On September 12, 1953, John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Lee Bouvier were married in a lavish ceremony at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Newport, Rhode Island. The bride wore a dress of ivory tissue silk and a veil worn first by her grandmother. The ceremony was attended by more than 800 guests and was followed by a reception at the Auchincloss oceanfront estate. Life magazine published wedding photos and reported that the event had been “just like a coronation.” This wedding marked the beginning of their journey to the White House, and Kennedy went on to become the 35th president while Jackie became an iconic first lady.
After publicly announcing their engagement on June 24, 1953, Jackie and John embarked on a life of public service and political ambition. Jackie, born into a prominent New York family, became a well-known figure after working as the “Inquiring Camera Girl” for the Washington Times-Herald. She met John at a dinner party and the two dated for two years before he proposed with a diamond-and-emerald ring. Following their wedding, the couple settled in Washington, D.C., where John continued his political career. They welcomed their first child, Caroline, in 1957, and John Jr. was born shortly after his father’s presidential victory.
Tragedy struck the Kennedy family on November 22, 1963, when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, during a motorcade. Jackie, who rarely accompanied her husband on political outings, was beside him during the fateful drive. Lee Harvey Oswald fired three shots, fatally wounding the president and seriously injuring Texas Gov. John Connally. Kennedy was pronounced dead at Parkland Hospital. Following the president’s death, Jackie ensured that his grave site at Arlington National Cemetery would be accessible to the American public. She wanted the eternal flame to burn as a symbol of his legacy.
In the fall of 1963, President Kennedy and his advisers were preparing for the next presidential campaign, with expectations of his re-election. Their son, John Jr., became a symbol of hope when Jackie whispered for him to salute the passing casket carrying his father. Kennedy’s burial site was initially planned for Brookline, Massachusetts, but Jackie insisted on Arlington National Cemetery for wider public access. An eternal flame was lit at the head of the grave, symbolizing the enduring legacy of the fallen president.
Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, after a life of fame and tragedy, was laid to rest next to her husband on May 23, 1994. Her marriage to John F. Kennedy had become a symbol of American political royalty and their legacy continued through the generations. The original wedding, coronation-like in its grandeur, marked the beginning of their journey together, ultimately leading to the White House and a place in American history. The Kennedys’ love story, marked by triumph and tragedy, continues to capture the public’s imagination even decades later.
