U.S. warships to form a blockade to prevent Soviet ships from reaching Cuba. After 13 anxious days, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles, and the world stepped back from a potential nuclear war. Following this event—known as the Cuban missile crisis—Kennedy and Khrushchev sought to reduce the tension between their countries. In 1963 the Soviet Union and the United States, along with Great Britain, signed the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which banned all tests of nuclear weapons except those conducted underground. Kennedy called the treaty a "victory for mankind."
Another legacy of Kennedy's presidency was the Peace Corps. This government organization provides volunteers to assist developing countries in such areas as health care, agriculture, education, and technology. Since its founding in 1961, more than 200,000 volunteers have served in the Peace Corps.
President Kennedy did not live to see another of his cherished projects come to pass. As the civil rights movement gained momentum, Kennedy put forth a sweeping civil rights bill in 1963. Later that year, however, Kennedy was assassinated during a visit to Dallas, Texas. Several months later his successor, Lyndon B. Johnson, signed the historic Civil Rights Act into law.