John F. Kennedy, The Most Recent President To Die In Office
Public DomainJohn F. Kennedy moments before his assassination on Nov. 22, 1963.
Perhaps the most famous U.S. president who died in office was John F. Kennedy. On Nov. 22 1963, Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas.
On that day, Kennedy was in the city with his wife, Jackie, as part of the run-up to his reelection campaign in 1964. Accompanied by Texas Governor John Connally and his wife, Nellie, the president was set to travel from Dallas Love Field Airport to the Dallas Trade Mart, where he planned to give a speech. Crowds thronged the 10-mile route from the airport, and Kennedy, his wife, and the Connallys were easily visible in their 1961 black Lincoln Continental limousine, as the pleasant weather allowed for the removal of the car’s top.
At 12:30 p.m., Kennedy’s car turned off Main Street and onto Dealey Plaza. From the sixth floor of the nearby Texas School Book Depository, Kennedy’s assassin, 24-year-old Lee Harvey Oswald, aimed his rifle at the president — and fired three shots.
While one bullet seemed to miss, another struck Kennedy in his upper back, just to the right of his spine. The next hit the president in the back of the head. Though he was immediately rushed to the hospital, Kennedy was declared dead at 1 p.m., roughly 30 minutes after he was shot. He was 46 years old.
Public DomainKennedy’s wife, Jackie, and their children, as well as his brother, Robert F. Kennedy, at the president’s funeral.
Oswald was swiftly apprehended, but before he could stand trial, he was shot and killed by nightclub owner Jack Ruby. His death — and his connections to the Soviet Union and Cuba — have inspired a number of conspiracy theories about who killed JFK in the years since.
While some are satisfied that Oswald acted alone, others believe that the CIA or the Mafia may have been involved.
In any case, Kennedy’s death — like the demises of all eight presidents who died in office — fundamentally changed American history. After his assassination, the presidency fell to his vice president, Lyndon B. Johnson.
After reading about the eight presidents who died in office, look through these surprising facts about every single U.S. president. Or, see how the Oval Office changed over time with this collection of stunning photos.
