On this day in 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, during a motorcade through Dealey Plaza. The event unfolded just after noon, shocking the nation as live images and eyewitness accounts spread rapidly across television and radio. Kennedy was struck by gunfire as the presidential limousine passed the Texas School Book Depository, where investigators later located a rifle attributed to Lee Harvey Oswald.
The assassination triggered an immediate and intense investigation, producing some of the most scrutinized evidence in American history. The Warren Commission concluded that Oswald acted alone, though alternative theories and disputes over ballistics, timing, and witness testimony have fueled debate for decades. The Zapruder film, an amateur recording capturing the shooting, became one of the most analyzed pieces of footage ever created.
More than sixty years later, the Kennedy assassination remains a defining moment in American memory. Newly declassified files, expert analyses, and continuing public interest have preserved the event as a focal point of historical study, national trauma, and enduring mystery.
Sources & Further Reading:
– National Archives: JFK Assassination Records
– Warren Commission Report
– Sixth Floor Museum, Dealey Plaza
(One of many On-This-Day stories brought to you by Headcount Coffee — where history meets the morning cup.)
