[DeFault User]

I was home for lunch and listening to WFAA (Dallas AM), which had special reports on the President's arrival and motorcade. They were discussing the upcoming luncheon and the precautions that were being taken for his meal--his plate was to be selected randomly to avoid possible poisoning.

About 12:35 there was a report of what sounded like firecrackers, possibly gunfire during the motorcade. A few minutes later, WFAA had a report that the President was shot, that he had been hit in the head. About 1:00 came the announcement that Kennedy was dead.

Memories that vivid don't seem to be 40 years in the past.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

Besides the event of this day forty years ago would someone please explain what John Kennedy did to be note worthy as a president? Please provide sources. TIA.

[MeekOneGOP]

I was living in Fort Worth at the time, in the fourth grade. We were having class in one of those portable buildings and another teacher came into the class and talked to our teacher. I remember overhearing her tell of it. She said that she was getting ready to have lunch at her desk and opened a drawer and saw her transister radio sitting there. She said she never listened to it, but that day she grabbed it and turned it on, just in time to hear the report of Kennedy being shot. When it was announced that he had died, they closed the school and sent us all home.

As you say, one of those days that will live with you all your life. I was 9 years old and politics was nowhere near my mind at that age. It was a sad day, sad event at the time. I was about the same age when this happened as my parents were when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor ...