"We stand today on the edge of a New Frontier, the Frontier of the 1960's, a Frontier of unknown opportunities and perils, a frontier of unfilled hopes and threats." — John F. Kennedy, Democratic
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The 1960 Presidential race was too close to call until the final ballots were tallied. Results were not official until noon the following day. In the end John F. Kennedy (D) had won with 303 electoral
This special exhibit explored President Kennedy’s relationship to his ancestral homeland, and featured a large selection of documents, photographs and film footage relating to his Irish heritage and his June 26-29, 1963 state visit to the country of his forbears as well as tokens presented to the president by the people of Ireland.
A Nation Remembers
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, thirty-fifth President of the United States, was assassinated on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas. The people who lived through it remember the moment—where they were, what
The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is known for its archives documenting the Kennedy presidency. But the Library also includes a museum collection of almost 30,000 artifacts. Seeing objects connected to John F. Kennedy help give life to his story and the times in which he lived.
About the Exhibit President and Mrs. Kennedy celebrated American history, culture, and achievement on social and diplomatic occasions. They brought an innovative spirit to ceremonial and state events
First televised Presidential debate which took place on September 26, 1960, with candidates Senator John F. Kennedy and Vice President Richard Nixon, broadcasted from the WBBM television studio in
prepared by Ted Sorensen, not dated, page 6 Kennedy used this draft as a framework for the speech. He had it in front of him as he dictated to his secretary on January 10. Kennedy’s speeches drew from
Ernest Hemingway – Between Two Wars
Ernest Hemingway: Between Two Wars is the first ever exhibition devoted to the work and life of Ernest Hemingway. Manuscripts, letters, photos and personal items reveal the writer behind the legend at this landmark exhibition showcasing the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library's Ernest Hemingway Collection.
First Children: Caroline and John Jr. in the Kennedy White House
The exhibition First Children: Caroline and John Jr. in the Kennedy White House looks at the public’s fascination with the President’s progeny, a fascination fed by the media. Through photos, articles, commercial products and film, the faces of the Kennedy youngsters helped cement the new President in the public’s collective mind as a national figure with whom anyone could identify.
About the Exhibit This exhibit highlights Jacqueline Kennedy’s early life, as well as her substantive achievements as First Lady. Her contributions to the field of historic preservation, her advocacy
Freedom 7 Space Capsule
The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is proud to present a special new installation featuring Freedom 7, the iconic space capsule that US Navy Commander Alan B. Shepard Jr. piloted on the first American manned flight into space.
Gifts From the World to the White House: Caroline Kennedy’s Doll Collection (1961-63)
This exhibit showcased some 75 dolls and puppets from 30 countries given to Caroline Kennedy between 1961 and 1963. Foreign dignitaries and first ladies, including Italy’s Prime Minister Amintore Fanfani, the Ivory Coast’s President Felix Houphouet-Boigny, India’s Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Monaco’s Princess Grace, and the wife of France’s President Charles de Gaulle presented dolls as state gifts. Other dolls in the collection were gifts from foreign citizens who did not hold official government positions"
Handmade and Heartfelt: Folk Art from the Collection of the John F. Kennedy Library & Museum
Gifts sent to the president and his family from Americans and citizens of other countries are often humble, heartfelt, handmade and patriotic. These individual gestures emerged from a desire to express admiration and respect for the chief executive through personal works of art.
The museum collection of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum comprises some 20,000 three-dimensional objects and works of art, including many objects of extraordinary historical
In Her Voice: Jacqueline Kennedy, The White House Years
The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is proud to present a new exhibit highlighting Mrs. Kennedy's 1964 oral history interview. Sealed for 47 years and published in September 2011, it
This video podcast was originally created to accompany the special exhibit, "Jacqueline Kennedy Entertains: The Art of the White House Dinner." The video was produced by David McSweeney of Tenor
Jacqueline Kennedy Entertains: The Art of the White House Dinner
Elegant and uplifting entertaining was a hallmark of the Kennedy presidency. Jacqueline Kennedy Entertains: The Art of the White House Dinner exhibit portrayed Jacqueline Kennedy's distinctive and
Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years
Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years – Selections from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum portrayed the accomplishments and influence of Jacqueline Kennedy as the First Lady. The
JFK 100: Milestones & Mementos
JFK 100: Milestones & Mementos commemorates President Kennedy’s centenary, featuring a compelling selection of items drawn mostly from the Kennedy Library’s collections.
About the Exhibit John F. Kennedy was the first president to conduct live televised press conferences. During the course of his Presidency, an average of 1 every 16 days. The first aired on January 25
John F. Kennedy in WWII
The Museum at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library marks the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II with a special exhibit on John F. Kennedy’s military service in the US Navy in the Solomon
"I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to earth.” - President John F. Kennedy, May 25
Seven military test pilots were recruited by NASA to be the nation’s first astronauts. Americans were captivated by the “Mercury Seven”—the silver-suited, techno-speaking astronauts who blasted off
Moon Shot - JFK and Space Exploration
The US space program went full throttle in 1961 when President John F. Kennedy challenged the nation to claim a leadership role in space and land a man on the Moon before the end of the decade. The Soviet Union, America’s rival in the Cold War, had surged ahead of the United States with spectacular achievements in space that struck fear into the hearts of many American citizens. Soviet leaders hailed these feats as a triumph of Communism. When a leading American physicist was asked what would be found on the Moon, he replied, “Russians.”