These rock-solid JFK assassination facts are more fascinating than any conspiracy theory ever could be.
The back brace, which he wore throughout his presidency due to his bad back, kept him in place after being shot the first time, letting the shooter get the second fatal shot to his head.Wikimedia Commons
The movie even featured a grieving widow, played by Jackie, and frazzled Secret Service agents, played by actual, reluctant Secret Service agents.Cecil W. Stoughton/National Archives and Records Administration
Pavlick decided against using his car at the last minute when he saw Kennedy with his wife and child. He was caught by the Secret Service three days later.Bettmann/Getty Images
Both presidents were shot in the head on Fridays. Their assassins were both Southern, and both presidents were succeeded by Southerns.
Also, Lincoln was first elected to Congress in 1846 and was elected president in 1860, while Kennedy made it to Congress in 1946 and became president in 1960.Wikimedia Commons
Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in by Sarah T. Hughes, a federal judge from Texas who had been appointed by Kennedy.Wikimedia Commons
Six months before the assassination, Oswald attempted to kill retired Army general Edwin Walker with the same gun he used to killed Kennedy.
Walker was a far-right political activist who was dismissed from the military by Kennedy’s administration. Bettmann/Getty Images
When one of her aides asked if she wanted to change she said, "No, I'm going to leave these clothes on. I want them to see what they have done."AFP/Getty Images
Kennedy was the first U.S. president to have a grandparent outlive them.Bettmann/Getty Images
Both of them have sold the windows at auction, with one of them going for $3 million despite its disputed status.Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Up until legislation was passed in 1965, the murder or attempted murder of a president was a crime prosecuted under state law.National Archives and Records Administration
This meant that the Army corp of engineers had to find a gas company to fit the pipes last minute. Rockville Suburban Propane, a small company, was chosen after the Army found them in the White Pages and an employee happened to pick up the phone in between other jobs.Tim Evanson/Wikimedia Commons
With thousands of new documents related to the JFK assassination finally released to the public this week, many have realized just how much they don't know about this historic event.
On November 22, 1963, the course of U.S. history changed forever when John F. Kennedy was shot to death in Dallas, Texas by Lee Harvey Oswald (whose role in the assassination remains in dispute among amateur skeptics and conspiracy theorists).
Oswald was soon apprehended in a nearby theater, after shooting and killing police officer J.D. Tippet, who had rolled up alongside Oswald after seeing that he matched the description of the Kennedy shooter.
Then, Oswald himself was shot to death by a local nightclub owner and minor underworld figure named Jack Ruby before he could stand trial for Kennedy's murder. Ruby died of cancer in prison soon after, and with the major players now gone, much of the mystery behind the assassination may have died with them.
Despite, or perhaps because of, this, the assassination has remained one of the most hotly-debated points of interest among conspiracy theorists for decades, with many laying the blame for Kennedy's death on parties including Cuba, the CIA, the Mafia, and even then-Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson.
But while such speculation has held people's interest for decades, little of it is likely grounded in fact. Above are some of the most fascinating JFK assassination facts you'll ever read.
Listen above to the History Uncovered podcast, episode 96: Who Really Killed JFK?, also available on Apple and Spotify.
After having a look at these JFK assassination facts, see some of the most powerful Kennedy assassination photos you'll find anywhere. Then, read about the four strangest presidential assassination attempts of all time.
