John F. Kennedy

John F. Kennedy (1917–1963), often referred to by his initials JFK, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from January 1961 until his assassination in November 1963. A World War II naval veteran and Harvard graduate, he served in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate representing Massachusetts before becoming the youngest elected U.S. president and the first Roman Catholic to hold the office. Kennedy's presidency was defined by Cold War confrontations—including the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Bay of Pigs Invasion, and the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty—as well as his inauguration of the Apollo space program, establishment of the Peace Corps, and advocacy for early civil rights legislation.