John F. Kennedy
...y serving as a commanding officer in the United States navy. Due to a misfortune that resulted in his being discharged from the navy in the year 1945, Jack once again started searching for an appropriate career. In 1946 he ran for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. House of Representatives from a Boston district. By hard campaigning, he defeated a large field of rivals for the nomination and easily won the election. After twice winning re-election, in 1952 he sought and won election to the U.S. Senate. The year 1953 was a year of personal achievements. He married Jacqueline Lee Bouvier in Newport, Rhode Island. Together they had three children. Caroline, John Jr. and Patrick. Patrick was born in 1963 but died a few days later while John Jr. was killed when the plane he was piloting crashed off Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts in 1999. To many Americans, Kennedy and his wife, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, symbolized youth, culture, and a future filled with promise In 1956, Kennedy mounted a serious quest for the position of the vice president alongside top contender for the presidential elections, Adlai Stevenson. But after being defeated by the Republican incumbents, Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon, it was clear that Stevenson would never again contest for the presidential elections. Consequently his defeat proved to be a blessing in disguise for Kennedy whose reputation was still flawless in its character. The exposure Kennedy got at the 1956 Democratic convention made him a top contender for the Presidential elections. Kennedy now regained his party’s nomination. He realized that to win against the Republicans he would have to strike while the iron is hot. So he targeted the fact that the U.S. prestige had plummeted during Dwight Eisenhower’s administration. He claimed that the U.S. was on the wrong side of a “missile gap” with the Soviet Union. He pressed these issues and began maneuvering to get the democratic nomination for the 1960 presidential elections. The 1960 presidential elections brought to the forefront a generation of politicians born in the 20th century, pitting the 47-year old Republican vice president Richard Nixon against the 43-year old Democratic challenger John F. Kennedy. Kennedy’s chief rival was Hubert Humphrey from Minnesota. They fought it out in thirteen primaries but, in the end the Kennedy machine won due a distinct advantage in financial capabilities. This was one win of the many to follow for John Fitzgerald Kennedy. This encouraged him and pushed him to achieve more. He now realized that nothing was standing in his way, to becoming President except for maybe, Richard Nixon. Following this, Kennedy defeated his nearest rival Lyndon B. Johnson at the Democratic National Convention. Af...