22nd November, 1963 8:45 - 9:50am President Kennedy and First Lady Jackie attend a Chamber of Commerce breakfast in the Hotel Texas, Fort Worth. Kennedy gives his last ever speech and is presented with Texan gifts of a cowboy hat and pair of boots. 11:20 - 11:45am With the Presidential couple on board, Air Force One takes of on the 13 minute flight from Fort Worth to Dallas. Upon landing at Love Airfield Mr and Mrs Kennedy disregard plans and security and openly mingle with the crowd in greetings before then boarding the open top motorcade that would tour them to the Dallas Trade Mart. 11:52 - 12:27pm The motorcade leaves the airfield and proceeds towards the awaiting luncheon at the Dallas Trade Mart. At exactly 12:21pm the procession turn onto the main street of Downtown Dallas. The motorcade is welcomed with over 150,000 people lining the street in cheer, all wanting to get a glimpse of their President. 12:30 - 12:31pm President Kennedy and Governor Connally are shot! 3 shots are heard but people are unable to pinpoint the origin of the gunshots. The Presidential limousine immediately races to Parkland Memorial Hospital with both men and wives on board. Secret Service in hot pursuit. They arrive at the hospital at 12:36pm 12:40 - 12:45pm The CBS Network interrupt a TV soap opera to announce to America that the President had been shot. This was the first announcement of the events in Dallas. at 12:45 the Chief of Police broadcast the first description of the suspected killer 1:00pm President John Fitzgerald Kennedy is pronounced dead. 2:08 - 2:38pm The Presidents casket is boarded onto Air Force One accompanied by Mrs Kennedy and also Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson. Upon this flight Johnson is sworn in as the new President of the United States of America. 4:58pm Air Force One lands at Andrews Air Force base. The coffin is hurriedly take of in an Ambulance and driven to the White House. 23rd November,1963 9:00am A private mass is held for family and friends in the White House 24th November, 1963 Kennedy's coffin leaves the White House during a U.S memorial service. It is taken by horse and cart to the Rotunda of the capital where it lay in state. 25th November, 1963 1:00am People lined the street for 3 miles to mourn the death of their beloved President. Over 250,000 people would view the casket that day and pay respect to John Kennedy. 1:54pm John Fitzgerald Kennedy is laid to rest at Arlington Cemetery where he will be forever remembered. His son John F. Kennedy JR. salutes his fathers casket in remembrance and respect.
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On the day of the assassination radio and television stations right across the world broadcast the somber news of the Presidents death. People sat, glued to their TV's as they watched in shock and horror at what they were viewing. An article from the BBC estimated over 800,000 people turned out to lined the streets of Washington DC as they paid their last respects during the funeral procession. A witness in the crowd stated "The crowds stood in silence, only punctuated by the sounds of weeping" This just puts into perspective the huge amounts of respect that such a huge crowd held for Kennedy and how grieved they were by his assassination.. There were many mixed emotions surrounding the assassination with the majority of them being grief and a huge sense of loss, however this wasn't the case for all and some reacted in different ways. For example Jack Ruby was so angered that he went and killed the presidents killer, others that were against Kennedy right from the beginning were more rejoiced, and some didn't really mind either way. All in all the assassination of President Kennedy affected most of America in some way or another and goes to show just how much of an influence he held.
22nd November, 1963 1:12 - 1:22pm Police search the Texas Book Depository where witness's state they heard the shots come from. Soon enough they find 3 empty rifle shells in a window on the 6th floor. Further searching of the 6th floor ends up with the rifle being discovered in the north-west quadrant of the building. 1:15pm Officer Tippit matches the suspect description to Oswald and approaches him on the corner of 10th Street and Patton Avenue. Oswald pulls a pistol and shoots Tippit dead. 1:30pm Meanwhile the White House Press Secretary gives an official announcement of the presidents death at the same time as Governor Conally goes into surgery at Parkland Hospital. 1:50pm Oswald is tracked down and surrounded by police in the Texas Theatre in Oak Cliff, Dallas. A shoot out occurs and after a struggle Oswald is arrested. 2:20pm Police begin interrogation on Lee Harvey Oswald at the Dallas Police Head Quarters 7:10pm Oswald is charged with the murder of Officer J.D. Tippit. 23rd November, 1963 12:00 - 1:30am Oswald is part of a press showing in the basement of Police Headquarters. A lot of media attend including his soon to be killer, Jack Ruby. After being finger printed and photographed Lee Harvey Oswald is charged with the shooting of the President of the United States of America. 4:00am Fingerprint analysis and further investigations proves the rifle used in the shooting does in fact belong to Oswald. While investigations are still commencing President Kennedy;s funeral is about to take place back in Washington DC. 24th November, 1963 11:21am - 1:07pm As Oswald is being transferred to a vehicle to be taken to the detention facility, Jack Ruby steps from the crowd and shoots Oswald right in the stomach with a revolver. Jack Ruby is immediately restrained and taken into custody. Oswald is critically injured and rushed off to Parkland Memorial hospital where at 1:07pm he dies of his wounds.
**NOTE Film contains graphic content, viewer discretion advised**
The Zapruder film is considered to be one of the most analysed films of all time. The silent, color motion sequence was shot by a Texan civilian named Abraham Zapruder and was filmed on a home-movie camera. All though it is not the only filming of the assassination its is by far the most complete as Zapruder was directly in line with the President as the fatal shot was fired. In frames 315 - 325 we saw a burst of blood where the bullet impacted with the presidents head. He then immediately slumps forward seemingly lifeless. The Warren Commission was set up on the 29th November, 1963 by the new President, Lyndon B. Johnson. The aim of this commission was to carry investigations into the assassination of Kennedy, Lee Harvey Oswald, and also Jack Ruby. On the 24th September, 1964 the Warren Commission filed a 26 volume report to President Johnson. The report concluded many things with the assassination but most importantly it labeled Oswald as a 'lone gunman' At the time there was a lot of controversy with the report and in future years further investigations would show that there were conspirators involved in one way to another.
Summary of the Warren Commissions conclusion: The overall summary of the Warren Commissions investigation is that Oswald was a lone gunman who acted by himself to fire 3 shots that wounded Governor Connally and killed President John Fitzgerald Kennedy. It concluded that Oswald fired the shots him self from the corner window on the 6th floor of the Texas Book Depository. It did however lay equal blame on not only the Dallas Police but also the media reporters for the killing of Oswald by night club owner jack Ruby. They questioned the security of Oswald and stated that more protection should have been issued considering the situation at hand. Most importantly however they state "In its entire investigation the Commission has found no evidence of conspiracy, subversion, or disloyalty to the U.S. Government by any Federal, State, or local official" which rules out any official conspiracy theories. |