Sixty-two years ago, on November 22, 1963, the United States endured one of the most traumatic events in its modern history. President John F. Kennedy was fatally shot while his motorcade passed through Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas, an act witnessed by thousands of his supporters and seared permanently into the nation's collective memory.
The Day That Shook a Nation
President Kennedy, the youngest man ever elected to the Oval Office, was in Texas with his wife, Jacqueline, and Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson to rally support for the upcoming 1964 election. After visiting several cities, they arrived in Dallas on the morning of November 22. At 11.55am, the presidential motorcade, featuring a dark blue, modified 1961 Lincoln Continental convertible, departed from Love Field.
The atmosphere was jubilant. An estimated 200,000 people had lined the streets to catch a glimpse of the popular president. Seated in the open-top limousine, Kennedy was to the right of his wife of ten years. Directly in front of them sat Texas Governor John Connally and his wife, Nellie, with two Secret Service agents in the front seats. Just before the fateful turn, Nellie Connally remarked to the president, 'Well, Mr. President, you can't say there aren't some people in Dallas who love you.'
The Shots in Dealey Plaza
At approximately 12.30pm, as the motorcade turned onto Elm Street, the celebration turned to horror. Shots rang out in quick succession. According to the official Warren Commission report, three shots were fired. The first missed its target. The second struck President Kennedy in the back of the neck, exiting through his throat and also wounding Governor Connally. The third bullet proved fatal, entering the back of the president's head and causing a massive, catastrophic wound.
Photographs from the scene capture the chilling juxtaposition: one moment, a smiling president waves to the crowd; the next, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy is seen cradling her husband's mangled head as panicked onlookers dive for cover. Secret Service Agent Clint Hill, riding on the car behind, famously scrambled onto the limousine to protect them. He later testified that he saw Mrs Kennedy climbing towards the trunk, reportedly reaching for a piece of her husband's skull. She was later quoted as saying, 'They have killed my husband. I have his brains in my hand.'
The limousine immediately sped away from Dealey Plaza, rushing the mortally wounded president to Parkland Memorial Hospital. Despite the efforts of medical staff, including a 27-year-old resident who noted the president was still breathing upon arrival, John F. Kennedy was pronounced dead at 1pm.
The Aftermath and Enduring Conspiracies
The immediate aftermath was chaotic. Roughly 45 minutes after the assassination, Dallas police arrested Lee Harvey Oswald, a 24-year-old ex-Marine, who was also suspected of murdering Police Officer J.D. Tippit later that day. The nation's grief was compounded two days later when nightclub owner Jack Ruby shot and killed Oswald live on television as he was being transferred to county jail.
President Kennedy was given a state funeral on November 25, 1963, with over 250,000 mourners filing past his flag-draped coffin in the Capitol Rotunda.
However, the tragedy's reverberations extended far beyond the funeral. The Kennedy assassination fundamentally altered the American consciousness. The fact that it was captured in high-definition photographs and film made it uniquely visceral. Furthermore, widespread public scepticism was ignited, particularly around the Warren Commission's 'single bullet theory'. A 2023 Gallup poll indicates that this scepticism endures, with 65% of Americans believing that Oswald did not act alone and that a conspiracy was involved. This event marked a pivotal moment, making the public far more willing to entertain alternative explanations for major national tragedies.
The assassination also serves as a stark and uncomfortable reminder of the vulnerability of world leaders. This was painfully echoed last year when, during a campaign rally, a bullet grazed the ear of former President Donald Trump, highlighting that even with extensive Secret Service protection, the threat of political violence remains a persistent and grim reality.
