The Day America Changed Forever

    November 22, 1963, was a crisp fall day in Dallas, Texas. Thousands of people lined the city streets. They were there for the once-in-a-lifetime chance to see President John F. Kennedy. 

Kennedy was just 43 years old. He was the youngest man ever elected president. He was handsome and smart. Americans were excited about his plans for the country’s future. 

    Americans saw Kennedy as a symbol of hope. He wanted to help poor and elderly people. He wanted equal rights for African-Americans. He talked about sending men to the moon. 

    With Kennedy, anything seemed possible.

    It was November 22, 1963. People lined the streets of Dallas, Texas. It was their big chance. They wanted to see President John F. Kennedy.  

    Kennedy was 43 years old. He was the youngest man ever elected president. He was handsome. He was smart. He had big plans for the country. Americans were excited.

    Kennedy wanted to help poor people. He hoped to help elderly people. He wanted equal rights for African-Americans. He talked about space travel. 

    Anything seemed possible.

    November 22, 1963, was a crisp fall day in Dallas, Texas. Thousands of people lined the city’s streets, waiting for the once-in-a-lifetime chance to see President John F. Kennedy. 

    Kennedy was handsome, smart, and—at just 43 years old—the youngest man ever elected president. Americans were excited about his plans for the country’s future. 

    Americans saw Kennedy as a symbol of hope. He wanted to help poor people and elderly people. He wanted equal rights for African-Americans. He talked about sending men to the moon. 

    With Kennedy, anything seemed possible.

    That Friday in Dallas, the president rode with his wife, Jackie, in the back of a convertible. They had the top down. 

    Kennedy’s Secret Service agents were nervous. They were in charge of protecting the president. They didn’t think it was safe for him to ride in an open car. But Kennedy wanted people to be able to see him.

    Sure enough, men, women, and children shouted and cheered as the Kennedys drove by. People snapped photographs. The president and Mrs. Kennedy smiled and waved.

    Then, at 12:30 p.m., the agents’ worst fears came true. There was a loud crack! 

    Then another. And another.

    Someone had shot the president.

    Kennedy fell onto his wife. A Secret Service agent leapt onto the car to protect them from more bullets. The driver raced to the hospital. 

    At 12:38, the president was rushed into an operating room. But it was too late. Kennedy was pronounced dead at 1 p.m.

    The president had been assassinated.

    That day in Dallas, the president was with his wife, Jackie. They rode in the back of a convertible. The top was down. 

    Kennedy had Secret Service agents with him. The agents were nervous. They had to protect the president. An open car wasn’t safe. But Kennedy wanted it. He wanted people to see him.

    The Kennedys drove by. People cheered. They took pictures. They smiled. The president and his wife waved. 

    At 12:30 p.m., the agents’ fears came true. There was a loud crack! 

    Then another. And another.

    Someone had shot the president.

    Kennedy fell onto his wife. An agent jumped onto the car. He tried to protect them. The driver raced to the hospital. 

    Kennedy was rushed into an operating room at 12:38. But it was too late. He was dead by 1 p.m.

    The president had been assassinated. 

    That Friday in Dallas, the president rode with his wife, Jackie, in the back seat of a convertible. They had the top down. 

    Kennedy’s Secret Service agents were responsible for protecting the president. The agents were nervous because they believed it was unsafe for him to ride in an open car. But Kennedy wanted people to be able to see him.

    Sure enough, men, women, and children shouted and cheered as the   Kennedys drove by. People excitedly snapped photographs as the president and Mrs. Kennedy smiled and waved back at them.

    Then, at 12:30 p.m., the agents’ worst fears were realized. There was a loud crack, then another, and another. Someone had shot the president.

    Kennedy collapsed onto his wife. A Secret Service agent leapt onto the car to protect them from more bullets as the driver raced toward the hospital. 

    At 12:38, the president was rushed into an operating room, but it was too late. Kennedy was pronounced dead at 1 p.m.

    The president had been assassinated.

    The horrible news spread quickly. Within 30 minutes of the shooting, most of the country had heard. This was amazing in a time before Twitter, texting, and email. 

    Businesses closed. Kids were sent home from school. Heartbroken Americans watched the news and wondered, Who would do this?

    Police immediately began searching for the shooter—or shooters. Several people told police they had seen a man with a gun in the window of a building. The building was called the Texas School Book Depository. 

    A few hours later, the police arrested a man who worked at the Book Depository. He was a 24-year-old named Lee Harvey Oswald. 

    Oswald was a sad and angry man. His childhood had been lonely. His father died before he was born, and his mother was not a good parent. In 10th grade, he left school and joined the U.S. Marines. He became an expert shooter.

    That November day, Oswald went to the sixth floor of the Book Depository with a rifle. From the window, he had a perfect view of the president’s convertible. 

    As Kennedy’s car drove by, Oswald pulled the trigger three times.

    The news spread. After 30 minutes, people everywhere had heard. This was a long time ago. There was no texting. There was no email. 

    Businesses closed. Kids went home from school. People were upset. Americans wondered who did it. Who shot the president? And why?

    Police searched for the shooter. They heard about a man with a gun. He was seen in the window of a building. The building was called the Texas School Book Depository. 

    The police arrested a man who worked in that building. His name was Lee Harvey Oswald. He was 24 years old.

    Oswald was a sad man. He was angry. He had been a lonely kid. His father died before he was born. His mother was not a good parent. Oswald dropped out of high school. He joined the U.S. Marines. He was an expert shooter.

    That day, Oswald went to the Book Depository. He went to the sixth floor. He had a rifle. Oswald went to a window. He could see the president’s car. 

    Oswald watched the car approach. Then he pulled the trigger. Once. Twice. Three times.

    The horrible news spread rapidly, and within 30 minutes of the shooting, people around the country had heard—a remarkable occurrence in the days before Twitter, texting, and email. 

    Businesses closed, and children were sent home from school. Heartbroken Americans sat in front of their televisions, watching the news and wondering, Who would do this?

    Police immediately began searching for the shooter—or shooters. Several people reported seeing a man with a gun in the window of a building called the Texas School Book Depository. 

    Within hours, the police had arrested a man who worked at the Book Depository: a 24-year-old named Lee Harvey Oswald.

    Oswald was a sad and angry man whose childhood had been lonely. His father died before he was born, and his mother wasn’t a good parent. In 10th grade, Oswald dropped out of school and joined the U.S. Marines—and became an expert shooter.

    That November day, Oswald went to the sixth floor of the Book Depository with a rifle. From the window, he had a perfect view of the president’s convertible. 

    As Kennedy’s car drove by, Oswald pulled the trigger three times.

    At about 2 p.m., the president’s body was carried onto his plane. It would be flown back to Washington, D.C. 

    Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was also on the plane. Before takeoff, he was sworn in as president. Jackie Kennedy stood beside him—still wearing the bright-pink suit she had worn in the car. It was stained with her husband’s blood.

    Mrs. Kennedy knew that her image would be broadcast around the world. She wanted the public to see her suit. She wanted the world to remember, forever, what had happened. 

    Back in Washington, Mrs. Kennedy planned a grand funeral. More than 250,000 people came to see Kennedy’s coffin at the U.S. Capitol. 

    But the violence wasn’t over. On November 24, police were moving Oswald to a different jail. A man stepped out of the crowd and shot Oswald. The attack was broadcast on live TV. 

    The shooter was a man named Jack Ruby. Ruby wanted to kill the man who had murdered the president. Oswald was rushed to the same hospital where Kennedy had been taken. Again, it was too late. Oswald died. 

    He never admitted to murdering the president—or explained why he had done it.

    The president’s body was brought to his plane. It was flown to Washington, D.C. 

    Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was also on the plane. He was sworn in as president. Jackie Kennedy stood beside him. She was still wearing her pink suit. It was stained with blood.

    Mrs. Kennedy knew that her picture would be broadcast around the world. People would see her suit. They would remember what had happened. 

    Mrs. Kennedy went back to Washington. She planned a funeral. It was huge. More than 250,000 people came. They saw Kennedy’s coffin. It was displayed at the U.S. Capitol. 

    But the violence wasn’t over. On November 24, police were moving Oswald. They were taking him to another jail. A man stepped out of the crowd. He shot Oswald. The attack was broadcast on live TV. 

    The shooter was a man named Jack Ruby. He wanted to kill the man who killed the president. Oswald was rushed to the hospital. It was too late. He died. 

    He never admitted to killing the president. He never explained why he had done it.

    At about 2 p.m., the president’s body was carried onto his plane to be flown back to Washington, D.C. 

    Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was also on the plane, and before takeoff, he was sworn in as president. Jackie Kennedy stood beside him—still wearing the bright-pink suit she had worn in the car, stained with her husband’s blood.

    Mrs. Kennedy knew that her image would be broadcast around the world. She wanted the public to see her suit and remember, forever, what had happened. 

    Back in Washington, Mrs. Kennedy planned a grand funeral. More than 250,000 people came to see Kennedy’s coffin at the U.S. Capitol. 

    But the violence wasn’t over. On November 24, police were moving Oswald to a different jail when a man stepped out of the crowd and shot him. The attack was broadcast on live TV. 

    The shooter, a man named Jack Ruby, wanted to kill the man who had murdered the president.

    Oswald was rushed to the same hospital where Kennedy had been taken—but once again, it was too late, and Oswald died. 

    He never admitted to murdering the president—nor did he have the chance to explain why he had done it.

    President Kennedy’s assassination was the end of an innocent time. America faced many challenges in the next 10 years. The Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. Nearly 60,000 U.S. soldiers died in the Vietnam War. Many Americans protested that war. 

    But the tragedy of Kennedy’s death also brought about a time of change. Laws that he had supported were passed. One law helped African-Americans vote. Other laws helped the poor and elderly. And in 1969, American astronauts walked on the moon. 

    John F. Kennedy died more than 50 years ago. But he has never been forgotten. An eternal flame burns by his grave. It reminds us of a life of hope and promise cut short. 

    But people who were alive in 1963 do not need a reminder. They will always remember where they were the day the president was shot. 

    It was the day that changed America.

    President Kennedy’s assassination was the end of an innocent time. America faced hard times in the next 10 years. The Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. was killed. Nearly 60,000 U.S. soldiers died in the Vietnam War. Many Americans protested that war. 

    But the tragedy of Kennedy’s death also led to change. New laws were passed. One law helped African-Americans vote. Other laws helped the poor and elderly. American astronauts walked on the moon in 1969. 

    John F. Kennedy died more than 50 years ago. But he is not forgotten. An eternal flame burns by his grave. It reminds us of a life cut short. 

    Many people today were alive in 1963. They do not need a reminder. They will always remember that day. 

    It was the day that changed America.

    President Kennedy’s assassination was the end of an innocent time in America. The country faced many challenges in the following decade. The Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. Nearly 60,000 U.S. soldiers died in the Vietnam War—a war that many Americans protested. 

    But the tragedy of Kennedy’s death also brought about a time of change. Laws that he had supported were passed. One law helped African-Americans vote. Other laws helped the poor and elderly. And in 1969, American astronauts walked on the moon. 

    John F. Kennedy died more than 50 years ago, but he has never been forgotten. An eternal flame burns by his grave. It reminds us of a life of hope and promise cut short. 

    People who were alive in 1963 need no reminder, though. They will always remember where they were the day the president was shot. 

    It was the day that changed America.