John F. Kennedy

Today the world remembers a representative of one of the most famous and influential political dynasties of the 20th century: President John F. Kennedy's son John F. Kennedy, Jr. would have celebrated his 50th birthday.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy Jr. was born on November 25, 1960 in the family of John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy just 17 days after his father was elected the 35th President of the United States. He was the third child in the family (Arabella was born and died in 1956 and Caroline was born in 1957) and the first son (his brother Patrick was born and died in 1963) of John and Jacqueline.

John spent the first three years of his life in the White House, where he grew up in front of the world and was nicknamed the Son of America. There were many pictures in the media of the boy, who was very funny and lively and loved to play in his father's study.

John with his father

John F. Kennedy Sr., Jacqueline Kennedy and John F. Kennedy Jr.

On November 22, 1963, there was a tragedy that shook the United States, and indeed the whole world: President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. The funeral took place three days later, on little John's birthday. He attended the ceremony and saluted his father's coffin covered with the national flag.

The Kennedy family soon left the White House and moved to Manhattan. In 1968, Jacqueline Kennedy married shipping company owner Aristotle Onassis, with whom she lived in marriage until his death in 1975. John was 14 years old at the time.

John with his mother and sister Caroline

After graduating from The Collegiate School, John enrolled at Phillips Academy and then at Brown University (where he studied history), which displeased some members of the Kennedy clan, as a family tradition was broken: all Kennedys studied at Harvard University. Later John received a law degree from New York Law School and worked as an assistant district attorney in Manhattan for four years (from 1989 to 1993).

After his mother's death on May 19, 1994, John decided to embark on a long-held idea - he dreamed of publishing a magazine. The publication was named "George" in honor of the first President of the United States, George Washington, and ran for two more years after John's death. In 2001, due to lack of funding, the publication was discontinued.

John was an open and easy-going person. He introduced himself simply by his first name and made friends easily. Kennedy Jr. was interested in sports and was very popular with women. Thus, he had affairs with Madonna, Daryl Hannah, Sarah Jessica Parker and a dozen other famous ladies. John for a long time headed the lists of the most enviable grooms in the United States.

John and Daryl Hannah

On September 21, 1996, he got married to Carolyn Jan Bissett. They met two years earlier when he was 33 and she was 26 years old. Carolyn was one of Calvin Klein's top models and after her career ended, she retrained as a PR and journalist.

John and Carolyn

Carolyn was very jealous, although John "settled down" and did not give her reasons. In addition, Kennedy began to think about getting into politics, and Carolyn wanted children and quiet family happiness. One way or another, the couple often quarreled and, according to close friends, were on the verge of divorce. The disaster prevented them from taking this step....

July 16, 1999 John F. Kennedy Jr. with his wife and her sister flew to New Jersey on a private plane Piper Saratoga II. They were on their way to attend the wedding of John's cousin Rory Kennedy, the youngest daughter of Robert Kennedy, who was born after his death in 1968.

John had dreamed of flying since childhood and had recently realized his dream and learned to fly. He had little flying experience, but nevertheless, he ventured out for takeoff that day despite the poor weather conditions. The Piper Saratoga II crashed in the Atlantic Ocean. The investigation revealed that the tragedy was due to pilot error in poor visibility conditions.

The remains of the victims and the wreckage of the airplane were found. On the instructions of US President Bill Clinton, after the death of Kennedy Jr. the US national flag was lowered on the White House and mourning was declared in the country.

John F. Kennedy Jr. was 38 years old.

During a memorial service on July 23, 1999, John's uncle Ted Kennedy, a Democratic Senator from Massachusetts, said these words:

We dared to think that this John F. Kennedy would live to see gray hairs side by side with his beloved Carolyn. But like his father, he had every talent and gift except longevity.

After the death of Kennedy Jr. the clan members decided never again to name newborn boys John Fitzgerald.