John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963)
President John F. Kennedy, our 35th President of the United States, has often been referred to as simply JFK. He was President from January 1961 until he was assassinated in November 1963. He is known for his famous quote, “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.” He was the youngest US President elected and the only Roman Catholic to serve office. He is also the only US President to win the famed Pulitzer’s Prize.
He is well known for his advancements in aiding the Civil Rights Movement. During his term, the Peace Corps was established, the “New Frontier” domestic program, and the Cuban Missile Crisis also occurred.
He was killed by Lee Harvey Oswald in Dallas, Texas. It is thought that there was a conspiracy to commit the murder. Jack Ruby then killed Oswald in a jail corridor. The majority of Americans alive during the time believed that it was not done simply by just one man.
Martin Luther King, Jr. 1929-1968
Martin Luther King, Jr. was born in 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. He was the son of a Baptist preacher and became a Baptist minister himself, too. He followed the beliefs of Gandhi to be non-violent in his actions. He was the greatest supporter of the Civil Rights Movement during his time. He believed in boycotting, refusing to buy merchandise from those people who were considered racists. He was known for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963. King became a sort of national hero for the movement of African-Americans.
He is best known today for this and for his historic speech, “I Have a Dream”. Martin Luther King, Jr. won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. The Civil Rights Act was passed that year, and he was the greatest influence in its passing. He was against discrimination of all kinds, but especially that against the African-American population. He was killed in 1968.
