On a bright Friday afternoon in Dallas, Texas, thousands of people lined the streets, eager to catch a glimpse of the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy.
The Fateful Day of November 22, 1963
The atmosphere was filled with excitement as families waved American flags and children cheered. The presidential motorcade, a long line of cars carrying the President and other officials, slowly made its way through the city.
President Kennedy was riding in a sleek, open-top limousine as part of a motorcade, accompanied by his wife, Jacqueline Kennedy, Texas Governor John Connally, and Connally’s wife, Nellie. The streets were lined with cheering crowds, waving American flags and hoping to see their leader up close.
Just two cars behind Kennedy, Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson and his wife, Lady Bird Johnson, were also part of the convoy. The atmosphere was filled with excitement and joy as people watched the smiling President wave to them from his car.
However, the joyful mood quickly turned into horror. As the motorcade passed through Dealey Plaza at around 12:30 PM, gunshots rang out. The crowd fell silent in shock. Many people initially thought the sounds were fireworks or backfiring engines. But in reality, they were deadly gunshots.
President Kennedy was struck by two bullets. One hit him in the upper back and exited through his throat. The second bullet, which was fatal, hit him in the head. Governor Connally, who was seated in front of the President, was also shot but survived.
The limousine sped to Parkland Memorial Hospital, but despite the frantic efforts of doctors, Kennedy was pronounced dead at 1:00 PM. The shocking news of the President’s death spread like wildfire, leaving the nation and the world in disbelief and mourning.
The Man Behind the Gun: Lee Harvey Oswald
Shortly after the shooting, police and witnesses traced the gunshots to a building overlooking Dealey Plaza—the Texas School Book Depository. Inside, they found a sniper’s nest on the sixth floor. Empty bullet shells and a rifle with Oswald’s fingerprints were discovered at the scene.
Within hours, police arrested 24-year-old Lee Harvey Oswald, a former U.S. Marine with ties to the Soviet Union. He was taken into custody after allegedly shooting a Dallas police officer, J.D. Tippit, while trying to escape.
Oswald, looking calm but defiant, insisted he was just a “patsy” and denied any involvement in the assassination. However, the evidence against him quickly piled up. Witnesses claimed they saw him near the Book Depository window, and authorities linked the recovered rifle to him.
But the story took an unexpected twist. Just two days after the assassination, while Oswald was being transferred to a county jail, he was shot and killed by Jack Ruby, a local nightclub owner. Ruby’s bold act, carried out in front of live television cameras, stunned the nation and fueled suspicions of a cover-up.
Ruby claimed he acted out of grief and anger over Kennedy’s death. However, his sudden and shocking attack on Oswald prevented investigators from ever questioning the accused assassin about his true motives or possible connections to a larger plot.
The Warren Commission and the Search for Truth
Following the tragic events, President Lyndon B. Johnson established the Warren Commission to investigate the assassination. The commission, led by Chief Justice Earl Warren, aimed to uncover the facts behind Kennedy’s death.
After months of investigation, the commission released its final report in 1964. It concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone and there was no evidence of a larger conspiracy. According to the commission, Oswald fired three shots, two of which hit Kennedy. The report stated that Oswald had no known accomplices or ties to a larger network.
However, not everyone was convinced. The release of the Warren Report only fueled public skepticism. Many found it hard to believe that a lone gunman could so easily assassinate the most powerful man in the world.
Over the years, numerous conspiracy theories emerged. Some believed there were multiple shooters. Others claimed the CIA, the FBI, the Mafia, or even the U.S. government was involved. The mysterious circumstances surrounding Oswald’s death and Ruby’s sudden attack only deepened public doubts.
For decades, classified government files related to the assassination were kept hidden from the public, adding to the mystery. People demanded answers, and calls for transparency grew louder over the years.
Now, after 60 years, the U.S. government has finally declassified the remaining JFK assassination files. With the release of over 80,000 pages of documents, the world may finally have access to the complete story of what happened on that tragic day.
The assassination of John F. Kennedy marked a turning point in American history. It left the nation in mourning, cast a shadow of suspicion over its institutions, and sparked countless theories and speculations. Even today, it remains one of the most significant and debated events in U.S. history.
