. >> we the american people saw the john kennedy -- thought that john kennedy was kind of the image of energy and good health when, in fact, he was sick his whole life. it was only later we found out how bad his health really was, that he had received the last rites of the catholic church three times when his family thought he was dying. >> one of the most famous pictures of president kennedy was taken by a "new york times" photographer. if. >> reporter: pete souza is chief white house photographer for president obama. >> the title of the photograph is "the loneliest job." and the reality of that picture is he's standing up and he's got his hands on the table because of his bad back. >> reporter: the job has changed since the kennedys from controlled to nearly total fly on the wall access. historical documentation, not much myth making. when you see those intimate photographs with the kennedy children knowing what you do how does that strike you? >> i think it does tell you a lot about him as a person, as a human being, not just in his role as president. >> reporter: his assassination,

john kennedy, carolyn kennedy. today is john f. kennedy, jr.'s third birthday. cardinal curbing, richard cardinal cushing of boston, and archbis ship patrick o'boyle. [background sounds] [background sounds] >> cardinal cushing will celebrate, and i believe that is the correct word, the funeral mass. hehe is an old kennedy family friend. the mass was set for noon, and it is precisely noon now. [background sounds] inside the cathedral, everyone was asked to be in place at 11:45. [background sounds] ♪ ♪ >> it is to be a low mass rather than a high one at the request of mr. kennedy's family. cardinal to greet. ♪ ♪ >> during the mass, father leonard hurley will be here to tell us what is happening. and, where necessary, what it means. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [background sounds] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> the ex-president is at the door. he blesses the remains with holy water, reminded of their baptism as their entrance into the church. the solemn procession moves up th

how much has changed since the death of john f. kennedy. the fact that i'm sitting here with our current guest is actually perhaps the biggest change. civil rights was only on the table at the time of his assassination. we're here because of those events. >> november 22nd, 1963, and if you go back just about 90 days earlier, you had the march on washington, which was about the civil right's act, which was about john kennedy having this historic meeting, and if you go back just a few -- two months prior to the civil rights act. you have john kennedy introducing for the first time a major peace of civil rights legislation. john kennedy fulfilling his 1960 campaign pledge. >> and people want to believe for some small reason because all they did was get together, have lunch, and say that's a good idea. but america in 1963 was deeply divided. >> deeply divided, and you had birmingham, dr. king being arrested, demonstrations all over the south. you had a resistance taking place to the old system of segregation. again, this was nine years after th

kennedy. >> john f. kennedy y nuestra ciudad estarán eternamente unidos dijo el alcalde michael rollins. >> y le pido al señor para que siga guiando dallas para transformar el odio en armonia y la violencia en entendimiento. >> presentó las banderas y mónica saldivas, entonó el himno nacional antes de que sea marcado con el repique de campanas y un minuto de silencio. >> se plamas parte del discurso que john f. kennedy nunca llegó a pronunicar en el world trade center. >> es un momento para recordar de todo lo que hizo y lo que quiso hacer. >> está en las manos de muchos aún concretarlos. >> dignatarios y representantes de los medios de comunicación estuvieron hoy en dallas al igual que personas que obtuvieron boletos para eso. >> en el marco del día nacional de adopcion cientos de personas dieron un paso clave. >> tenemos la historia de una familia latina que hoy adopto a dos bebnes. >> efectivamente nos vinimos al condado de la alameda para cxelebrar el día nacional de la adopacion, platicam

kennedy. he was born two years before john f. kennedy was killed. but bill clinton, there is the famous photograph. this was a man who meant a great deal to him. >> but he does have a memory of ted kennedy, one of his mentors in the senate, one of the people closest to him, someone without whom he could not have done health care reform, right? ted kennedy's part of it. >> thank you so much. stay with cnn as we continue special coverage. in the next hour, we will be remembering john f. kennedy as president and first lady. go to arlington cemetery for a special service. her busy saturday begins with back pain, when... hey pam, you should take advil. why? you can take four advil for all day relief. so i should give up my two aleve for more pills with advil? you're joking right? for my back pain, i want my aleve. you're joking right? (horn, ding, ding) how long have i had my car insurance? i don't know, eight, ten years. i couldn't tell you but things were a lot less expensive back then. if you're 50 or over you should take a new look at your auto insur

that is what issthis what about john kennedy. how there was no predictable mold to john kennedy. that is what defined him in history and leaves us guessing in history. just ask a historian. rick, this happened after the fact, but let's go back who he was, and i think one thing that comes through loud and clear is not easily labeled, not a conservative but very pragmatic. >> and these are terms the change with every generation. it is the one at was supposed to be in the early 1960s and jfk as a politician, of course, always one of these terms to be flexible. this includes jfk being a liberal in the classic mold. it has pretty much been debunked by histians if you look athis backing of the civil rights movement. he was kind of weak kneed the first couple of years and then offense finally pushed into it and he got mor liberal on the issue. talking about his tax cut policy, whch is what i think what you really want to ta about here is jfk who started out fairly conservative on tax cuts and he was not a conservative when it came to government policy. so it is mixed bag. >> he did go a

the son, john kennedy junior, killed in a senseless plane crashed off of cape cod. it is a combination, i think, of continuesthings that to recommend kennedy to us as this very, very appealing figure. >> i wonder whether or not whether -- what ever john kennedy did or did not accomplish, there are those to this day who are concerned about the hype of the kennedy years, and they see him as a mediocre president, at best, not a failed president, but mediocre. my question is whether what he did or did not accomplish in life will always be overshadowed by how he died. >> yes. you know, he did have some accomplishments. there was, of course, the most striking feature, the way in which he led the country through that cuban missile crisis. we know in retrospect that he avoided a nuclear conflict with the soviet union. successseized upon that to make his famous american university speech in which he spoke about thinking anew, a fresh about our relationship with the soviet union. if he lived, i think we would've had an earlier detente then we did under richard nixon. then the

that is what issthis what about john kennedy. how there was no predictable mold to john kennedy. that is what defined him in history and leaves us guessing in history. just ask a historian. rick, this happened after the fact, but let's go back who he was, and i think one thing that comes through loud and clear is not easily labeled, not a conservative but very pragmatic. >> and these are terms the change with every generation. it is the one at was supposed to be in the early 1960s and jfk as a politician, of course, always one of these terms to be flexible. this includes mold. it has pretty much been debunked by historians if you look at his backing of the civil right movement. he was kind of weak kneed the first couple of years and then offense finally pushed into it and he got more liberal on the issue. talking about his tax cut policy, which is what i think what you really want to talk about here is jfk who started out fairly conservative on tax cuts and he was not a conservative when it came to government policy. so it is a mixed bag. >> he did go after this industry and the

every word of that comes from john kennedy's mouth. that's what he said. so, my belief is that he would have gotten out. but not frontally. he was conscious enough of the problems not to, for instance, good on television and say, my fellow americans, we can't win here. we just -- no matter how strong we are no matter how many people we put in vietnam, we can't win this because -- it's not central to american security. that domino theory i once espoused, the philippines will not be threatened if south vietnam fall, which was the belief of many policymakers. so he kind of stalls through '64. when the pt boats are attacked he does not ask for a gulf of tonkin resolution help doesn't want to be given a blank check because the hawks will demand i cash it. and in 1964 he has a second summit meeting with nikita khrushchev, which was on the table, and he cuts a deal with khrushchev, could not stir stuff up and we can get out of this thing. and basically i think in the back of his mind, he knew, that sooner or later vietnam would fall, but needed to fall later. in

the assassination of president john f. kennedy. the 35th president was in the oval office for a mere 1,000 days. but in that short time, his camelot captivated the country. a wall

that is what issts what about john kennedy. how there was no predictable mold to john kennedy. that is what defined him in history and leaves us guessing in history. just ask historian. rick, this happened after the fact, but let's go back who he was, and i think one thing that comes through loud and clear is not easily labeled, not a conservative but very pragmatic >> and these are terms the change with every generation. it is the one a was supposed to be in the early 1960s and jfk as a politician, of course, always one of these terms to be flexible. this includes jfk being a libel in the classic mold. it has pretty much been debunked by historians if you look at his backing of the civil rights movement. he was kind of weak kneed the first couple of years and then offense finally pushed into it and he got more liberal on the issue. talking about his tax cut policy, which is what i think what you really want to talk about re is jfk who started out fairly conservative on tax cuts and he was not a onservative when it cae to government policy. so it is a mixed bag. >> he did go af

john fitzgerald kennedy got 49.7%. so 5% of the democratic vote stayed away from kennedy because he was irish catholic. one of the legacies of that presidency, which we don't spend enough -- pay enough attention to, is whether you loved or hated john fitzgerald kennedy. within ten days of his assuming the presidency, it was clear that he was faithful to the constitution, and the fact that he was an irish catholic did not mean that he had any less allegiance or patriotism to this country. and following that thousand days in office, i mean, look at the last election, we had two catholics running for national -- >> you go from talking about how there is sort of a -- the stigmatized catholics and costing to go into the kennedy name being magic, growing up in massachusetts, i learned firsthand, the name -- the power of the kennedy name at the ballot box. michael, i want to bring in, you had ideas of running against the kennedy name in maryland in 2002. kathleen kennedy-townsend was the democratic nominee, you were the repub

joining me now the author of "end of days, the assassination of john f. kennedy. and robert dally, the author of "camelot's court inside the white house." welcome to all three of you, historians in this era. let's start with you doug brinkley. in terms of what robert kennedy said there, the real legacy may be he's a man of peace during a time of great conflict. is that a fair analysis? >> he was a man of peace, but he was a cold war hawk. i think his legacy is something like the space program here at my university, rice university, kennedy came in '62 and said we'll put a man on the moon at the end of the decade and did it and he framed it in a sense of exploration and science of moving people to do things. he is a server of the peace corps and the things he did with the government is positive and in the '60s and vietnam comes people start disliking their government. but kennedy was an inspirational president of the 20th century. >> robert dally, do you go along with that, particularly in relation to vietnam, where kennedy started the american troop involvement th

that is what issthis what about john kennedy. how there was no predictable mold to john kennedy. that is what defined him in history and leaves us guessing in history. just ak a historian. rick, this happened after the fact, but let's go back who he was, and i think one thing that comes through loud and clear is not easily labeled, not a conservative but very pragmatic. >> and these are terms the change with ery generation. it is the one at was supposed to be in the early 1960s and jfk as a politician, of course, always one of these terms to be flexible. this includes jfk being a liberal in the classic mold. it has pretty much been debunked by historians if you look at his backing of the civi rights movement. he was kind of weak kneed the first couple of years and then offense finally pushed into it and he got more liberal on the issue. talking about his tax cut policy, which is what i think what you really want to talk about here is jfk who started out fairly conservative on tax cuts and he was not a conservative when it came to government policy. so it is a mixed bag. >> he did

to run for office because i was inspired by the life of john f. kennedy. inspired by the life of john f. kennedy. >> i think everybody wants to be like jack kennedy because the inspiration that he provided to so many americans and his martyrdom, let's be frank, obviously covered up some failings that he might have -- may have had as every president has had. >> he has been given the kind of referen reverence he didn't have when alive and probably would be the have exercised had he survived dallas. >> nonetheless, i think you would have to say it is a legacy that most politicians would do well to aspire to, to give the country a sense of mission and of hope and direction. >> let every nation know whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and success of liberty. >> it was the first telegenic president. i think he mesmerized people by the way he looked, the way he spoke, the way he acted, the way he carried himself. he certainly was charismatic. >

that's why people loved john kennedy. he appealed to our optimism and our sense of public service. >> we had a tremendous loss of faith in the government after jack kennedy was killed and i hope the american people remember that to the extent that sometimes people play a board game of who killed kennedy, it's a tremendous disservice to the kennedy family. they deserve better. we all lost somebody, but they lost a key member to their family and we do a disservice to them when we may these conspiracy games. >> thanks to all of you for remembering, reflecting. if we don't learn from history, unfortunately, we could repeat history. let's learn from those awful days. i'll be back 5:00 p.m. eastern in "the situation room." a special news room with brooke baldwin continues right after this. to farmer. and our giant idaho potato truck is still missing. so my dog and i we're going to go find it. it's out there somewhere spreading the good word about idaho potatoes and raising money for meals on wheels. but we'd really like our tru

that is what issthis what about john kennedy. how there was no predictable mold to john kennedy. that is what defined him in history and leaves us guessing in history. just ask a historian. rick, this happened after the fact, but let's go back who he was, and i think one thing that comes through loud and clear is not easily labeled, not a conservative but very pragmatic. >> and these are terms the change with every generation. it is the one at was supposed to be in the early 1960s and jfk as a politician, of course, always one of these terms to be flexible. this includes jfk being a liberal in the classic mold. it has pretty much been debunked by historians if you look at his backing of the civil rights movement. he was kind of weak kneed the first couple of years and then offense finally pushed into it and he got more liberal on the issue. talking about his tax cut policy, which is what i think what you really want to talk about here is jfk who started out fairly conservative on tax cuts and he was not a conservative when it came to government policy. so it is a mixed bag. >> he

john movement honors fitzgerald kennedy. even as the succession to lyndon johnson is taking place, what is this succession taking place? one group of sentries is relieved, another group of sentries takes their place. the casket -- covered with a flag. they stand at attention. untilill stand that way others come to take their places. that is the military tradition. john fitzgerald kennedy is a military man. people were to have filed through therefore a portion of yesterday. it was originally planned for the night that the rotunda would be closed. so many people came to pay their last respects that it was kept open throughout the night. as we have noted, the weather was to turn cold. that did not matter. to consider come the weather. they came only to pay their last respects to john kennedy. -- 16 blocks one way and 16 blocks the other way. the blocks are long city blocks. they stayed there and they moved slowly, considering the weather. much too quickly when you consider the amount of respect they wanted to show. they were th

many catholics could relate with john f. kennedy. the year before that he went to mexico city and the people just loved him. your call.u for let us hear from joseph in castle rock colorado. >> good morning. . was five and a half years old i just have a quick legacy comment. one characteristic of john f. what he said as -- he did everything he could to minimize or eliminate conflict, either on a national, orsonal, even international level. if there is one legacy we could -- our problems are man made. todaynflict that exists a model forhave set how conflict should be resolved. more of your calls in just a bit. we will take you live to dallas where the ceremony is about to get underway in the lee plaza. -- in the leap lazo. dealey plaza. >> we will go to alice live once that ceremony gets underway. there is a preview video playing right now. let's hear from a couple more collars. joe was in minnesota. go ahead. i was living in culver city, california at the time. we were allowed to have headphones to hear our radio. all of a sudden pres

that is john kennedy's womanizing. this is one thing he wrote. kennedy had affairs with several women, including pamela turnure, jackie's press secretary, mary pinchot meier, ben bradley's sister-in-law, two white house secretaries playfully dubbed fiddle and fadle. judith campbell exner and a full slender beautiful intern. how much of this did the press know and not report? >> ben bradley who i talked to at great length insists he did not know, did not know about his own sister-in-law being involved with jfk. so in retrospect, there was a feeling this was better known or better documented than it may have been at the time. >> in your biography, you talk about the fact that his reputation as a womanizer was known when he was a senator in washington. she was well aware of this reputation as they were dating. what do we know about mrs. kennedy's knowledge about how much it continued after the marriage? and if so, how she felt about it? >> well, bless her heart, she kept her counsel on most of the time. she didn't write a memoir, she didn't go on op

that is what issthis what about john kennedy. how thereas no predictable mold to john kennedy. that is what defined him in history and leaves us guessing in history. just ask a historian. rick, this happened after the fact,but let's go back who he was, and think one thing that comes through loud and clear is not easily labeled, not a conservative but very pragmatic. >> and these are terms the change with every generation. it is the one at was supposed to be in theearly 1960s and jfk as a politician, of course, always one of these terms to be flexible. this includes jfk ing a liberal in the classic mold. it has pretty much been debunked by historians if you look at his backing of the civil rights movement. he was kind of weak kneed the first couple of years and then offense finally pushed into it and he got more liberal on the issue. talking about his tax cut policy, which is what i think what you really want to talk about here is jfk who started out fairly conservative on tax cuts and e was not a conservative when it came to government policy. so it is a mixed bag. >> he did go

>> guest: honestly john f. kennedy did. that is one reason why did the book. i've always had it in the back of my mind that i wanted to write about this and i didn't have the time or resources to do it. we are doing a big project on kennedy. the book is a five-year project. that is why it's 600 pages. if you give an academic another year he will add another 100 pages that we are doing a massive on line course that is free to anyone who wants to sign up to the corsair.org platform. we are doing a special mobile app that's going to have all of the new information and data we have compiled about the assassination on there and that's going to be --. >> host: just about the assassination or a slight? >> guest: the whole presidency, the assassination and the legacy through nine presidents. that is what we try to do is traced john f. kennedy through his nine successors and legacy is kind of a life after death. >> host: how long have you been teaching? >> guest: i've been at uva as a teacher since 1978 and i went there as an undergraduate. i used to have lunch with th

. >> john kennedy was much more wealthy than she. so why would the public not react to his wealth in the way he was concerned with her? >> he felt there are many -- as many political leaders that come from affluence to, he gave the impression that he was a guy from the navy. in 1957 she bought him a jag wire as a birthday gift. he had it returned and traded it in for review at -- a buick. he felt she was not someone who had much political experience. >> she talked in the oral history about how she felt she was a drag on him in the early days. >> she said, i'm sorry i'm such a drag for you. >> before we get into more detail on the 1960 campaign, i would like to understand the creation of the imagery of camelot. how did that come about? >> jackie kennedy asked teddy friend, writing for "life" magazine, to come to hyannisport and interview her. -- pressers were held for this. she said, late at night, before were in the white house, we used to play the record of "camelot" in the player. needless to say, the editors and life thought, this

john f. kennedy was assassinated. a new photography is open in new york. >> images are taken by americans waiting to shake his hand or get close to the cares massic president. >> the photographs line the walls taken when cell phone cameras weren't even imagined. >> how are they different than by standers today? >> exactly the same, making the argument that this is the prehistory of citizen journalists. >> the most famous photo was taken and circulated on wire services within hours. what today is known as going viral. >> this is the photograph that went out and united press international. this photograph was on newspapers and televisions around the world within hours. >> this is the only photograph that captures the exact moment of impact. >> to my knowledge, yes. >> it shows the unique look across the grassy knoll. if you look closely, you see shadowy figures. it's the one that has generated the most debate and is reproduced in all of the conspiracy books related to the assassination. >> television stations went into

john kennedy called us to service. john kennedy observed that although the challenges in front of us were hard, that america could meet them, overcome them, and be a greater country. i would suggest to all of us that we need that same kind of inspiration today. america is faced with challenges today. america is faced with division today. this body is faced with division today. it is easy to forget as we remember john fitzgerald kennedy how close an election it was between richard nixon and john fitzgerald kennedy. less, i believe, as i recall, than 200,000 votes separated them after millions of votes were cast. john kennedy was declared the president of the united states. and our nation remained divided. that was the generation of the civil rights movement. that was the generation of martin luther king, of rosa parks, of so many other heroes of the civil rights movement. and our colleague john lewis, the boy from troy. as we remember the assassination of john kennedy and in remembering that, like john larson of connect

one person knew both john f. kennedy and lee harvey oswald. her story is in "the atlantic" including what she thinks about a possible conspiracy and her run-in with oliver stone. it's up on our facebook page. let us know what you think, head to facebook/jansingco. plan [ woman 2 ] to carry on traditions. [ woman 3 ] to come together even when we're apart. [ male announcer ] in stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy and more, swanson makes holiday dishes delicious. to prove the skeptics wrong. hi. are you karen? [ karen ] yes, i am you said in a focus group, "they just mask the smell." i'm going to ask you to find the smelliest item in your home. here. okay. [ laughs ] very, very strong dog odor. this is febreze free. it has no perfume. wow. now it smells clean, and it doesn't have an odor. you're welcome. [ male announcer ] odor elimination without masking. the proof is in every bottle of febreze fabric refresher. breathe happy. his day of coaching begins with knee pain, when... [ man ] hey, brad, want to trade the all-day relief of two aleve for si

that is john kennedy's womanizing. this is one thing he wrote. kennedy had affairs with several including pamela turnure, jackie's press secretary, mary pinchot meier, ben bradley's two white house secretaries playfully dubbed fiddle and fadle. judith campbell exner and a full slender beautiful intern. how much of this did the press know and not report. to en bradley who i talked at great length insists he did about hisdid not know own sister-in-law being involved with jfk. there was a ect, feeling this was better known or better documented than it may time. en at the >> in your biography, you talk about the fact that his as a womanizer was known when he was a senator in washington. aware of this reputation as they were dating. what do we know about mrs. how dy's knowledge about much it continued after the marriage? nd if so, how she felt about it? she ll, pless her heart, kept her counsel on most of the time. , she dn't write a memoir didn't go on oprah and tell all. some. even tell >> that's a great credit to her. so we think she may have a tim

kennedy and john and caroline. >> she got along with mr. onassis. >> and when people were giving her trouble for marrying mr. onassis, rose stuck up for her and said jack would have wanted her to be happy. >> you describe her as being homeless after the death of president kennedy and wanted to know why the family didn't bring her more support, bring her to the fold, give her a place to live. >> she had money. >> she had $150,000 from the trusts coming her way. bobby pitched in $50,000. >> this is mid '60s. times that times ten for today's dollars. by her standards, perhaps it wasn't enough. in terms of the physical place to live, she said in the famous interview with theodore white, the camelot interview the week after the assassination said she wanted to live with my children in the places i lived with jack. georgetown and on the cape. she could have gone to the cape. she went to georgetown. avril larriman loaned his home and she bought a home across the street. it was inundated with tourist buses, tourists, photographers, peeping into her

i can't imagine john kennedy calling for a great society. because the detachment of which you speak is also about how much you think you can accomplish as the head of a government. i don't think we would have phrased "great society." >> rose: michael? >> he would have shrunk from the kind of overstatement that l.b.j. used hourly or by the minute. but one thing i remember is that the great political scientist who was my revered mentor at williams college wrote the first biography of john kennedy, came out in 1959 and one of the things he said-- and it reflected what a lot of people felt that the time-- john kennedy is not someone at whose funeral strangers would cry. look how long he came. >> rose: i think you can stay grandiosity -- >> rose: unlike, say, roosevelt, michael? >> yes, because what what burns was saying was that kennedy was known '59 and 1960 as this sort of almost bloodless politicals a pir rant who intellectually was doing the right things but burns sped whether he has the commitment of the heart as well as the head is somethi

plus, a reflection on the interrupted legacy of president john f. kennedy. that's later tonight on "washington week." judy >> wooduff: tomorrow's edition of "pbs newshour" weekend looks at an innovative way to encourage americans to save. special correspondent karla murthy reports on a credit union plan called "save to win". here's an excerpt. >> in tonight's megamillion jackpots is an estimated annuitized come 149 million. >> it's a moment that millions of americans wait for each week. >> now, let's see if we can make you a millionaire tonight. >> the chance to win a huge, life-changing amount of money. >> a check for $10,000. >> but now, some states are experimenting with a different kind of lottery, one where you won't necessarily win but you can't lose. >> ( applause ) >> wooduff: that's tomorrow, on "pbs newshour" weekend. and we'll be back, right here, on monday. with a look at tunesia's struggle to restart democracy; and we look to thanksgiving with a week-long series on food. that's the "newshour" for tonight. i'm judy woodruff. have a nice weekend.

why john f. kennedy matters to a new generation. welcome. >> thanks for having me on john. >> you are 30 years old and we were looking up the statistics. i guess there are some 60% of people in the united states that weren't alive when john kennedy was assassinated. what does president kennedy mean to you? >> to me he's a timeless symbol of home and optimism in the country. as divided we are among partisan lines, he offers us a vision, to look past our differences to make our country better. >> as you wrote this book, he clearly was a powerful influence on you but what about your generation? >> i think our generation can still be moved by his words. for us as you noted, it's history, it is something we learned in our high school classrooms. i think it's important to look beyond some of the big highlights such as the assassination, the peace corps, the missile crisis, his values. we don't do enough of it, we should look at his emphasis on citizen ship and the need to work together, regardless whom we support in the last election. >>

be anchoring our special coverage of the dallas memorial of john f. kennedy. stay tuned as the events begin right at the top of the hour. thanks so much for watching, everyone. everyone. and have a good weekend. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >>> you're with cnn. welcome to "around the world." i'm hal lal gorani. >> i'm michael holmes. we welcome our viewers from all around the world, a very important day in u.s. history. we are in fact, approaching the moment that assassin's bullet took the life of president john f. kennedy and shattered the nation 50 years. >> so it's an event that is still seared in the collective copeousness of this country. one of the darkest days really in this country's history. and people gathering in dallas to honor the slain president. you're looking at live pictures of dealey plaza, the scene of the tragedy. >> the city's going to hold a moment of silence at the exact time of the assassination. today's event the first time dallas zillions officially commemorating jfk's death. the first time in 50 years. of course, the eternal

. >> from nbc news, president kennedy and governor john connally of texas have been cut down by assassin's bullets in downtown dallas. we'll repeat that. president kennedy and governor john connally of texas have been cut down by assassin's bullets in downtown dallas. >> the assassination of john f. kennedy 50 years later. brian williams reporting tonight from dallas. >>> and good evening from dallas, texas. we're in dealey plaza just across from the sixth floor window in the texas schoolbook depository building where three shots were fired 50 years ago today that changed the course of american history. and here in the shadow of that very building it was a perfectly awful day. 35 degrees, rain and wind, perfectly matching how dark it felt to be here today. and going back 50 years ago tonight, by this time of night, right now, air force one had just landed back in washington, d.c. carrying the president's casket, his widow jacqueline kennedy and the new president, lyndon johnson. most americans were home for the day. schools and offices let out early, and millions by this time were huddled

>> guest: john f. kennedy. that's one reason i did the book. i've always had it in the back of my mind that i wanted to write about this once i have the resources. we were doing a big project. you gave an academic another year and he's going to have another 100 pages. but we are doing an online course that is free to anyone that wants to sign up on the platform. we are giving exposure special mobile app that's going to have the new information and data that we have compiled about the assassination and that's going to be available. >> host: just about the assassination or his entire life -- >> guest: go. the whole presidency, the assassination and the legacy. that's what we try to do is trace john f. kennedy through his nine successors. legacy is a kind of life after death. >> host: sure. how long have you been teaching at uva? >> guest: as a teacher since 78 and i went as an undergraduate. i used to have lunch with thomas jefferson. [laughter] that's what my students think. >> host: outside of presidency is coming to is your favorite historian?

>> guest: on wesley john f. kennedy did. that's one reason why did the book. i voice had it in the back of my mind that i wanted to write it. we tried at the center for politics we are doing a big project on kennedy. the book is a five-year project and its 600 pages. if you give an academic another year he's going to add another 100 pages that but we are doing a massive on line course that is free for anyone who wants to sign up. we are doing a special mobile app that's going to have all of the new information that we compiled about the assassination on there. >> host: is it just about the assassination? >> guest: it's the whole presidency. the assassination and then the legacy the nine presidents. that is what we try to do is trace john f. kennedy through his mind successors. legacy is kind of a life after death. >> host: . >> host: how long have you been teaching? >> i used to have lunch with thomas jefferson. that is what my students think. >> host: outside of present company who is your favorite historian? >> guest: oh my.there are so many of them. i like

the kennedys recognized that john kennedy belonged to the nation. it was generous on their part. >> we are watching president obama greet the kennedy family. kerry kennedy in the front taking pictures and ethyl kennedy. she is in front of the screen and rfk's widow and what was the lasting legacy of president kennedy? >> boy, i mentioned breaking the catholic barrier and the cuban missile crisis was definitive and so much came from that and so many other decisions rippled through the world and it was very critical moment in the cold war. and from the development of weaponry and the impact on the economy. there was the period of the cia gone wild. i don't know how else to describe it. the president was seen as crossing the ciowa a and the bay of pigs invasion and now couldn't say no to them. and there was an assassination of heads of state and which is part of the controversy with the warren commission and trying to understand all of the los ends and it is a mixed legacy and extremely significant and legendary president so. i noticed your corresponde

but this was about the life pa -- and legacy of john f. kennedy. a committee of 25 people from dallas put on this event funded completely by private donations. >> you, lord have lifted us up from the horrible tragedy enacted in this place from the cruel suffering that was born on this hill, from the shock and horror that gripped our nation, and from the year when we has citizens of this city suffered and were implicated by the gunshot by one man. >> certainly a mournful experience here in dallas, remembering the 50th anniversary, including the mayor addressing the crowd about the reputation that dallas unfortunately gained as a result of that assassination, becoming known as the city of hate, and now coming full circle 50 years later in an effort of redemption. let's take a listen. >> hope and hatred collided right here in dallas. we watched the nightmarish reality that in our front yard, our president had been taken from us. taken from his family, taken from the world. >> now today's ceremony was abridged because of this weather, a somber yet fitt

may you inspire us as you once inspired president john fitzgerald kennedy to dream of the world that never was and to say, why not? may god bless the united states of america. and now, please welcome the mayor of dallas, the honorable mike rawlings. [ applause ] >> a new era dawns, and another wanes a half a century ago. when hope and hatred collided right here in dallas. we watched the nightmarish reality that in our front yard, our president had been taken from us. taken from his family, taken from the world. john fitzgerald kennedy's presidency, his life, and yes, his death, seemed to mythologically usher in the next 50 years. what ensued was five decades filled with other tragedy, turmoil, and great triumph. we were all very young. our lives, dreams, in front of us. dallas was very young as well. barely a century old. and given the nature of youth, we all felt invincible. well it seems that we all grew up that day, city and citizen, and suddenly, we had to step up to trying to live up to the challenges of the words, the vision of a beloved president. our collective hearts were br

president john f. kennedy created the award 50 years ago. they include former president clinton, oprah winfrey, and ernie banks and polaroid inventor, edward land. that happened two weeks after the president killing in dallas. >> this is a legacy of a man who could have retreated to a life of luxury and ease. but he chose to live life in the arena. sailing sometimes against the wind. sometimes with it. and that's why 50 years later, john f. kennedy stands for prosperity as he did in life. young, bold, and daring. and he stays with us in our imagination. not because he left us too soon. but because he embodied the character of the people he led. resilient. resolute. fearless and fun-loving. defiant in the face of impossible odds. and most of all, determined to make the world anew. not settling for what is. but rather, for what might be. >> earlier, the obamas and the clintons laid a wreath at president kennedy's grave. john king, it was a full day honoring the former president. >> it was. and a chance for president obama, if you will, not onl

kennedy will take john jr. in his motorcade to the rich and this morning and back to the white house. in the building in the white house. >> inside the east room, president kennedy's, a fine dignitary. mrs. kennedy in the attorney general returning to the white house. the dignitaries, from the north portico, the solemn procession with a mass will be celebrated. >> it is our understanding as of this moment that mrs. kennedy, the attorney general, members of the family will proceed alone to the rotunda, this motorcade and then follow the casket back here to the white house by motorcade and then be joined by president and mrs. johnson. >> saw her just a second ago. the president's secretary has just arrived. large numbers of people have gathered across pennsylvania avenue, several thousands have been there since early this morning. >> that is this same car. that first car, the same one that was used yesterday. the attorney general sir family, i believe. trying to identify some of the delegation. it is almost impos

would there have been a robert kennedy presidency following john f. kennedbrother, the attorney general, have succeeded him? you think all the what ifs and all the things he could have contributed and how we were robbed so brutally in both these cases by, you know, no nothing, nobody, selfish people who decided to wreak havoc, to make a name for themselves. you know, that's what i'm thinking. i'm thinking about the loss potential and all the what ifs. >> it's so true, geraldo. all the things that are unknowable on days like this. and, of course, the mayor touched on the feeling that everyone had back then which was we all grew up that day. he said, of course, the saying was patrick quote of, we'll never be young again. >> it was quite a ceremony. and there was an expected air force flyover. i don't know if the weather favors that today. there was -- we had expectation that we would see that. it hasn't happened yet. that may still come our way. if you have been down at dealey plaza in dallas you know about the main street, houston and houston hits the

kennedy was struck down by an assassin's bullet. jackie kennedy to steal the spot light among the excited crowds. brian williamsrt >> reporter: at the third texas stop in fort worth even though it was late and raining people lined the streets to see them. the kennedy's spent their last night together at hotel texas. the next morning the president emerged to greet a crowd of 5,000 outside. >> i appreciate you being here this morning. mrs. kennedy is organizing herself. >> reporter: and when she appeared mrs. kennedy made a stunning entrance wearing the now-famous pink chanel suit, white gloves. >> i am the man who accompanied mrs. kennedy to paris. i am getting somewhat that same sensation around texas. nobody wonders whathnson and i >> reporter: the hat industry complained he was turning other men against it. that day he was given a statset. >> i can't let you leave fort worth providing you some protection against the rain. >> i'll put it on in the white house on monday. if you come up there you will have a chance to see it then. >>

today marks the 50th anniversary of the death of president john f. kennedy. crowds of mourners are reexpects to his gravesite. and a memorial will be held until dallas. >>> typhoon haiyan, officially the deadlyist disaster in the history of the philippines. the country says that the death toll has jumped to more than 5,000 people. and another 1600 are still missing. >>> talks on iran's nuclear program continue today with a note of optimism, russia wil's foreign minister will be joining talks in geneva and iran is saying that it has the right to nuclear enrichment. and negotiators call that their red line. >>> it was 50 years ago today. a sunday in dallas turned into one of the darkest chapters in american history. a photography exhibit opens in new york city. and we have a glimpse. >> reporter: they're images taken by americans wishing to shake his hand, or at the very least, get close to the charismatic president. >> this passion and intimacy and dire to get close is what fueled the photographs. >> pictures of president john f. kennedy taken-by-standers ador

kennedy. you ask why people wonder, i interviewed gerald ford once for a book i was asking him about nato, the fall of saigon he said, come here. look at this, there was a little stack like, this is my incoming about my presidency. now you see this stack, it was like towering, he said that was about me and the warren commission why i invented a magic bullet. get some of the warn commission report i think it was at times sloppy, it was rushed, it was right in the end. maybe on this anniversary we need to thank people, the legacy of gerald ford and john mccloy and people that worked so hard on those multiple volumes because they i think nailed the story. >> schieffer: what do you think that john kennedy's real legacy is? >> first of all that he was the first catholic elected president. he kicked open the door after him came whole bunch of other minorities. he appointed the first polish american to his cabinet. he wrote a book about immigration called a nation of immigrants, very important to him

. >> the city of dallas and the nation remember john f. kennedy. secretary of state john kerry is en route to the geneva talks on rolling back iran's nuclear program. >>> and the white house takes a firm stand asible tribal leaders continue to meet on the afghan security pact. >> across the country people pause to remember one of america's darkest moments. 50 years ago today president john f. kennedy was assassinated in dallas. people invested kennedy's grate side where the eternal flame burns. and the city where kennedy died held it's first ever memorial on this anniversary. >> we watch the nightmare-ish reality that in our front yard our president had been taken from us. taken from his family, taken from the world. >> heidi zhou castro joins us with details. tell us what it was like to be there at the plaza on this day? >> reporter: sure, tony, it was grim with the rain and cold weather, despite that, 5,000 people gathered at the plaza just steps away from where president john f. kennedy was gunned down in 1963, and in the shadows of the deposito

kennedy and john and caroline. she got along with mr. onassis. >> and when people were giving her trouble for marrying mr. onassis, rose stuck up for her and said jack would have wanted her to be happy. >> you describe her as being homeless after the death of president kennedy and wanted to know why the family didn't bring her more support, bring her to the fold, give her a place to live. >> she had money. >> she had $150,000 from the trusts coming her way. bobby pitched in $50,000. >> this is mid '60s. times that times ten for today's dollars. by her standards, perhaps it wasn't enough. in terms of the physical place to live, she said in the famous interview with theodore white, the camelot interview the week after the assassination said she wanted to live with my children in the places i lived with jack. georgetown and on the cape. she could have gone to the cape. she went to georgetown. avril larriman loaned his home and she bought a home across the street. it was inundated with tourist buses, tourists, photographers, peeping into her