Quotes and anectdotes from the wise to the foolish, and the courageous to the drunk

John F. Kennedy US President

  • Gender: Male
  • Citizenship: United States
  • Born: May 29, 1917
  • Died: Nov 22, 1963

John Fitzgerald Kennedy, commonly known as Jack Kennedy or by his initials JFK, was an American politician who served as the 35th President of the United States from January 1961 until his assassination in November 1963. Notable events that occurred during his presidency included the Bay of Pigs Invasion, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Space Race—by initiating Project Apollo, the building of the Berlin Wall, the African-American Civil Rights Movement, and the increased US involvement in the Vietnam War.

After military service as commander of Motor Torpedo Boats PT-109 and PT-59 during World War II in the South Pacific, Kennedy represented Massachusetts's 11th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1947 to 1953 as a Democrat. Thereafter, he served in the U.S. Senate from that state from 1953 until 1960. Kennedy defeated Vice President and Republican candidate Richard Nixon in the 1960 U.S. Presidential Election. At age 43, he was the youngest man to have been elected to the office, the second-youngest president, and the first person born in the 20th century to serve as president.

Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth. freedom

All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin. And therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words 'Ich bin ein Berliner!' men

We have the power to make this the best generation of mankind in the history of the world or to make it the last. best, history & power

The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining. time

Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names. forgiveness

Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable. peace

In a very real sense, it will not be one man going to the moon it will be an entire nation. For all of us must work to put him there. work

Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education. The human mind is our fundamental resource. education

Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men. men & strength

Politics is like football if you see daylight, go through the hole. politics

Once you say you're going to settle for second, that's what happens to you in life. life

Communism has never come to power in a country that was not disrupted by war or corruption, or both. power & war

The greater our knowledge increases the more our ignorance unfolds. knowledge & wisdom

Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate. fear

Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures. peace

Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other. leadership & learning

Our growing softness, our increasing lack of physical fitness, is a menace to our security. fitness

History is a relentless master. It has no present, only the past rushing into the future. To try to hold fast is to be swept aside. future & history

Things do not happen. Things are made to happen. motivational

When written in Chinese, the word 'crisis' is composed of two characters. One represents danger and the other represents opportunity. wisdom

Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity. fitness

Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future. change, future & life

My brother Bob doesn't want to be in government - he promised Dad he'd go straight. dad, government & politics

If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him. art & society

If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich. society

Mankind must put an end to war before war puts an end to mankind. war

The pay is good and I can walk to work. good & work

We believe that if men have the talent to invent new machines that put men out of work, they have the talent to put those men back to work. men & work

It is an unfortunate fact that we can secure peace only by preparing for war. peace & war

The goal of education is the advancement of knowledge and the dissemination of truth. education, knowledge & truth

The best road to progress is freedom's road. best & freedom

I don't think the intelligence reports are all that hot. Some days I get more out of the New York Times. intelligence

War will exist until that distant day when the conscientious objector enjoys the same reputation and prestige that the warrior does today. war

We cannot expect that all nations will adopt like systems, for conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth. freedom

We must use time as a tool, not as a couch. time

We would like to live as we once lived, but history will not permit it. history

We prefer world law in the age of self-determination to world war in the age of mass extermination. age & war

Mothers all want their sons to grow up to be president, but they don't want them to become politicians in the process. parenting

It might be said now that I have the best of both worlds. A Harvard education and a Yale degree. best, education & graduation

Those who dare to fail miserably can achieve greatly. great

A nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people. fear & truth

My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. Memorial Day

The basic problems facing the world today are not susceptible to a military solution. war

If we cannot now end our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity. history

Now we have a problem in making our power credible, and Vietnam is the place. power

Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction. courage