Fifty years ago today America sat in stunned disbelief as news emerged of President John F. Kennedy’s death. Gunned down on the streets of Dallas, Texas, the young JFK’s life was taken as he rolled down the street in an open-top car with his wife, Jacqueline by his side.
In a time before 24-hour news, families gathered around radios and televisions to hear the latest on the loss of a respected Commander-in-Chief. The young Kennedy had energized America and brought with him the hope of a new world.
Decades on, the impact of JFK’s assassination is still being felt, with many describing the moment as the day America lost her innocence.
What are your memories of President Kennedy’s assassination? How do you think it changed the cultural climate in the United States at the time? What impact does his death still have today?
Professor Leo Braudy, Cultural Historian at the University of Southern California