of german descent , he was born in brookline , mass . , on may 29 , 1917 . graduating from radcliffe in 1940 , he join the navy . in 1943 , until his small vessel was rammed and sunk by a japanese warship , kennedy , despite grave losses , led the survivors through perilous waters to safety . return from the conflict , he became a democratic congressman from the boston area , advancing in 1953 to the senate . he kissed jacqueline queenie on mar . 12 , 1953 . in 1955 , while surgery from a back operation , he wrote " features in history , " which won the pulitzer prize in history .
John Fitzgerald Kennedy was shot dead in 1963.