Assassination of John F. Kennedy | Summary, Facts, Aftermath, & Conspiracy

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border-right-sm border-left-sm open"> <div class="drawer d-flex flex-column open"> <div class="left-rail-section-content"> <div class="topic-left-rail-header text-truncate bg-gray-50 position-relative text-right d-flex align-items-center"> <div class="tlr-title px-20 py-15 text-left"> <em class="material-icons text-gray-400 d-lg-none" data-icon="toc"></em> <a class="font-serif font-weight-bold text-black link-blue" href="https://www.britannica.com/event/assassination-of-John-F-Kennedy">assassination of John F. Kennedy</a> </div> <button aria-label="Close" class="js-sections-close-button btn-link btn-sm btn d-lg-none position-absolute top-0 p-10 right-0" > <em class="material-icons font-26" data-icon="close"></em> </button> </div> <div class="section-content pl-10 pr-20 pl-sm-50 pr-sm-60 pl-lg-5 pr-lg-10 pt-10 pt-lg-0 bg-gray-50 clear-catfish-ad"> <div class="toc mb-20"> <div class="font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-15 mb-15 mt-20"> Table of Contents </div> <ul class="list-unstyled my-0" data-level="h1"><li data-target="#ref1"><div class="pl-25"><a class="link-gray-900 w-100" href="/event/assassination-of-John-F-Kennedy">Introduction & Top Questions</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref313585"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/event/assassination-of-John-F-Kennedy#ref313585">The assassination</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref313586"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/event/assassination-of-John-F-Kennedy#ref313586">The capture and death of Oswald</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref313587"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/event/assassination-of-John-F-Kennedy/Kennedys-funeral">Kennedy’s funeral</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref313588"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/event/assassination-of-John-F-Kennedy/Kennedys-funeral#ref313588">The Warren Commission</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref313589"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/event/assassination-of-John-F-Kennedy/Conspiracy-theories">Conspiracy theories</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref313590"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/event/assassination-of-John-F-Kennedy/Conspiracy-theories#ref313590">Subsequent congressional responses</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref363559"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/event/assassination-of-John-F-Kennedy/Conspiracy-theories#ref363559">Final witness?</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li></ul> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="https://www.britannica.com/event/assassination-of-John-F-Kennedy/additional-info">References & Edit History</a> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="/facts/assassination-of-John-F-Kennedy">Quick Facts & Related Topics</a> </div> <div class="tlr-media-slider pb-10 mb-30"> <a class="section-header link-gray-900 font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mb-10 mx-10" href="https://www.britannica.com/event/assassination-of-John-F-Kennedy/images-videos">Images & Videos</a> <div class="slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100 "> <div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex overflow-hidden text-nowrap ml-15"> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/51/119151-050-92200A6E/page-John-F-Kennedy-Chicago-Tribune-assassination-November-23-1963.jpg" data-href="/media/1/1952949/119588" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/51/119151-004-997E4AE9/page-John-F-Kennedy-Chicago-Tribune-assassination-November-23-1963.jpg" alt="John F. Kennedy assassinated" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/68/200568-050-BD26324B/Pres-Jacqueline-Kennedy-president-John-F-Dallas-November-22-1963.jpg" data-href="/media/1/1952949/236367" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/68/200568-004-A4D47519/Pres-Jacqueline-Kennedy-president-John-F-Dallas-November-22-1963.jpg" alt="assassination of John F. Kennedy" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/78/146478-050-4DCDA6E7/Pres-Jacqueline-Kennedy-John-F-Love-Field-November-22-1963.jpg" data-href="/media/1/1952949/185126" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/78/146478-004-2B3166BF/Pres-Jacqueline-Kennedy-John-F-Love-Field-November-22-1963.jpg" alt="John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy at Dallas Love Field airport" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/73/146473-050-60FA4C71/Pres-hotel-hands-John-F-Kennedy-Fort-November-22-1963.jpg" data-href="/media/1/1952949/185125" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/73/146473-004-479CBF81/Pres-hotel-hands-John-F-Kennedy-Fort-November-22-1963.jpg" alt="John F. Kennedy shaking hands in Fort Worth" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/12/126112-050-5E5DFB6A/Pres-Jacqueline-John-F-Kennedy-backseat-limousine-November-22-1963.jpg" data-href="/media/1/1952949/185127" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/12/126112-004-567DAD2D/Pres-Jacqueline-John-F-Kennedy-backseat-limousine-November-22-1963.jpg" alt="John F. Kennedy's presidential motorcade in Dallas" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/79/146479-050-F0A39FAE/Motorcade-Pres-John-F-Kennedy-Dallas-Texas-November-22-1963.jpg" data-href="/media/1/1952949/185128" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/79/146479-004-70780F23/Motorcade-Pres-John-F-Kennedy-Dallas-Texas-November-22-1963.jpg" alt="John F. Kennedy's presidential motorcade in Dallas" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/84/99184-004-C8612C4B/gunshots-Dallas-Texas-School-Book-Depository-Lee-November-22-1963.jpg" data-href="/media/1/1952949/95459" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/84/99184-004-C8612C4B/gunshots-Dallas-Texas-School-Book-Depository-Lee-November-22-1963.jpg" alt="Dallas; assassination of John F. Kennedy" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/96/132696-050-59A4C3AB/newspaper-Lee-Harvey-Oswald-rifle-Russian-Pres.jpg" data-href="/media/1/1952949/129259" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/96/132696-004-BA04B693/newspaper-Lee-Harvey-Oswald-rifle-Russian-Pres.jpg" alt="Lee Harvey Oswald" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/97/132697-004-E5BDCFCA/exhibit-Texas-School-Book-Depository-investigation-Warren.jpg" data-href="/media/1/1952949/129260" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/97/132697-004-E5BDCFCA/exhibit-Texas-School-Book-Depository-investigation-Warren.jpg" alt="Lee Harvey Oswald's rifle" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/55/66755-050-C2567882/Lyndon-B-Johnson-Jacqueline-Kennedy-oath-Lady-November-22-1963.jpg" data-href="/media/1/1952949/57174" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/55/66755-004-9FC494EC/Lyndon-B-Johnson-Jacqueline-Kennedy-oath-Lady-November-22-1963.jpg" alt="Lyndon B. Johnson, Jacqueline Kennedy, and Lady Bird Johnson" height="50" /> </a> </div> <button disabled class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-blue " aria-label="Previous"> <span class="material-icons md-24" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span> </button> <button disabled class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-blue " aria-label="Next"> <span class="material-icons md-24" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></span> </button> </div> </div> <div class="mb-30 tlr-related-questions"> <div class="text-gray-900 p-5 pb-0 font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-10 mb-15"> Related Questions </div> <ul> <li class="link-gray-900 mb-15"><a class="" href="/question/What-were-the-events-leading-up-to-the-assassination-of-U-S-Pres-John-F-Kennedy">What were the events leading up to the assassination of U.S. Pres. John F. 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Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). </div> <div class="type-menu"> <label for="feedback-type" class="label mb-10">Feedback Type</label> <select id="feedback-type" class="form-select mb-30" name="feedbackTypeId" required> <option value="" selected="selected">Select a type (Required)</option> <option value="1">Factual Correction</option> <option value="2">Spelling/Grammar Correction</option> <option value="3">Link Correction</option> <option value="4">Additional Information</option> <option value="5">Other</option> </select> </div> <label for="feedback" class="label mb-10">Your Feedback</label> <textarea id="feedback" class="form-control mb-30" name="feedback" maxlength="3000" rows="7" required></textarea> <button class="btn btn-blue" type="submit">Submit Feedback</button> </form> <div class="success-messaging d-none mt-30"> <div class="title">Thank you for your feedback</div> <p>Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="md-websites-modal size-lg d-none"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif pb-15 border-bottom font-weight-bold"> External Websites </div> <div class="pb-20"> <ul class="list-unstyled mt-20 lh-lg"> <li><a class="external" href="https://millercenter.org/president/kennedy/death-of-the-president" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">Miller Center - John F. Kennedy: Death of a President</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20230915-the-assassination-of-jfk-one-of-the-uss-biggest-mysteries" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">BBC - Culture - The assassination of JFK: One of the US's biggest mysteries</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/236156131.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">CORE - We Shall Keep On Asking, “What If”: The Assassination of John F. Kennedy and the Quagmire of Vietnam</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/ops/mongoose-jfk.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">GlobalSecurity.org - Who Killed John F. Kennedy?</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2017/fall/jfk-records" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">National Archives - Documenting the Death of a President - The John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/jfk-assassination-kennedy-killed-anniversary-b2452021.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">Independent - Why JFK’s assassination remains a mystery</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.763432/full" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">Frontiers - Why Did the Earwitnesses to the John F. Kennedy Assassination Not Agree About the Location of the Gunman?</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/jfk-in-history/november-22-1963-death-of-the-president" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum - November 22, 1963: Death of the President</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="toc-header-marker"></div> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 js-header-ai-ask-button d-none btn-sm btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 mr-0 mr-lg-10 ml-5 ml-sm-10 ml-lg-0 p-10"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> <div class="md-byline module-spacing "> <div class="font-serif font-12"> <span class="written-by text-gray-700"> Written by </span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor" href="/editor/Jeff-Wallenfeldt/6749" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">Jeff Wallenfeldt</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 clamp-description text-black">Jeff Wallenfeldt was manager of Geography and History at Encyclopaedia Britannica.      </div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> Jeff Wallenfeldt</span></div> <div class="font-serif font-12 text-gray-700"> <span class="qa-fact-checked-by">Fact-checked by</span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 font-12" href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 text-black">Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link font-12 "> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"> <span class="text-gray-700"> Last Updated: <time datetime="2024-11-21T00:00:00CST" >Nov 21, 2024</time> •</span> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www.britannica.com/event/assassination-of-John-F-Kennedy/additional-info#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div></div> </div> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button js-sections-inline-button module-spacing"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 ai-ask-button btn border-2 module-spacing btn-sm js-inline-ai-ask-button btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 p-10 ml-5"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> </div> <div class="js-qf-module qf-module px-40 px-sm-20 py-15 mx-auto module-spacing font-14 bg-gray-50 rounded"> <div class="qf-title font-weight-bold font-14 mb-10 text-center"> Quick Facts</div> <div class="facts-list mt-10"> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Date: </dt> <dd>November 22, 1963 </dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Location: </dt> <dd><a href="/place/Dallas">Dallas</a></dd> <dd><a href="/place/Texas-state">Texas</a></dd> <dd><a href="/place/United-States">United States</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Key People: </dt> <dd><a href="/biography/John-Bowden-Connally-Jr">John Connally</a></dd> <dd><a href="/biography/John-F-Kennedy">John F. Kennedy</a></dd> <dd><a href="/biography/Jacqueline-Kennedy-Onassis">Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis</a></dd> <dd><a href="/biography/Lee-Harvey-Oswald">Lee Harvey Oswald</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>On the Web: </dt> <dd><a href="https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/236156131.pdf" target="_blank">CORE - We Shall Keep On Asking, “What If”: The Assassination of John F. Kennedy and the Quagmire of Vietnam</a> (Oct. 28, 2024)</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> <div class="text-center"> <a class="btn btn-sm btn-link p-0" href="/facts/assassination-of-John-F-Kennedy"> See all related content </a> </div> </div> </div> </div><script type="application/ld+json"> { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type" : "Question", "name" : "<div>What were the events leading up to the assassination of U.S. Pres. John F. Kennedy?<\/div><em><\/em>", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "On November 21, 1963, the day before his assassination, U.S. Pres. John F. Kennedy\u2014accompanied by his wife, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Jacqueline-Kennedy-Onassis\">Jacqueline Kennedy<\/a>, and U.S. Vice Pres. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Lyndon-B-Johnson\">Lyndon B. Johnson<\/a>\u2014undertook a two-day five-city trip to Texas. The president was warmly welcomed at his first two stops, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/San-Antonio-Texas\">San Antonio<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Houston\">Houston<\/a>, as well as at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Fort-Worth\">Fort Worth<\/a>, where the presidential party spent the night. On the morning of November 22, Kennedy and his party flew to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Dallas\">Dallas<\/a>. At Dallas\u2019s Love Field airport, the president and the first lady boarded an open limousine to ride with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Democratic-Party\">Democrat<\/a> Texas Gov. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/John-Bowden-Connally-Jr\">John B. Connally, Jr.<\/a>, and his wife to the president\u2019s next stop, the Trade Mart, where the president was scheduled to deliver a speech. At 12:30 PM, President Kennedy was struck by two shots apparently fired from an open window on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository. He was rushed to nearby Parkland Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 1:00 PM. His accused killer, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Lee-Harvey-Oswald\">Lee Harvey Oswald<\/a>, was arrested at 1:50 PM." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : "<div>Why was U.S. Pres. John F. Kennedy in Texas on November 22, 1963?<\/div><em><\/em>", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Pres. John F. Kennedy believed that his Republican opponent in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/United-States-presidential-election-of-1964\">1964 U.S. presidential election<\/a> would be Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Barry-Goldwater\">Barry Goldwater<\/a> of Arizona. Kennedy was convinced that he could bury Goldwater under an avalanche of votes. One obstacle to his success was a feud in Vice Pres. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Lyndon-B-Johnson\">Lyndon B. Johnson<\/a>\u2019s home state of Texas between Gov. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/John-Bowden-Connally-Jr\">John B. Connally, Jr.<\/a>, and Sen. Ralph Yarborough, both <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Democratic-Party\">Democrats<\/a>. To present a show of unity, Kennedy decided to tour the state with both men. Kennedy began the tour\u2014with his wife, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Jacqueline-Kennedy-Onassis\">Jacqueline Kennedy<\/a>, and Johnson\u2014on November 21, 1963, in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/San-Antonio-Texas\">San Antonio<\/a>, with visits to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Houston\">Houston<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Fort-Worth\">Forth Worth<\/a> that same day. The next day they flew to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Dallas\">Dallas<\/a>. While Kennedy was riding in an open limousine in downtown Dallas on his way to give a speech, he was shot and killed. (Connally was also gravely wounded; however, he recovered.) Although Kennedy did not survive to see the presidential election of 1964, his prediction was correct: Goldwater did, in fact, run for president." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : "<div>Who assassinated U.S. Pres. John F. Kennedy?<\/div><em><\/em>", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Twenty-four-year-old <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Lee-Harvey-Oswald\">Lee Harvey Oswald<\/a> was the accused murderer of U.S. Pres. John F. Kennedy. Oswald was a former <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/United-States-Marine-Corps\">U.S. Marine<\/a> who embraced <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Marxism\">Marxism<\/a> and defected, for a time, to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Soviet-Union\">Soviet Union<\/a>. Oswald never stood trial for the murder. On Sunday, November 24, 1963, two days after Kennedy\u2019s assassination, Oswald was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=r6PcVCqg3tg\">shot to death<\/a> by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Jack-Ruby\">Jack Ruby<\/a>, a local nightclub owner with connections to the criminal underworld, in the basement of Dallas City Hall.<\/p><p>A special <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Warren-Commission\">President\u2019s Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy<\/a>, better known as the Warren Commission because it was headed by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/chief-justice-of-the-Supreme-Court-of-the-United-States\">Chief Justice<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Earl-Warren\">Earl Warren<\/a>, investigated the assassination from November 1963 to September 1964. Its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archives.gov\/research\/jfk\/warren-commission-report\">report<\/a> concluded that neither Oswald nor Ruby \u201Cwas part of any conspiracy, domestic or foreign, to assassinate President Kennedy.\u201D However, in March 1979, after a two-year investigation, a special House Select Committee on Assassinations <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archives.gov\/research\/jfk\/select-committee-report\">reported<\/a> that a second assassin may also have fired a shot and that there may have been a conspiracy. The evidence remains highly debatable." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : "<div>Why is the assassination of U.S. Pres. John F. Kennedy significant?<\/div><em><\/em>", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "The assassination of U.S. Pres. John F. Kennedy was the most notorious political murder of the 20th century. Kennedy was the fourth U.S. president to have been assassinated while in office (after <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Abraham-Lincoln\">Abraham Lincoln<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/James-A-Garfield\">James A. Garfield<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/William-McKinley\">William McKinley<\/a>). Almost from the beginning, the killing of the popular young president was thought to have been the result of a conspiracy rather than the act of an individual, despite findings to the contrary by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Warren-Commission\">Warren Commission<\/a>. The assassination and its aftermath played out through the newly dominant mass medium of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/art\/television-in-the-United-States\">television<\/a>, which made it a uniquely immediate and shocking experience for many Americans. Kennedy\u2019s death also brought an abrupt end to his supporters\u2019 sense of optimism about the country\u2019s future, which had been fueled by his broad popularity." } } ] } </script> <div class="top-questions qa-accordion d-flex flex-column module-spacing"><div class="font-weight-bold font-14 mb-5"> Top Questions </div><div id="intent-accordion" class="md-intent-accordion"><div class="top-question bg-gray-50 rounded" data-value="1"><h3 class="accordion--question font-14 font-weight-normal cursor-pointer rounded"><div class="pe-none d-flex justify-content-between align-items-center"><div>What were the events leading up to the assassination of U.S. Pres. John F. Kennedy?</div><em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_more"></em></div></h3><div class="accordion--answer hidden p-15 pt-5 font-16 mb-5"><div class="accordion--answer-copy"><p>On November 21, 1963, the day before his assassination, U.S. Pres. John F. Kennedy—accompanied by his wife, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jacqueline-Kennedy-Onassis" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Jacqueline Kennedy</a>, and U.S. Vice Pres. <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lyndon-B-Johnson" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Lyndon B. Johnson</a>—undertook a two-day five-city trip to Texas. The president was warmly welcomed at his first two stops, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/San-Antonio-Texas" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">San Antonio</a> and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Houston" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Houston</a>, as well as at <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Fort-Worth" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Fort Worth</a>, where the presidential party spent the night. On the morning of November 22, Kennedy and his party flew to <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Dallas" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Dallas</a>. At Dallas’s Love Field airport, the president and the first lady boarded an open limousine to ride with <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Democratic-Party" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Democrat</a> Texas Gov. <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Bowden-Connally-Jr" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">John B. Connally, Jr.</a>, and his wife to the president’s next stop, the Trade Mart, where the president was scheduled to deliver a speech. At 12:30 PM, President Kennedy was struck by two shots apparently fired from an open window on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository. He was rushed to nearby Parkland Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 1:00 PM. His accused killer, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lee-Harvey-Oswald" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Lee Harvey Oswald</a>, was arrested at 1:50 PM.</p></div></div></div><div class="top-question bg-gray-50 rounded" data-value="2"><h3 class="accordion--question font-14 font-weight-normal cursor-pointer rounded"><div class="pe-none d-flex justify-content-between align-items-center"><div>Why was U.S. Pres. John F. Kennedy in Texas on November 22, 1963?</div><em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_more"></em></div></h3><div class="accordion--answer hidden p-15 pt-5 font-16 mb-5"><div class="accordion--answer-copy"><p>Pres. John F. Kennedy believed that his Republican opponent in the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/United-States-presidential-election-of-1964" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">1964 U.S. presidential election</a> would be Sen. <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Barry-Goldwater" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Barry Goldwater</a> of Arizona. Kennedy was convinced that he could bury Goldwater under an avalanche of votes. One obstacle to his success was a feud in Vice Pres. <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lyndon-B-Johnson" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Lyndon B. Johnson</a>’s home state of Texas between Gov. <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Bowden-Connally-Jr" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">John B. Connally, Jr.</a>, and Sen. Ralph Yarborough, both <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Democratic-Party" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Democrats</a>. To present a show of unity, Kennedy decided to tour the state with both men. Kennedy began the tour—with his wife, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jacqueline-Kennedy-Onassis" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Jacqueline Kennedy</a>, and Johnson—on November 21, 1963, in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/San-Antonio-Texas" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">San Antonio</a>, with visits to <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Houston" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Houston</a> and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Fort-Worth" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Forth Worth</a> that same day. The next day they flew to <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Dallas" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Dallas</a>. While Kennedy was riding in an open limousine in downtown Dallas on his way to give a speech, he was shot and killed. (Connally was also gravely wounded; however, he recovered.) Although Kennedy did not survive to see the presidential election of 1964, his prediction was correct: Goldwater did, in fact, run for president.</p></div></div></div><div class="top-question bg-gray-50 rounded" data-value="3"><h3 class="accordion--question font-14 font-weight-normal cursor-pointer rounded"><div class="pe-none d-flex justify-content-between align-items-center"><div>Who assassinated U.S. Pres. John F. Kennedy?</div><em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_more"></em></div></h3><div class="accordion--answer hidden p-15 pt-5 font-16 mb-5"><div class="accordion--answer-copy"><p>Twenty-four-year-old <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lee-Harvey-Oswald" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Lee Harvey Oswald</a> was the accused murderer of U.S. Pres. John F. Kennedy. Oswald was a former <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/United-States-Marine-Corps" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">U.S. Marine</a> who embraced <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Marxism" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Marxism</a> and defected, for a time, to the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Soviet-Union" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Soviet Union</a>. Oswald never stood trial for the murder. On Sunday, November 24, 1963, two days after Kennedy’s assassination, Oswald was <a class="external" target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6PcVCqg3tg" data-show-preview="true">shot to death</a> by <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jack-Ruby" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Jack Ruby</a>, a local nightclub owner with connections to the criminal underworld, in the basement of Dallas City Hall.</p><p>A special <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Warren-Commission" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">President’s Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy</a>, better known as the Warren Commission because it was headed by <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/chief-justice-of-the-Supreme-Court-of-the-United-States" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Chief Justice</a> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Earl-Warren" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Earl Warren</a>, investigated the assassination from November 1963 to September 1964. Its <a class="external" target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.archives.gov/research/jfk/warren-commission-report" data-show-preview="true">report</a> concluded that neither Oswald nor Ruby “was part of any conspiracy, domestic or foreign, to assassinate President Kennedy.” However, in March 1979, after a two-year investigation, a special House Select Committee on Assassinations <a class="external" target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.archives.gov/research/jfk/select-committee-report" data-show-preview="true">reported</a> that a second assassin may also have fired a shot and that there may have been a conspiracy. The evidence remains highly debatable.</p></div></div></div><div class="top-question bg-gray-50 rounded" data-value="4"><h3 class="accordion--question font-14 font-weight-normal cursor-pointer rounded"><div class="pe-none d-flex justify-content-between align-items-center"><div>Why is the assassination of U.S. Pres. John F. Kennedy significant?</div><em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_more"></em></div></h3><div class="accordion--answer hidden p-15 pt-5 font-16 mb-5"><div class="accordion--answer-copy"><p>The assassination of U.S. Pres. John F. Kennedy was the most notorious political murder of the 20th century. Kennedy was the fourth U.S. president to have been assassinated while in office (after <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Abraham-Lincoln" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Abraham Lincoln</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/James-A-Garfield" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">James A. Garfield</a>, and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-McKinley" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">William McKinley</a>). Almost from the beginning, the killing of the popular young president was thought to have been the result of a conspiracy rather than the act of an individual, despite findings to the contrary by the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Warren-Commission" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Warren Commission</a>. The assassination and its aftermath played out through the newly dominant mass medium of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/television-in-the-United-States" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">television</a>, which made it a uniquely immediate and shocking experience for many Americans. Kennedy’s death also brought an abrupt end to his supporters’ sense of optimism about the country’s future, which had been fueled by his broad popularity.</p></div></div></div><button class="show-more-button js-toggle-top-questions btn btn-unstyled font-14 d-flex pr-10 rounded-sm"><em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_more"></em></button></div></div><div class="bg-gray-50 p-15 rounded module-spacing recent-news d-flex flex-column float-false"> <div> <h2 class="font-weight-bold font-14 m-0 d-inline"> News <span class="text-gray-600">•</span> </h2> <div class="recent-news-item first-recent-news-item d-inline"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="/news/1952949/50ea62770b13f0ffc11ca18dde03500d" rel="nofollow">Trump has promised again to release the last JFK files. But experts say don’t expect big revelations</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Nov. 21, 2024, 11:02 PM ET (AP) </span> </div> </div> <div class="rest-of-recent-news-items"> <button class="js-toggle-recent-news d-flex btn btn-unstyled font-14 pr-10 rounded-sm mt-10" aria-label="Toggle additional news items"> Show less <em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_less"></em> </button> </div> </div><span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref1"><span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies multiple medialist slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100" data-type="other"><div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex"><div class="rw-track d-flex align-items-center"><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="236367" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/68/200568-050-BD26324B/Pres-Jacqueline-Kennedy-president-John-F-Dallas-November-22-1963.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/1952949/236367"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/68/200568-050-BD26324B/Pres-Jacqueline-Kennedy-president-John-F-Dallas-November-22-1963.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/68/200568-050-BD26324B/Pres-Jacqueline-Kennedy-president-John-F-Dallas-November-22-1963.jpg?w=300" alt="assassination of John F. Kennedy" data-width="1600" data-height="1281" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/68/200568-050-BD26324B/Pres-Jacqueline-Kennedy-president-John-F-Dallas-November-22-1963.jpg" data-href="/media/1/1952949/236367">assassination of John F. Kennedy</a><span>U.S. Pres. John F. Kennedy and first lady Jacqueline Kennedy minutes before the president was assassinated in Dallas, November 22, 1963.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><button disabled="true" class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span></button><button disabled="true" class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></span></button></div><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong><span id="ref1188112"></span>assassination of John F. Kennedy</strong>, mortal shooting of <span id="ref1214334"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-F-Kennedy" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">John F. Kennedy</a>, the 35th <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/presidency-of-the-United-States-of-America" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">president of the United States</a>, as he rode in a motorcade in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Dallas" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Dallas</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Texas-state" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Texas</a>, on November 22, 1963. His accused killer was <span id="ref1214335"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lee-Harvey-Oswald" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Lee Harvey Oswald</a>, a former <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/United-States-Marine-Corps" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">U.S. Marine</a> who had embraced <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Marxism" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Marxism</a> and defected for a time to the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Soviet-Union" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Soviet Union</a>. Oswald never stood trial for murder, because, while being transferred after having been taken into custody, he was shot and killed by <span id="ref1214336"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jack-Ruby" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Jack Ruby</a>, a <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="distraught" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/distraught" data-type="MW">distraught</a> Dallas nightclub owner.</p><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD2 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Almost from the beginning, the killing of the popular young president was thought by many Americans to have been the result of a <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="conspiracy" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conspiracy" data-type="MW">conspiracy</a> rather than the act of an individual, despite findings to the contrary by the <span id="ref1214337"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Warren-Commission" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Warren Commission</a> (1964), which was established by Kennedy’s successor, U.S. Pres. <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lyndon-B-Johnson" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Lyndon B. Johnson</a>, to investigate the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/assassination" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">assassination</a>. The circumstances surrounding the assassination remain the subject of widespread speculation.</p><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span></section> <span class="marker h2"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref313585"> <h2 class="h1">The assassination</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD3 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="185126" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/78/146478-050-4DCDA6E7/Pres-Jacqueline-Kennedy-John-F-Love-Field-November-22-1963.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/1952949/185126"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/78/146478-050-4DCDA6E7/Pres-Jacqueline-Kennedy-John-F-Love-Field-November-22-1963.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/78/146478-050-4DCDA6E7/Pres-Jacqueline-Kennedy-John-F-Love-Field-November-22-1963.jpg?w=300" alt="John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy at Dallas Love Field airport" data-width="760" data-height="738" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/78/146478-050-4DCDA6E7/Pres-Jacqueline-Kennedy-John-F-Love-Field-November-22-1963.jpg" data-href="/media/1/1952949/185126">John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy at Dallas Love Field airport</a><span>U.S. Pres. John F. Kennedy and first lady Jacqueline Kennedy at Dallas Love Field airport in Texas, November 22, 1963.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">On November 21, 1963, President Kennedy—accompanied by his wife, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jacqueline-Kennedy-Onassis" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Jacqueline Kennedy</a>, and Vice President Johnson—undertook a two-day, five-city fund-raising trip to <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Texas-state" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Texas</a>. The trip was also likely intended as an attempt to help bring together a feuding <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Democratic-Party" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Democratic Party</a> in a state that was vital to Kennedy’s chances for reelection in 1964. Although <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Adlai-E-Stevenson" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Adlai Stevenson</a>, the U.S. ambassador to the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/United-Nations" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">United Nations</a> and a liberal icon, had been confronted by highly agitated protesters a month earlier during a visit to Dallas—a city with a right-leaning press and the <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="locus" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/locus" data-type="EB">locus</a> of much anti-Kennedy feeling—the president was warmly welcomed at his first two stops, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/San-Antonio-Texas" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">San Antonio</a> and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Houston" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Houston</a>, as well as at <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Fort-Worth" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Fort Worth</a>, where the presidential party spent the night of November 21.</p><span class="marker MOD3 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD4 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies multiple medialist slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100" data-type="other"><div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex"><div class="rw-track d-flex align-items-center"><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="185125" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/73/146473-050-60FA4C71/Pres-hotel-hands-John-F-Kennedy-Fort-November-22-1963.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/1952949/185125"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/73/146473-050-60FA4C71/Pres-hotel-hands-John-F-Kennedy-Fort-November-22-1963.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/73/146473-050-60FA4C71/Pres-hotel-hands-John-F-Kennedy-Fort-November-22-1963.jpg?w=300" alt="John F. Kennedy shaking hands in Fort Worth" data-width="760" data-height="532" loading="eager"></picture><div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg">1 of 3</div><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/73/146473-050-60FA4C71/Pres-hotel-hands-John-F-Kennedy-Fort-November-22-1963.jpg" data-href="/media/1/1952949/185125">John F. Kennedy shaking hands in Fort Worth</a><span>U.S. Pres. John F. Kennedy shaking hands outside a hotel in Fort Worth, Texas, November 22, 1963.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="185127" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/12/126112-050-5E5DFB6A/Pres-Jacqueline-John-F-Kennedy-backseat-limousine-November-22-1963.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/1952949/185127"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/12/126112-050-5E5DFB6A/Pres-Jacqueline-John-F-Kennedy-backseat-limousine-November-22-1963.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/12/126112-050-5E5DFB6A/Pres-Jacqueline-John-F-Kennedy-backseat-limousine-November-22-1963.jpg?w=300" alt="John F. Kennedy's presidential motorcade in Dallas" data-width="1553" data-height="1600" loading="eager"></picture><div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg">2 of 3</div><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/12/126112-050-5E5DFB6A/Pres-Jacqueline-John-F-Kennedy-backseat-limousine-November-22-1963.jpg" data-href="/media/1/1952949/185127">John F. Kennedy's presidential motorcade in Dallas</a><span>U.S. Pres. John F. Kennedy and his wife, Jacqueline Kennedy, riding in the back seat of an open limousine as the presidential motorcade moves through downtown Dallas on November 22, 1963.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="185128" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/79/146479-050-F0A39FAE/Motorcade-Pres-John-F-Kennedy-Dallas-Texas-November-22-1963.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/1952949/185128"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/79/146479-050-F0A39FAE/Motorcade-Pres-John-F-Kennedy-Dallas-Texas-November-22-1963.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/79/146479-050-F0A39FAE/Motorcade-Pres-John-F-Kennedy-Dallas-Texas-November-22-1963.jpg?w=300" alt="John F. Kennedy's presidential motorcade in Dallas" data-width="760" data-height="786" loading="eager"></picture><div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg">3 of 3</div><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/79/146479-050-F0A39FAE/Motorcade-Pres-John-F-Kennedy-Dallas-Texas-November-22-1963.jpg" data-href="/media/1/1952949/185128">John F. Kennedy's presidential motorcade in Dallas</a><span>Motorcade of U.S. Pres. John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas, November 22, 1963. </span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><button disabled="true" class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span></button><button disabled="true" class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></span></button></div><p class="topic-paragraph">The next morning, after making a speech in a parking lot in front of the hotel in which he had stayed and then speaking again at a Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce breakfast, Kennedy and his party made a short flight to Dallas Love Field airport. (After Dallas, the final stop on the trip was scheduled to be <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Austin-Texas" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Austin</a>.) At the airport the president and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/first-lady-United-States-title" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">first lady</a> shook hands with members of a hospitable crowd before boarding the backseat of a <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="customized" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/customized" data-type="EB">customized</a> open convertible to ride with Democratic Texas Gov. <span id="ref1214338"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Bowden-Connally-Jr" class="md-crosslink ">John Connally</a> and his wife (who sat in jump seats in front of the Kennedys) to the president’s next stop, the Trade Mart, where Kennedy was scheduled to deliver another speech. An estimated 200,000 people lined the roughly 10-mile (16-km) route to the Trade Mart.</p><span class="marker MOD4 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD5 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="95459" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/84/99184-004-C8612C4B/gunshots-Dallas-Texas-School-Book-Depository-Lee-November-22-1963.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/1952949/95459"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/84/99184-004-C8612C4B/gunshots-Dallas-Texas-School-Book-Depository-Lee-November-22-1963.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/84/99184-004-C8612C4B/gunshots-Dallas-Texas-School-Book-Depository-Lee-November-22-1963.jpg?w=300" alt="Dallas; assassination of John F. Kennedy" data-width="550" data-height="413" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/84/99184-004-C8612C4B/gunshots-Dallas-Texas-School-Book-Depository-Lee-November-22-1963.jpg" data-href="/media/1/1952949/95459">Dallas; assassination of John F. Kennedy</a><span>The Texas School Book Depository in Dallas, from which Lee Harvey Oswald allegedly fired the gunshots that killed U.S. Pres. John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">As the motorcade turned southwest on Elm Street and began traveling through <span id="ref1330859"></span>Dealey Plaza on the edge of downtown Dallas, the president’s convertible passed the multistory <span id="ref1233550"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Texas-School-Book-Depository" class="md-crosslink ">Texas School Book Depository</a> building. Moments later, at about 12:30 <span class="text-smallcaps">pm</span>, shots rang out. A <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/bullet" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">bullet</a> pierced the base of the neck of the president, exited through his throat, and then likely (according to the Warren Report) passed through Governor Connally’s shoulder and wrist, ultimately hitting his thigh. Another bullet struck Kennedy in the back of the head. The motorcade rushed to nearby Parkland Memorial Hospital, reaching it quickly; however, doctors’ efforts were <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="futile" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/futile" data-type="MW">futile</a>. Kennedy was officially declared dead at 1:00 <span class="text-smallcaps">pm</span>. Connally survived his wounds.</p><div class="module-spacing"> </div><span class="marker MOD5 mod-inline"></span> </section> <span class="marker h3"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref313586"> <h2 class="h1">The capture and death of <span id="ref1258416"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lee-Harvey-Oswald" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Oswald</a></h2> <span class="marker PREMOD6 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies multiple medialist slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100" data-type="other"><div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex"><div class="rw-track d-flex align-items-center"><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="129259" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/96/132696-050-59A4C3AB/newspaper-Lee-Harvey-Oswald-rifle-Russian-Pres.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/1952949/129259"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/96/132696-050-59A4C3AB/newspaper-Lee-Harvey-Oswald-rifle-Russian-Pres.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/96/132696-050-59A4C3AB/newspaper-Lee-Harvey-Oswald-rifle-Russian-Pres.jpg?w=300" alt="Lee Harvey Oswald" data-width="1269" data-height="1600" loading="eager"></picture><div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg">1 of 2</div><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/96/132696-050-59A4C3AB/newspaper-Lee-Harvey-Oswald-rifle-Russian-Pres.jpg" data-href="/media/1/1952949/129259">Lee Harvey Oswald</a><span>Lee Harvey Oswald holding a Russian newspaper and a rifle. The Warren Commission concluded that the rifle was used to assassinate U.S. Pres. John F. Kennedy.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="129260" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/97/132697-004-E5BDCFCA/exhibit-Texas-School-Book-Depository-investigation-Warren.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/1952949/129260"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/97/132697-004-E5BDCFCA/exhibit-Texas-School-Book-Depository-investigation-Warren.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/97/132697-004-E5BDCFCA/exhibit-Texas-School-Book-Depository-investigation-Warren.jpg?w=300" alt="Lee Harvey Oswald's rifle" data-width="550" data-height="289" loading="eager"></picture><div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg">2 of 2</div><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/97/132697-004-E5BDCFCA/exhibit-Texas-School-Book-Depository-investigation-Warren.jpg" data-href="/media/1/1952949/129260">Lee Harvey Oswald's rifle</a><span>Rifle found at the Texas School Book Depository; it was exhibit 139 in the Warren Commission investigation.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><button disabled="true" class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span></button><button disabled="true" class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></span></button></div><p class="topic-paragraph">Over the next hour, as a shocked country and world learned of Kennedy’s death, the drama of the pursuit and capture of his <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="alleged" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alleged" data-type="MW">alleged</a> assailant unfolded. Bullet casings were found near a window on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository building overlooking the plaza; a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/rifle" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">rifle</a> (later proved to have been owned by Oswald) was discovered elsewhere on the sixth floor. An accounting of the building’s employees indicated that only two were missing: one was a man who had stepped outside to watch the motorcade and was barred by police from reentering the building, and the other was Oswald, who had been working there for about a month. Oswald had been seen on the sixth floor about a half hour before the shooting and had also been <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="encountered" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/encountered" data-type="EB">encountered</a> in the building by its superintendent and a policeman just after the shooting. Law enforcement circulated a description of him. Meanwhile, Oswald made his way to the boardinghouse where he had been staying. Some 15 minutes after leaving the boardinghouse, he was confronted by a Dallas policeman, <span id="ref1258414"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/J-D-Tippit" class="md-crosslink ">J.D. Tippit</a>, who is thought to have believed that Oswald matched the description. Oswald shot and killed Tippit with a .38 <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/revolver" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">revolver</a> in the presence of a number of witnesses and was later seen entering the Texas Theatre, where at 1:50 <span class="text-smallcaps">pm</span> he was apprehended by police.</p><span class="marker MOD6 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD7 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies multiple medialist slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100" data-type="other"><div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex"><div class="rw-track d-flex align-items-center"><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="57174" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/55/66755-050-C2567882/Lyndon-B-Johnson-Jacqueline-Kennedy-oath-Lady-November-22-1963.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/1952949/57174"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/55/66755-050-C2567882/Lyndon-B-Johnson-Jacqueline-Kennedy-oath-Lady-November-22-1963.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/55/66755-050-C2567882/Lyndon-B-Johnson-Jacqueline-Kennedy-oath-Lady-November-22-1963.jpg?w=300" alt="Lyndon B. Johnson, Jacqueline Kennedy, and Lady Bird Johnson" data-width="1600" data-height="1232" loading="eager"></picture><div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg">1 of 2</div><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/55/66755-050-C2567882/Lyndon-B-Johnson-Jacqueline-Kennedy-oath-Lady-November-22-1963.jpg" data-href="/media/1/1952949/57174">Lyndon B. Johnson, Jacqueline Kennedy, and Lady Bird Johnson</a><span>Jacqueline Kennedy and Lady Bird Johnson standing by U.S. Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson as he takes the oath of office aboard Air Force One after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, November 22, 1963.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="230825" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/90/197990-050-1AF57E5B/Jack-Ruby-1966.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/1952949/230825"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/90/197990-050-1AF57E5B/Jack-Ruby-1966.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/90/197990-050-1AF57E5B/Jack-Ruby-1966.jpg?w=300" alt="Jack Ruby" data-width="558" data-height="800" loading="eager"></picture><div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg">2 of 2</div><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/90/197990-050-1AF57E5B/Jack-Ruby-1966.jpg" data-href="/media/1/1952949/230825">Jack Ruby</a><span>Jack Ruby, 1966.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><button disabled="true" class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span></button><button disabled="true" class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></span></button></div><p class="topic-paragraph">As those events unfolded, Johnson, fearing that the assassination of the president was just the first step in a much broader effort by the Soviets or other enemies of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/United-States" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">United States</a> to destabilize the American government, sought to effect a quick <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="transition" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/transition" data-type="EB">transition</a> of executive authority and to seek safety by leaving Dallas by <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/airplane" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">plane</a>. At 2:38 <span class="text-smallcaps">pm</span>, before takeoff, with Kennedy’s corpse aboard, Johnson took the oath of office on <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Air-Force-One" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Air Force One</a>. Jacqueline Kennedy, still wearing blood-spattered clothes, stood at his side.</p><div class="module-spacing"> <DIV class="marketing-INLINE_SUBSCRIPTION marketing-content" data-marketing-id="INLINE_SUBSCRIPTION"><style> .student-promo-banner-wrapper { container-type: inline-size; margin-bottom: 15px; } @container (min-width: 475px) { .student-promo-banner { flex-direction: row; } .student-promo-banner-img-wrapper { margin-bottom: 0; margin-right: 10px; justify-content: flex-start; } .student-promo-banner-text-wrapper { text-align: left; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 10px; } .student-promo-banner-button-wrapper { margin-right: 0; } }</style> <div class="student-promo-banner-wrapper"> <div class="student-promo-banner d-flex flex-column align-items-center bg-blue rounded p-20"> <div class="student-promo-banner-img-wrapper mb-20 mr-0 d-flex justify-content-center"> <img class="rounded" style="max-width: 100px; min-width: 80px" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/marketing/BlueThistle.webp" /> </div> <div class="student-promo-banner-text-wrapper ml-0 mb-10 text-center text-white"> <div class="h2 mb-10">Get Unlimited Access</div> <div class="h4 font-weight-semi-bold">Try Britannica Premium for free and discover more.</div> </div> <div class="student-promo-banner-button-wrapper d-flex justify-content-center align-items-center ml-auto mr-auto"> <a class="btn btn-m btn-orange" href="https://premium.britannica.com/premium-membership/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=inline-cta&utm_campaign=black-friday-2024">Subscribe</a> </div> </div> </div> </DIV></div><div class="one-good-fact-module"> </div><span class="marker MOD7 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD8 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Questioned by both law enforcement officers and the press, Oswald protested his innocence, claiming that he was “a patsy.” He requested to be represented by (but was never able to contact) John Abt, the staff attorney of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Communist-Party-of-the-United-States-of-America" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Communist Party USA</a>, who was well known for his defense of communists. After being held for two days and two nights, Oswald was being transferred from Dallas City Hall (which contained the headquarters and jail of the Dallas Police Department) to the county jail on the morning of November 24, an event broadcast live on television, when <span id="ref1214339"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jack-Ruby" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Jack Ruby</a>—a familiar face around the police station and known to police who frequented his club—was able to enter the basement parking garage of City Hall. There he shot Oswald with a handgun as the cameras looked on. Ruby later said that he had shot Oswald to spare Jacqueline Kennedy from having to testify at Oswald’s trial. Oswald was taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital, where previously Kennedy and now Oswald, too, died. Ruby would be tried, found guilty of murder (March 14, 1964), and sentenced to <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/capital-punishment" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">death</a>; in October 1966, however, a Texas appeals court reversed the <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="conviction" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conviction" data-type="MW">conviction</a>, though Ruby died (January 3, 1967; also at Parkland) before a new trial could be held.</p><span class="marker MOD8 mod-inline"></span> </section> <span class="marker end-of-content"></span><span class="marker after-article"></span></div> <div id="chatbot-root"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ai-dialog-placeholder"></div> </div> </div> <aside class="col-md-da-320"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article></div> </div></div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="_informizely_script_tag"> var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; (function (d) { var scriptElement = d.createElement('script'); scriptElement.type = 'text/javascript'; scriptElement.async = true; scriptElement.src = "https://insitez.blob.core.windows.net/site/f780f33e-a610-4ac2-af81-3eb184037547.js"; var node = d.getElementById('_informizely_script_tag'); node.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, node); } )(document); </script>  <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"Topic","templateName":"DESKTOP","pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":3,"pageId":1952949,"pageLength":1070,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.130.14"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/dist/topic-page.js?v=3.130.14' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"D","adLeg":"D","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"Topic","pageSubtype":null,"articleTemplateType":"PAGINATED","gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":false} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>

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Assassination of John F. Kennedy | Summary, Facts, Aftermath, & Conspiracy | Britannica