On the morning of November 22nd, 1963, the United States was at the peak of its power.

It dominated the world in every respect, militarily, economically, and culturally, nothing seemed out of America's reach, even

the Moon.

The man guiding the ship of state was movie star handsome, youthful, only 46, and always seemed to know what to say and how to say it.

That man was John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States.

JFK was born just outside of Boston on May 29,

1917, the second of nine children.

His father, Joe Kennedy, made a fortune trading stocks,

selling whiskey, and financing movies.

A noted philanderer, his affair with actress Gloria Swanson,

was the stuff of Hollywood legend.

He parlaid his financial success into political success, eventually serving as Franklin Roosevelt

Ambassador to Great Britain.

Joe expected much from his sons, but most especially from his eldest son, Joe Jr. When young Joe died in Europe during World War II,

the burden of his father's ambitions fell on his second son.

But there was no certainty that John, known to his family and friends,

as Jack, would survive the war.

Some months earlier, when his PT boat was rammed by a Japanese destroyer in the

South Pacific, it was assumed that he and his entire crew had been killed.

But through Kennedy's heroic efforts, all but two were rescued.

For his bravery, Jack was awarded the Purple Heart. living up to his father's expectations and using the connections of his maternal grandfather, John Honey Fitz Fitzgerald, a former mayor of Boston, Kennedy was elected as a Democrat to Congress in 1946. Kennedy was just 29.

But he already had his eyes on a bigger prize. In 1952, he was elected to the US Senate. One year later, he

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