Thousands Gather to Celebrate John F. Kennedy’s 100th Birthday

In Boston this past Monday, thousands of Americans gathered to celebrate the life and legacy of former President John f. Kennedy on the day he would have been 100 years old.

He was commemorated by The United States Postal Service with the dedication of a JFK postage stamp in the late President’s hometown of Brookline, Massachusetts. Kennedy was born in the suburb of Boston on May 29, 1917.

The photograph that was chosen for the new stamp was taken by Ted Spiegel when Kennedy was campaigning for the presidency in Seattle. Nick Francescucci, Boston postmaster, claims that this particular photo was chosen because of the way that Kennedy was looking up. Francescucci says that “His eyes were high, they were looking at the sky, (and) it looked liked there was a big bright future ahead of us.”

Joe Kennedy III, Democratic U.S. representative, gave a speech at the John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site, JFK’s birthplace and childhood home. He spoke of his great-uncle as a man who possessed honest and infectious pride, someone who encouraged a generation to give their service to this country and made them a promise that it would be worthwhile.

There was also a wreath-laying ceremony given in honor of the President at his resting place in the Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. The 35th President of the United States served from January 1961 to November 1963, when he was assassinated at the young age of 47.

The John F. Kennedy Library and Museum in Boston also held a celebration in honor of his birthday. The event included a cake made by the family’s baker who also made the engagement cake for Kennedy and his wife Jacqueline according to museum officials. It marked the end of the long Memorial Day Holiday that honored Kennedy’s legacy, which drew thousands to celebrate.

Steven Rothstein the executive director of the library claims that “There’s no one issue or event that we could do to highlight the different facets of (Kennedy).” The director also called many of the Presidents key ideas “timeless”, referring to him as a “visionary who never goes out of style.”

Kennedy had a strong commitment to service, which was also celebrated this past Saturday night in a ceremony co-hosted by the National Peace Corps Association. Glenn Blumhorst, the President of the Association, called the Peace Corps a “living legacy of JFK.” It was Kennedy who issued the executive order that established the Peace Corps in 1961. Blumhorst admires how the American people responded to Kennedy’s call to action.

Featured Image via Wikimedia Commons