POLITICS
The Kennedy Curse: Deaths, accidents and assassinations | Chronology of the family’s fatal events
It was 61 years ago when the shots rang out in Dallas that ultimately killed then president John F. Kennedy, while the “curse” remained alive.
It has been 61 years since the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, an event etched into the annals of American history on 22 November 1963. The Kennedy family, known for its contributions to politics and public service, has faced an extraordinary series of misfortunes that some attribute to the so-called “Kennedy curse.” Today, we revisit this legacy.
Tragic losses across the Kennedy family
The Kennedy family’s history is marred by a string of heart-wrenching tragedies.
- Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., the eldest son, perished in a plane crash during World War II in 1944.
- Kathleen Kennedy's newlywed husband William Cavendish, was shot and killed by a German sniper in Belgium on Sep. 9, 1944.
- Four years later, in 1948, Kathleen Kennedy, known as “Kick,” also lost her life in a plane crash.
- In 1956 JFK and Jackie's daugher Arabella died at birth.
- JFK and Jackie's son died on Aug. 9, 1963 two days after being born prematurely.
- Nov. 22, 1963 JFK was assassinated in Dallas, Texas by Lee Harvey Oswald.
- Following President John F. Kennedy, just five years later, in 1968 the family endured another assassination, with Robert F. Kennedy falling victim to a gunman while on the presidential campaign trail.
The 1960s were further marked by other incidents that impacted the Kennedy family:
More tragic events in the 1960s
- Dec. 19, 1961: Joseph Kennedy suffered a massive stroke, which affected his ability to speak.
- June 19, 1964: U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy survived a plane crash in which the pilot and one his aides died. The crash took pace in Southampton, MA.
- July 18, 1969: The Chappaquiddick incident, also involving Ted Kennedy, who drove his car off a bridge, resulted in the death of Mary Jo Kopechne. That led him to say, “some awful curse did actually hang over all the Kennedys.”
The subsequent decades brought additional sorrow. In 1974 Athalia Ponsell Lindsley, who dated Joseph P Kennedy Jr. was murdered at her home. April 25, 1984 was when David Kennedy died due to a drug overdose. On New Year’s Eve 1997 Michael Kennedy met a tragic end in a skiing accident when he ran into a tree. John F. Kennedy Jr., a charismatic figure in his own right, died in a plane crash in 1999 alongside his wife, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, and sister-in-law, Lauren Bessette.
The years that followed saw the passing of Kara Kennedy in 2011, Mary Kennedy in 2012, Christopher Kennedy Lawford in 2018, Saoirse Kennedy Hill in 2019, and Maeve Kennedy Townsend McKean in 2020, who tragically lost her life in a canoeing accident along with her young son, Gideon. It truly has been a catalogue of disasters.
Kennedys keeping the family name alive
As the Kennedy family navigated these heartrending losses, some members persist in carrying on the family legacy. Notable survivors include Senator Edward M. Kennedy’s children and grandchildren, who continued to contribute to public life.
Patrick Kennedy, son of Sen. ‘Ted’ Kennedy - and nephew of President JFK - was an eight-term congressman from Rhode Island. Joseph Kennedy II, son of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., served six terms as Massachusetts congressman, while his sister Kathleen Kennedy Townsend was a two-term Maryland lieutenant governor. Then there is Caroline Kennedy, JFK’s daughter and only surviving child. She almost replaced Hillary Clinton in the Senate in 2009 but chose a different path.
The most prominent of the Kennedys right now, however, is surely the aforementioned Robert. And he is pushing for more information to be released about his uncle’s death.
What’s the situation with the JFK assassination records?
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the late president’s nephew and current nominee to become the US Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Trump administration, launched a petition urging the Biden administration to release the remaining government records linked to this historic event. In 1992, Congress passed the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act, requiring all materials related to JFK’s killing to be stored in the National Archives and Records Administration. The act mandated the public disclosure of all records by 2017.
While both Presidents Trump and Biden have released thousands of documents, citing concerns related to national security, law enforcement, and foreign affairs, some records remain classified. Kennedy Jr. argues that unveiling the full, unredacted records is crucial for restoring trust in the government. The Biden has released 99 percent of the information of the assassination, citing the need to protect against identifiable harms to military defense, intelligence operations, law enforcement, and foreign relations.
But, Kennedy Jr. believes that releasing the remaining records is essential for transparency and democracy and urged President Biden to comply with the 1992 act. Kennedy Jr. questions the hesitation, asking, “What is so embarrassing that they’re afraid to show the American public 60 years later?”
Despite the petition’s launch, the White House has yet to respond to Kennedy Jr.’s request. Now, as part of the Trump administration, maybe RFK will be able to have the last 1 percent released.