Assassination of John F. Kennedy Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ==Legacy== ===Political impact and memorialization=== [[File:US Half Dollar Obverse 2015.png|thumb|upright=.8|alt=A 2015 Kennedy half dollar|Congress authorized the minting of a new 50-cent piece, the [[Kennedy half dollar]], in December 1963.<ref name="mint"/>]] On November 27—five days after the assassination—President Johnson delivered his "[[Let Us Continue]]" speech to Congress.<ref>[[#Witherspoon|Witherspoon (1987)]], pp. 531—532.</ref> Effectively an [[United States presidential inauguration|inaugural address]],<ref>[[#Witherspoon|Witherspoon (1987)]], p. 536.</ref> Johnson called for the realization of Kennedy's policies, particularly on [[Civil rights movement|civil rights]]; this effort soon materialized as the [[Civil Rights Act of 1964]].<ref>[[#Witherspoon|Witherspoon (1987)]], pp. 536—538.</ref> Confusion surrounding Johnson's succession led to the [[Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution|Twenty-fifth Amendment to the U.S Constitution]], which was adopted in 1967 and affirmed that the vice president became president upon the president's death.<ref>[[#Bomboy|Bomboy (2022)]]</ref> On November 29, President Johnson issued Executive Order 11129, renaming Florida's [[Cape Canaveral]]—a name borne since at least 1530—to Cape Kennedy.<ref>[[#Fantova|Fantova (1964)]], pp. 57–58, 62.</ref>{{efn|group=note|In 1973, due to Floridians' discontent with the change, Florida Governor [[Reubin Askew]] mandated that Cape Kennedy be referred to as Cape Canaveral on all state documents and maps. The [[U.S. Board of Geographic Names]] accepted the name change later that year.<ref>[[#Canaveral|"History of Cape Canaveral" ''Spaceline''.]]</ref>}} NASA's Launch Operations Center, located on the cape, was also renamed as the [[Kennedy Space Center]].<ref>[[#NASA|"History of John F. Kennedy Space Center". NASA.]]</ref> The federal government honored Kennedy in other ways, such as replacing the [[Franklin half dollar|Benjamin Franklin half dollar]] with the [[Kennedy half dollar]],<ref name="mint">[[#NASA|"Minting a Legacy: The History of the Kennedy Half Dollar". NPS.]]</ref> and renaming Washington, D.C.'s long-planned National Culture Center as the [[John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts]].<ref>[[#Robertson|Robertson (1971)]]</ref> New York City's airport was also renamed as the [[John F. Kennedy International Airport]].<ref>[[#nyc|"JFK International Marks Major Milestones in 2013 as 50th Anniversary of Airport Renaming Approaches". Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.]]</ref> Kennedy's assassination also resulted in an overhaul of the Secret Service and its procedures. Open limousines were eliminated, staffing was significantly increased, and specialized teams like counter-sniper units were established. The agency's budget has also increased, from $5.5 million in 1963 (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|5.5|1963|2013|fmt=|r=0}} million in 2013) to over $1.6 billion by the 50th anniversary in 2013.<ref>[[#Naylor|Naylor (2013)]]</ref> ===Cultural impact and depictions=== {{See also|Assassination of John F. Kennedy in popular culture}} {{quote box |bgcolor = powderblue | width =28em |align = right | quote = {{indented plainlist| * They say they can't believe it; It's a sacrilegious shame. * Now, who would want to hurt such a hero of the game? * But you know I predicted it; I knew he had to fall. * How did it happen? Hope his suffering was small. * Tell me every detail, for I've got to know it all, * And do you have a picture of the pain? }} | source = — [[Phil Ochs]]' song "[[Crucifixion (song)|Crucifixion]]" (1966)<ref>[[#Trask|Trask (1994)]], pp. iix.</ref> | style = padding:1.5em | fontsize=85% }} John F. Kennedy's assassination was the first of four major assassinations during the 1960s, coming two years before the [[assassination of Malcolm X]] in 1965, and five years before the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and [[assassination of Robert F. Kennedy|Robert F. Kennedy]] in 1968.<ref>[[#Shahidullah|Shahidullah (2015)]], p. 94.</ref> For the public, Kennedy's assassination mythologized him into a heroic figure.<ref>[[#Ball|Ball (1982)]], p. 105.</ref> Although scholars typically regard Kennedy as a good but not great president,<ref name="brinkley"/> public opinion polls consistently find him the most popular post-WWII president.<ref name="brinkley">[[#Brinkley|Brinkley (2013)]]</ref><ref>[[#Dugan|Dugan (2013)]]</ref> Kennedy's murder left a [[Flashbulb memory|lasting impression]] on many worldwide. As with the [[attack on Pearl Harbor]] of December 7, 1941, and, much later, the [[September 11 attacks]] in 2001, asking "Where were you when you heard about President Kennedy's assassination?" became a common topic of discussion.<ref>{{cite book|title=Brinkley's Beat|first=David|last=Brinkley|location=New York|publisher=Knopf|year=2003|author-link=David Brinkley|isbn=0-375-40644-1|url=https://archive.org/details/brinkleysbeatpeo00brin}}</ref><ref>[[#White|White (1965)]], p. 6.</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=A Shock Like Pearl Harbor|first=Joseph F.|last=Dinneen|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=November 24, 1963|page=10}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.people-press.org/2011/09/01/united-in-remembrance-divided-over-policies/|title=United in Remembrance, Divided over Policies|date=1 September 2011|publisher=Pew Research Center}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Mudd|2008|p=126}}</ref> Journalist [[Dan Rather]] opined that the Kennedy assassination will be discussed "a hundred years from now, a thousand years from now, in somewhat the same way as people discuss the ''[[Iliad]]''. Different people read [[Homer]]'s description of the war and come to different conclusions, and so it shall be for Kennedy's death."<ref>[[#Bugliosi2007|Bugliosi (2007)]], pp. xliii–xliv.</ref> Along with Oliver Stone's ''JFK'', the assassination has been portrayed in several films: the pro-conspiracy, [[Dalton Trumbo]]-written ''[[Executive Action (film)|Executive Action]]'' (1973) was the first feature film to depict the assassination.<ref>[[#Bugliosi2007|Bugliosi (2007)]], p. 996.</ref> Besides explicit portrayals, some critics have argued that the Zapruder film—which itself has been featured in many films and television episodes—advanced [[cinéma vérité]] or inspired more [[Violence in art#In films|graphic depictions of violence]] in [[American cinema]].<ref name="frenchies">[[#Hollywood|"How the JFK Zapruder film 'revolutionised' Hollywood". France24.]]</ref><ref>[[#Wrone|Wrone (2003)]], p. 47.</ref><ref>[[#Scott|Scott (2013)]]</ref><ref>[[#Cilento|Cilento (2018)]] pp. 149—178.</ref> Many works of literature have also explored the killing, such as [[Don DeLillo]]'s 1988 novel ''[[Libra (novel)|Libra]]'' in which Oswald is a CIA agent,<ref>[[#Bugliosi2007|Bugliosi (2007)]], pp. 1356–1357; [[#Lawson|Lawson (2017)]]; [[#Thomas1|Thomas (1997)]]</ref> [[James Ellroy]]'s 1995 work ''[[American Tabloid]]'',<ref>[[#Goldstein|Goldstein (1995)]]; [[#Vollman|Vollman (1995)]]; [[#Jordison|Jordison (2019)]]</ref> and [[Stephen King]]'s 2011 time travel novel ''[[11/22/63]]''.<ref>[[#Lawson2011|Lawson (2011)]]; [[#Maslin|Maslin (2011)]]; [[#Morris|Morris (2011)]]</ref> The assassination has also been featured in several musical compositions, such as [[Igor Stravinsky]]'s 1964 piece ''[[Elegy for J.F.K.]]'' and [[Phil Ochs]]' 1966 song "[[Crucifixion (song)|Crucifixion]]",<ref>[[#Stravinsky|"Music: Stravinsky Leads; Composer Conducts at Philharmonic Hall". ''The New York Times''.]]; [[#Lengel|Lengel]]; [[#Payne|Payne (1965)]]</ref><ref name="gates"/> which reportedly brought Robert Kennedy to tears.<ref name="gates">[[#Gates1|Gates (1998)]]</ref><ref>[[#Newfield|Newfield (2002)]], pp. 176–178.</ref> Other songs include "[[Abraham, Martin and John]]" (1968) and [[Bob Dylan]]'s "[[Murder Most Foul (song)|Murder Most Foul]]" (2020).<ref>[[#AJC|D'Angelo (2018)]]; [[#Margolick|Margolick (2018)]]; [[#Paulson|Paulson (2020)]]</ref><ref>[[#Dettmar|Dettmar (2020)]]; [[#Hogan|Hogan (2020)]]; [[#Petridis|Petridis (2020)]]</ref> ===Artifacts, museums, and locations today=== [[File:X in Road Marks Where Fatal Shot Hit President Kennedy - Dealey Plaza - Dallas - Texas - USA (19474957334).jpg|thumb|upright|alt=A painted white "X" marks where the spot on Elm Street where the fatal bullet hit Kennedy in Dealey Plaza|An "X" in the [[Dealey Plaza]] roadway marks where the fatal bullet struck Kennedy.<ref name="dealey"/>]] In 1993, the [[National Park Service]] designated Dealey Plaza, the surrounding buildings, the overpass, and a portion of the adjacent railyard as a [[National Historic Landmark District]].<ref name="dealey">[[#nps|"Dealey Plaza Historic District". NPS.]]</ref> The Depository and its [[Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza|Sixth Floor Museum]], operated by the city of Dallas, draw over 325,000 visitors annually.<ref>[[#q|"Q: Why is it called The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza?". Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza.]]</ref> The [[VC-137C SAM 26000|Boeing 707]] that served as Air Force One at the time of the assassination is on display at the [[National Museum of the United States Air Force]]; Kennedy's limousine is at the [[Henry Ford Museum]].<ref name="relics">[[#Keen|Keen (2009)]]</ref> The [[Lincoln Catafalque]], on which Kennedy's coffin rested in the Capitol, is exhibited at the [[United States Capitol Visitor Center|Capitol Visitor Center]].<ref>[[#Catafalque|"The Catafalque". Architect of the Capitol.]]</ref> Jacqueline's pink suit, autopsy X-rays, and President Kennedy's blood-stained clothing are in the National Archives, with access controlled by the Kennedy family. Other items in the Archives include Parkland Hospital trauma room equipment; Oswald's rifle, diary, and revolver; bullet fragments; and the limousine's windshield.<ref name="relics" /> The Texas State Archives preserve Connally's bullet-punctured clothes; the gun Ruby used to kill Oswald came into the possession of Ruby's brother Earl, and was sold in 1991 for $220,000 (equivalent to ${{Format price|{{Inflation|US-GDP|220,000|r=-3|1991}}}} in 2022).<ref>[[#Rubytuesday|"Jack Ruby's Gun Sold For $220,000". Associated Press.]]</ref> At the direction of Robert F. Kennedy, some items were destroyed. The casket in which Kennedy's body was transported from Dallas to Washington was dropped into the sea, because "its public display would be extremely offensive and contrary to public policy".<ref>[[#Lancer|"Documents State JFK's Dallas Coffin Disposed At Sea". Associated Press.]]</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page