Explore the streets of Georgetown, DC and uncover the homes of three notable United States Senators all named John – JFK, Kerry and Edwards – who all ran for president. Learn about their homes and their impact on the nation.
Uncovering a piece of history: see the letter John F. Kennedy sent on Inauguration Day 1961 nominating his cabinet and watch his amazing inauguration address.
This is great old film footage of John F Kennedy in the Oval Office. The narration is in German (I believe – correct me if I’m wrong).
On November 27th, 1962, 361 days before Kennedy’s assassination in Dallas, the Prime Minister of the Somali Republic, Dr. Abdirashid Ali Shermarke, had an official state visit to the White House. We were able to dig up this obscure film footage on YouTube (the Internet is amazing), which features the visit and ceremony on the South Lawn.
Below is the gift that the Prime Minister gave to the President on behalf of his country.
Shermarke would also fall victim to an assassination in 1969, shot by one of his own bodyguards.
If you read this piece in the Washington Post on Wednesday morning, November 20th, 1963, you probably didn’t think much of it.
President Kennedy was making a trip to Texas, the Vice President’s home state. The White House explicitly stated that the event was nonpolitical, but without a doubt, there were some political undertones for this trip.
It was time to start thinking about the 1964 election and the Kennedy-Johnson ticket had barely won Texas in the last election. The President intended to go down and mend some fences within the Texas Democratic Party and get them primed for the 1964 election.
President Kennedy will make five speeches in Texas Thursday and Friday, attend two receptions and spend a night at the ranch of Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Mrs. Kennedy will accompany her husband on the trek, described by the White house as “nonpolitical.”
Pierre Salinger, White House Press Secretary, said yesterday that he expects Mrs. Kenndy [sic] to be with the President at most of his public appearances in Texas.
Mr. Kennedy will fly from Washington to San Antonio Thursday morning, make a speech there, and proceed to Houston where he will address an evening testimonial dinner for Rep. Albert Thomas (D-Tex.)
On Friday evening, the President and Mrs. Kennedy will go by helicopter from Austin to the Johnson City ranch of the Vice President.
Salinger said the Kennedys probably would return to Washington by mid-afternoon on Saturday.
The White House also announced that President Kennedy will spend Thanksgiving Day at the traditional Kennedy family gathering at Hyannis Port, Mass.
He also plans to attend the Army-Navy football game in Philadelphia on Saturday, Nov. 30, and probably will fly there from Hyannis Port, Salinger said.
Two days later, Lyndon Johnson was president.
Take a look at this video we found on HuffPost. This is raw (silent) footage from Kennedy’s last night in Houston, the day before he went to Dallas.
Join us as we explore the history of DC’s Spring Valley, AU Park & Wesley Heights neighborhoods. From WWI munitions to the home of Bucky Harris, discover the stories behind these areas!
On May 20th, 1963, the Washington Post reported on the record-setting flight of Air Force One to Moscow. The 8-million-dollar Boeing 707 shattered 14 air records and buried a Soviet myth. Read more about this historic flight!
Here’s an interesting video I came across on YouTube. I’m not quite sure what year this is from, but I’m guessing it’s somewhere in the mid-1950s. It’s fascinating to watch the former Senator and President messing up on camera.
One of the most powerful and important inaugural addresses of all time, this is something worth watching in its entirety. The whole speech is below if you’d like to read it. This is a truly amazing and powerful speech. If you want to skip to the famous quote, start watching at 13:45.
The full text of the speech is below if you’d like to read along.
The country was in mourning, having just lost our President a few weeks earlier in Dallas. This is a pretty somber, powerful and moving video of the Kennedy family leaving the White House and moving into their new Georgetown home at 3038 N St NW. There’s another shot of Jackie visiting JFK’s grave in Arlington Cemetery.
