The assassination of John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas, sent shockwaves across America and the world. For those who lived through the 1960s, the news bulletin announcing his death is an unforgettable moment, etched in collective memory alongside the profound sorrow of his state funeral. Television played a crucial role, bringing these events into American homes with immediacy and persistence. President Kennedy was pronounced dead at Parkland Hospital in Dallas at 1 p.m. Central Time (2 p.m. Eastern Time). Later that afternoon, in a poignant and symbolic transition of power, Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as the new President of the United States aboard Air Force One. Jacqueline Kennedy, the First Lady, stood beside him, a stark figure in a bloodstained pink suit, a haunting testament to the tragedy. With President Kennedy’s body aboard, Air Force One returned to Andrews Air Force Base, carrying both the fallen leader and the nation’s new head of state.
In the immediate aftermath, Jacqueline Kennedy, demonstrating remarkable strength and historical awareness, instructed chief usher J.B. West to model her husband’s state funeral on that of Abraham Lincoln in 1865. This decision underscored the gravity of the moment and linked Kennedy’s death to a previous national tragedy. Kennedy’s casket was placed in the center of the East Room of the White House, resting on the same catafalque that had borne Lincoln’s body nearly a century before. On November 23rd, dignitaries and heads of state were received to pay their respects, viewing the flag-draped coffin in a solemn atmosphere of national mourning. The public, however, was not admitted during this initial period of official mourning.
The following day, President Kennedy’s coffin was moved to the Capitol rotunda, where it lay in state. Here, the nation was given the opportunity to say goodbye. An estimated 250,000 people filed past the flag-draped coffin, a silent river of mourners representing the vast outpouring of grief across the country. This public viewing became a powerful symbol of collective mourning and respect for the fallen president.
November 25th, 1963, was declared the day of the funeral. A horse-drawn caisson, a traditional military carriage, carried the casket down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House. There, Mrs. Kennedy, along with official and personal mourners, joined the procession. The solemn march to St. Matthew’s Cathedral, where the funeral service was to be held, was approximately eight blocks. A military escort, a somber band playing dirges, and the poignant symbol of a riderless horse with boots reversed in the stirrups accompanied the caisson. Following the funeral service at St. Matthew’s Cathedral, the caisson once again bore the president’s remains to their final resting place in Arlington National Cemetery. There, on a hillside overlooking the nation’s capital, John F. Kennedy was laid to rest, marking the end of a presidency and the beginning of a lasting legacy.
