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title: JFK at 100: What to Know About Kennedy's Life, in 90 Seconds
description: In honor of the 100th anniversary of President Kennedy's birth, this video takes a quick — very quick — look back at his life and legacy.
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article:published_time: 2017-05-26T19:15:21.000Z
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og:title: What to Know About John F. Kennedy's Life, in 90 Seconds
og:description: In honor of the 100th anniversary of President Kennedy's birth
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twitter:description: In honor of the 100th anniversary of President Kennedy's birth
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![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte98508fae2b47b06/6988cf17cf40a86bf2c47df2/jfk-fb.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9)


# What to Know About John F. Kennedy's Life, in 90 Seconds

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<!-- video src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/LbmgfVTL.m3u8" -->
## Video: JFK's Life in 90 Seconds

[Watch (HLS stream): JFK's Life in 90 Seconds](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/LbmgfVTL.m3u8) (1:30)

![JFK's Life in 90 Seconds](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/LbmgfVTL/poster.jpg?width=720)

_Published 2017-05-26. In honor of the 100th anniversary of Kennedy's birth_


by [Kenneth Bachor](https://time.com/author/kenneth-bachor/), [Liz Ronk](https://time.com/author/liz-ronk/) and [Lily Rothman](https://time.com/author/lily-rothman/)

May 26, 2017 7:15 PM UTC

In honor of the 100th anniversary of Kennedy's birth 

by [Kenneth Bachor](https://time.com/author/kenneth-bachor/), [Liz Ronk](https://time.com/author/liz-ronk/) and [Lily Rothman](https://time.com/author/lily-rothman/)

May 26, 2017 7:15 PM UTC

About a week after President [John F. Kennedy](http://time.com/4792716/jfk-meaning/)‘s sudden and shocking death in November of 1963, by the bullet of assassin [Lee Harvey Oswald](http://time.com/4753349/oswald-kennedy-declassified-documentary/), TIME chose [this letter](http://time.com/vault/issue/1963-12-06/page/35/) from a reader as the first to print in response to the news:

---

> “”

---

Kennedy was only 46 when he was killed, but he fit a lot of life into those few decades: scholar, writer, war hero, family man, celebrity and — of course — politician. And, though a greater number of years have now passed since his death than passed during his life, his legacy continues to be a major touchstone for American culture.

For the 100th anniversary of his May 29, 1917, birth, here’s a very, very brief look back at his life and the complicated century that he helped shape.


## Transcript

John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born on May 29, 1917 to a wealthy family that was already influential in Massachusetts politics. Young John was an early success. His Harvard thesis became the book " Why England Slept" and his bravery after the wreckage of his PT boat in World War Two made him a hero. He spent his recovery from surgery writing " Profiles in Courage" Which won the Pulitzer Prize. JFK was elected to the House in 1946, and the Senate in 1952, not long before marrying his wife Jacqueline. By the time he ran for president in 1960, Time wrote that he and his family had likely filled more magazine space than all the other candidates combined.

After a campaign that included the first televised Presidential Debate. The charismatic JFK scored a close win over Richard Nixon. He became the first Catholic president, presided over the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. He promised that man would reach the moon. And he embodied the nation's spirit of service and vigor. Then, on November 22nd 1963, it all came to a shockingly abrupt halt. After he was shot and killed in Dallas. Assassin Lee Harvey Oswald was killed a few days later, touching off conspiracy theories that persist to this day. JFK left behind a family and political legacy that still resonates and an allure that still captivates.

Just like this message from his inaugural address. A person's work nay not be finished in his lifetime. JFK said but let us begin. [ MUSIC ]

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