22 November 1963: President Kennedy Assassinated
On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. The young president was shot while riding in a motorcade through Dealey Plaza, dying at Parkland Memorial Hospital at age 46.
Kennedy had come to Texas to mend political fences. Despite concerns, he insisted on riding in an open-top convertible. At 12:30 PM, shots rang out as the motorcade passed the Texas School Book Depository.
Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested and charged. Two days later, while being transferred, Oswald was shot by Jack Ruby on live television, depriving the nation of answers.
The Warren Commission concluded Oswald acted alone, though many have questioned this finding ever since.
Kennedys death marked the end of an era of optimism. November 22, 1963 remains seared in collective memory—a day when America lost not just a president, but a sense of innocence.
