The events of November 22nd, 1963 are unfortunately the first images that spring to mind when many people mention the name JFK. Although Kennedy hadn't even been president for three years when he was killed, he still managed to achieve more than most of his predecessors and successors, and in a fraction of the time.
Below are pictures and videos of some of his most important achievements.
Throughout his presidency, he issued a challenge to the general public and government alike to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade. Unfortunately, he never lived to see the country achieve that goal with only a few months to spare.
However, it was only a few months after his inauguration that he got to see astronaut Alan Shepard become the first American in space. Kennedy later presented Shepard with the Distinguished Service Medal:
Kennedy was elected at the height of the Cold War. He was the President who, along with his advisers, managed to diffuse the Cuban Missile Crisis - the closest the country ever came to nuclear war with Russia:
He met with Russian leader Nikita Khrushchev at the Vienna summit, although the symbolic meeting's results were mixed.
He famously declared, while giving a speech in West Berlin to reaffirm US support for the country, "Ich bin ein Berliner". Historians and linguists strongly dispute the strange urban legend that Kennedy was really declaring he was a jelly donut when he said this (although berliner can indeed refer to that particular confectionery in German).
As well as his international diplomacy, JFK is famed for his work on American civil rights. Among many other symbolic gestures, he met the leaders of the famous March on Washington at the White House:
He also presented his televised civil rights address, one of the strongest statements from a US President on the issue. It was one of the most important steps on the road to the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, passed mere months after JFK's death.
Around these parts, of course, he is still best known as the first serving US President to visit Ireland. With his Irish ancestry, he was warmly welcomed by officials and the general public alike:
