JFK: A New Generation (3:57)
John F. Kennedy's progressive agenda during the 1960s inspired a new generation of optimism in America.
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Videos (28)
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JFK: A New Generation
JFK: A New GenerationVideo Clip (3:57)
Video Clip (3:57)
John F. Kennedy's progressive agenda during the 1960s inspired a new generation of optimism in America.
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JFK's Goddaughter
JFK's GoddaughterVideo Clip (3:26)
Video Clip (3:26)
Sally Fay, goddaughter of John F. Kennedy, reveals the home movies that document her family's friendship with the Kennedys.
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Deconstructing History: Berlin Wall
Deconstructing History: Berlin WallVideo Clip (2:27)
Video Clip (2:27)
For 30 years, the Berlin Wall was the defining symbol of the Cold War, separating families and keeping the people from jobs and opportunity in the west.
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Cuban Missile Crisis
Cuban Missile CrisisVideo Clip (2:22)
Video Clip (2:22)
Get the story of the dramatic face-off that nearly ended in nuclear war, as told by musician and artist Jeffrey Lewis.
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JFK's Last Parade
JFK's Last ParadeVideo Clip (3:48)
Video Clip (3:48)
See film of John F. Kennedy's last parade in Dallas that Bob Yeargan captured while taking a break from work on November 22, 1963.
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Deconstructing History: White House
Deconstructing History: White HouseVideo Clip (1:35)
Video Clip (1:35)
It may not have been home to the president until 1800 or even called the White House until 1901, but it remains a symbol of freedom and democracy throughout the world.
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Presidential Fun Facts
Presidential Fun FactsVideo Clip (1:21)
Video Clip (1:21)
The Oval Office has been filled with extraordinary presidents, but did you know about these not-so-famous firsts?
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Inaugural Address: John F. Kennedy
Inaugural Address: John F. KennedyVideo Clip (2:53)
Video Clip (2:53)
Excerpts from John F. Kennedy's inaugural address on Friday, January 20, 1961.
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Cold War
Cold WarVideo Clip (2:31)
Video Clip (2:31)
The Cold War is over, but what it left behind may surprise you.
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Vietnam
VietnamVideo Clip (1:42)
Video Clip (1:42)
Whether they volunteered or were drafted, 1 out of 10 soldiers did not survive Vietnam.
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Civil Rights Act of 1964
Civil Rights Act of 1964Video Clip (2:57)
Video Clip (2:57)
After years of struggle and setbacks, advocates for equality celebrate the passage of sweeping legislation that prohibits racial discrimination.
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Jackie Kennedy: Queen of Camelot
Jackie Kennedy: Queen of CamelotVideo Clip (2:42)
Video Clip (2:42)
Jackie Kennedy epitomized the youth and glamour of the Kennedy family.
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The Road to War
The Road to WarVideo Clip (2:40)
Video Clip (2:40)
Over 25 years, the Vietnam conflict escalated from an attempt to stop the spread of communism into a full-scale war.
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John F. Kennedy
John F. KennedyVideo Clip (1:40)
Video Clip (1:40)
John F. Kennedy is remembered in part for his youth and good looks, but did you know that during the 1960 presidential campaign JFK was seriously ill and needed testosterone treatments?
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John F. Kennedy and the TVA
John F. Kennedy and the TVAVideo Clip (1:24)
Video Clip (1:24)
President Kennedy is forced to improvise a stump speech in Tennessee, after discovering that his speech didn't make the trip.
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Campaign Spot: Kennedy, Kennedy (1960)
Campaign Spot: Kennedy, Kennedy (1960)Video Clip (1:01)
Video Clip (1:01)
This 1960 campaign spot makes use of JFK's relative youth and a repetitious jingle.
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The First JFK-Nixon Debate
The First JFK-Nixon DebateVideo Clip (2:30)
Video Clip (2:30)
Charisma and on-camera personality were keys to winning the first televised presidential debate.
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The Space Race
The Space RaceVideo Clip (2:58)
Video Clip (2:58)
The U.S. competition with the U.S.S.R. for technological dominance spurred the U.S. on to the first-ever landing on the Moon.
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Integration at Ole Miss
Integration at Ole MissVideo Clip (2:03)
Video Clip (2:03)
Newsreel footage of President Kennedy's address to the American people after the University of Alabama riots in 1962.
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Space: JFK's New Frontier
Space: JFK's New FrontierVideo Clip (3:55)
Video Clip (3:55)
On February 20, 1962, Colonel John Glenn became the first human to orbit the earth, launching the manned space program.
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JFK: Catholic for President
JFK: Catholic for PresidentVideo Clip (3:10)
Video Clip (3:10)
During the election of 1960, candidate John F. Kennedy had to overcome the public's fear that he might be overly influenced by his Catholic faith and the pope.
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JFK and Jackie Wed
JFK and Jackie WedVideo Clip (0:47)
Video Clip (0:47)
A newsreel from 1953 reports on the marriage of John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier.
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Assassination of JFK
Assassination of JFKVideo Clip (3:37)
Video Clip (3:37)
The course of events surrounding JFK's assassination shocked the nation and left more questions than answers.
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Kennedy's Summation
Kennedy's SummationVideo Clip (2:48)
Video Clip (2:48)
This John F. Kennedy vs. Richard Nixon 1960 presidential debate History Channel video shows Senator Kennedy speaking about the importance of the Social Security Act of 1935 and now was the time to do something for elderly medical care.
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Kennedy on His Qualifications
Kennedy on His QualificationsVideo Clip (1:17)
Video Clip (1:17)
See President John F. Kennedy respond to Richard Nixon's accusations that he is immature and ill-qualified to be President of the United States in this debate video. Kennedy explains how they both came to Congress in 1946.
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Kennedy: Fiscal Policy
Kennedy: Fiscal PolicyVideo Clip (2:49)
Video Clip (2:49)
Watch Senator Kennedy discuss the federal budget in his 1960 debate with Vice President Richard Nixon in this video. Kennedy explains how the hard money policies of Nixon and the Eisenhower Administration helped slow down the economy.
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Kennedy: Communism within the U.S.
Kennedy: Communism within the U.S.Video Clip (0:50)
Video Clip (0:50)
Senator John F. Kennedy talks about the internal threat that communism poses to national security. Kennedy describes that these internal factions are serious and should be taken care of by supporting laws that the U.S. has already passed.
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Kennedy Responds to Berlin Wall
Kennedy Responds to Berlin WallVideo Clip (3:05)
Video Clip (3:05)
President Kennedy's diplomatic resolve was tested as tension mounted at the Berlin wall.
Photo Galleries (5)
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John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy(20 Photos)
20 Photos
See pictures from the life and presidency of John F. Kennedy.
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Cold War: American Leaders
Cold War: American Leaders(13 Photos)
13 Photos
From 1945 until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, U.S. presidents and politicians developed strategies to limit the spread of communism.
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Cuban Missile Crisis
Cuban Missile Crisis(10 Photos)
10 Photos
In October 1962, Cold War tensions erupted when the United States and Soviet Union faced off during the Cuban Missile Crisis, bringing the world to the brink of nuclear war.
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Vietnam War: Leaders
Vietnam War: Leaders(15 Photos)
15 Photos
View images of the Presidents, politicians, and military leaders who influenced American involvement in the Vietnam War.
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Vietnam War
Vietnam War(14 Photos)
14 Photos
The Vietnam War lasted longer than any other war in U.S. history and cost 58,000 American lives
Speeches & Audio (23)
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John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Address
John F. Kennedy's Inaugural AddressAudio Clip (13:54)
Audio Clip (13:54)
In 1961, on the steps of the Capitol in Washington, D.C., John F. Kennedy was inaugurated as the 35th president of the United States. In his first speech as president, Kennedy strikes an inspiring chord.
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John F. Kennedy on Catholicism
John F. Kennedy on CatholicismAudio Clip (4:09)
Audio Clip (4:09)
As only the second Catholic to run for presidential office in a majority Protestant nation, John F. Kennedy was confronted with the issue of his religion throughout his campaign. In order to defuse concerns that his religious views would interfere with his ability as chief executive, he delivers a speech on September 12, 1960, to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association stressing the importance of the separation of church and state.
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Kennedy Speaks Before Meeting Khrushchev
Kennedy Speaks Before Meeting KhrushchevAudio Clip (1:09)
Audio Clip (1:09)
At a May 31, 1961, Paris press conference, President John F. Kennedy describes his principal aim for meeting with Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev at the Geneva summit, the first between the two superpowers since 1960.
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Kennedy Speaks at Paris Press Conference
Kennedy Speaks at Paris Press ConferenceAudio Clip (2:22)
Audio Clip (2:22)
President John F. Kennedy notes the extraordinary impression his wife made on the French people when he introduces himself at a press luncheon on June 2, 1961, as the man who accompanied Jacqueline Kennedy to Paris.
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John F. Kennedy Rallies Hope for Berlin
John F. Kennedy Rallies Hope for BerlinAudio Clip (3:22)
Audio Clip (3:22)
In a speech delivered in Berlin on June 26, 1963, President John F. Kennedy expresses his hopes for the reunification of Germany and shows solidarity with the crowd when he says, "I take pride in the words: Ich bin ein Berliner."
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John F. Kennedy on Desegregation at Ole Miss
John F. Kennedy on Desegregation at Ole MissAudio Clip (3:18)
Audio Clip (3:18)
When Mississippi Gov. Ross Barnett refused to comply with the U.S. Supreme Court ruling demanding desegregation at the University of Mississippi and the admittance of James Meredith, President John F. Kennedy was forced to intervene. In his address to the nation on September 30, 1962, Kennedy explains his decision to federalize the state national guard in order to maintain law and order while Meredith registers at the college.
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John F. Kennedy Intervenes in James Meredith Case
John F. Kennedy Intervenes in James Meredith CaseAudio Clip (4:38)
Audio Clip (4:38)
In defiance of the Supreme Court ruling that the University of Mississippi desegregate and allow James Meredith to attend, Gov. Ross Barnett physically blocked the African-American student from entering the building to register on September 20, 1962. Nine days later, President John F. Kennedy telephones Barnett to persuade him to cooperate with the Court's ruling. Barnett does little to reassure Kennedy, and attempts to pawn off the decision on his lawyer friend Tom Watkins.
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Robert F. Kennedy Calls Governor of Mississippi
Robert F. Kennedy Calls Governor of MississippiAudio Clip (4:13)
Audio Clip (4:13)
On September 29, 1962, as measures are taken to safely transport James Meredith to the University of Mississippi where he will enroll in accordance with a U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding desegregation of the institution, President John F. Kennedy and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy make a series of phone calls to Gov. Ross Barnett who has openly defied the Court's ruling. Attorney General Kennedy gets exasperated when the governor shoots down his idea for crowd control.
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John F. Kennedy Appeals to Mississippi Governor
John F. Kennedy Appeals to Mississippi GovernorAudio Clip (3:42)
Audio Clip (3:42)
After many unfruitful telephone conversations with Mississippi Gov. Ross Barnett, President John F. Kennedy calls the governor one more time to discuss the building tension over James Meredith’s impending registration at the University of Mississippi. Though the governor has made clear his opposition to the Supreme Court order to allow Meredith to attend the school, President Kennedy tries to assess whether the governor will maintain law and order when Meredith arrives.
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Failed Bay of Pigs Invasion Revealed
Failed Bay of Pigs Invasion RevealedAudio Clip (1:10)
Audio Clip (1:10)
In April 1961, at an emergency meeting of the United Nations General Assembly, Cuban Ambassador Carlos Lechuga delivers a stinging denunciation of the U.S. government, which initially denied involvement in the Bay of Pigs invasion.
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Kennedy Diary Recording of Cuban Missile Crisis
Kennedy Diary Recording of Cuban Missile CrisisAudio Clip (3:19)
Audio Clip (3:19)
On October 18, 1962, President Kennedy met with nine of his advisers to discuss what to do about the Soviet missiles that U.S. aerial surveillance discovered in Cuba on October 16. After the meeting, President Kennedy went to the White House Oval Office and recorded his recollections of the meeting.
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LeMay and Kennedy Argue Over Cuban Missile Crisis
LeMay and Kennedy Argue Over Cuban Missile CrisisAudio Clip (1:42)
Audio Clip (1:42)
In a secretly recorded meeting on October 19, 1962, President John F. Kennedy discusses the Cuban missile crisis with his military advisors. After criticizing Kennedy’s call to blockade the island as too weak a response, Gen. Curtis LeMay, Air Force chief of staff, tells the president that his refusal to invade Cuba would encourage the Soviets to move on Berlin.
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John F. Kennedy Sets Sights on Moon
John F. Kennedy Sets Sights on MoonAudio Clip (1:18)
Audio Clip (1:18)
In an address at Rice University on September 12, 1962, President John F. Kennedy rallies support for the race to space by telling his fellow Americans that the reason we endeavor to go to the moon is "not because it is easy, but because it is hard."
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JFK on First American to Orbit Earth
JFK on First American to Orbit EarthAudio Clip (0:29)
Audio Clip (0:29)
On February 20, 1962, Lt. Col. John H. Glenn Jr. became the first American astronaut to orbit Earth. President John F. Kennedy tells the nation that America has reached a new ocean in its race to space.
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Kennedy Has Doubts About Space Race
Kennedy Has Doubts About Space RaceAudio Clip (2:25)
Audio Clip (2:25)
While he has pushed publicly for making a top priority out of landing a man on the moon, President John F. Kennedy expresses doubt to NASA Administrator James Webb in a recorded meeting at the White House on September 18, 1963.
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Cabinet Learns Kennedy Has Died
Cabinet Learns Kennedy Has DiedAudio Clip (1:18)
Audio Clip (1:18)
On November 22, 1963, White House Press Secretary Pierre Salinger was en route to Tokyo aboard a jet plane with six members of the Cabinet when he received the message that President John F. Kennedy had been shot. Shortly after, Navy Cmdr. Oliver Hallett calls Salinger from the Situation Room with the news that the president has died.
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John F. Kennedy on Coup in South Vietnam
John F. Kennedy on Coup in South VietnamAudio Clip (6:06)
Audio Clip (6:06)
On October 29, 1963, President John F. Kennedy meets with the National Security Council to discuss whether to support the overthrow of South Vietnam's President Ngo Dinh Diem. During the secretly recorded conversation, Secretary of State Dean Rusk and the president craft a detailed plan involving Henry Cabot Lodge, ambassador to South Vietnam, Gen. Paul D. Harkins and the general of the South Vietnamese military, hoping to avoid setting off a civil war in the country.
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JFK Orders Resumption of Nuclear Tests
JFK Orders Resumption of Nuclear TestsAudio Clip (1:50)
Audio Clip (1:50)
In a March 1962 national address, President John F. Kennedy announces that he has authorized the first U.S. nuclear tests in three years.
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Kennedy and Nixon's Fourth Presidential Debate
Kennedy and Nixon's Fourth Presidential DebateAudio Clip (5:39)
Audio Clip (5:39)
On October 21, 1960, Sen. John F. Kennedy and Vice President Richard Nixon took part in the last of a series of the first televised presidential debates in U.S. history.
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President Kennedy Addresses United Nations Staff
President Kennedy Addresses United Nations StaffAudio Clip (3:42)
Audio Clip (3:42)
On a September 20, 1963, visit to New York that includes an address to the United Nations General Assembly on the nuclear test-ban treaty, President John F. Kennedy takes time out to express his appreciation to Americans working at the United Nations.
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JFK on Youth Fitness
JFK on Youth FitnessAudio Clip (1:16)
Audio Clip (1:16)
On July 19, 1961, John F. Kennedy, the youngest candidate ever elected to the presidency, urges schools to adopt the guidelines recently published by the National Council on Youth Fitness.
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Pierre Salinger Discusses JFK's Physical Fitness Initiative
Pierre Salinger Discusses JFK's Physical Fitness InitiativeAudio Clip (0:53)
Audio Clip (0:53)
To raise awareness of his new Council on Physical Fitness program, President John F. Kennedy challenged his White House staff to a 50-mile hike. After avoiding the hike for some time, the portly press secretary Pierre Salinger explains publicly on February 12, 1963, why he doesn't intend to take up the challenge.
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JFK on Korean War Armistice Talks
JFK on Korean War Armistice TalksAudio Clip (1:11)
Audio Clip (1:11)
In July 1951, John F. Kennedy, a promising young Democrat from Massachusetts, offers his views on the terms the United States should seek at the Korean War armistice talks in Kaesong.
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John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, served just over 1,000 days in office before he was assassinated in November 1963.
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