The Future's Only Hope

Lies in the Past ...

JFK By The Numbers

0.1

Percentage of Kennedy's popular-vote win over Nixon in the 1960 presidential election.

1

First president born in the twentieth century.

1

Election with first televised presidential debates.

1

Only Catholic president.

1

Only president to have won a Pulitzer Prize (for Profiles in Courage, a Biography of eight patriotic US Senators).

2

Second youngest president at inauguration. (Theodore Roosevelt was sworn in at age 42 after the assassination of President McKinley.)

2

Number of Kennedy's children surviving past infancy—Caroline and John.

3

Number of Kennedy's grandchildren.

4

Fourth US President assassinated in office, after Abraham Lincoln, James Garfield, and William McKinley.

8

Number of Kennedy's siblings—Joseph Jr., Rosemary, Kathleen, Eunice, Patricia, Robert (RFK), Jean, Edward (Ted).

11

Massachusetts District Kennedy represented in the US House of Representatives.

23

Number of states won by Kennedy in 1960 presidential election. Nixon won 26, with fewer electoral votes, and unpledged electors in Mississippi voted for Harry Byrd Sr.

34

Number of months as Commander in Chief.

35

Thirty-fifth president of the United States.

43

Youngest elected president, at age 43.

46

Age at death.

50

States included in presidential election for the first time, as Alaska and Hawaii were granted statehood in the previous year.

50

Cents value of Kennedy half-dollar, first minted in 1964 in memoriam.

56

Percentage of lowest approval rating—September of 1963.

83

Percentage of highest approval rating—March of 1962.

109

PT 109—Patrol Torpedo Boat commanded by Lieutenant Kennedy in WWII. He earned a Navy and Marine Corps Medal for rescuing crewmembers after a Japanese destroyer rammed the boat.

303

Electoral votes won in 1960 presidential election.

 112,827 

Kennedy's popular-vote win over Nixon.