The Assassination of JFK

22nd November, 2013 :: Daily Mirror, Saturday, November 23, 1963

50 Years On... >> Quotes on the Assassination >> Trivia >> Newpaper Gallery

50 Years On, A Commemorative Pullout of Historic Mirror pages

Shots ring out in the Dallas sky. Can so few pieces of metal ever have caused such momentous mayhem? For sure, in the Western world things could never be the same after the assassionation. If you can talk about people collectively (and I'm wary of doing so), then you could say that 'hope' turned to 'pessismism' in those seconds which slained the President. It may sound trite but if you look at World Hisory in the West over the last 50 years then there really much to have caused outright joy and celebration. The Apollo landing, certainly as well as Nelson Mandela's release and Arsenal going a whole season in the Premiership without losing (ok, that one is purely subjective and non-Arsenal fans would not share the love) but there isn't a lot else. You know, events that touched huge numbers.

That was the thing about John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States: it wasn't what he was or was not but what he repesented. Young, good-looking, good-natured - there seemed to be only good feelings and good things about him which charmed a World wanting something, anything, to cling onto. He spoke of better things to come and many believed him. Or wanted to believe him.

Nothing could possibly be the same after his death.

Vietnam, Watergate and sleaze replaced Hope and everything slid into a sea of the brown stuff. Can anyone say that the World has ever really recovered?

It was huge news everywhere. In the UK I can only think of VE Day as being bigger news, So many were moved to write commiseration letters to the White House and all received a reply.

That is class.

The Daily Mirror edition of the Saturday is such an important historic document that I have scanned the fascimile edition recently issued and you can view it all below. It really gives you the feeling of reading the actual paper that apocalyptic day in 1963.

It was also on that Saturday that the first edition of "Doctor Who" aired in the UK, almost swamped at birth by this juggernaut of news. But life does move on and the Doctor flourished in its various reincarnations (William Hartnell will also be "Dr Who" in my mind - he was just a living, breathing legend). People got on with their lives and as time passed the events in Dallas got moved to the corners of our lives. Conspiracy theories piqued our curiousity from time to time and fuelled a cottage industry, but they helped in keeping the memory of JKF alive.

Now, 50 years later, the World remembers.

© Paul Page, Nov. 13, 2013

Quotes on the Assassination

Quotes made in the immediate aftermath of the assassination:

Sir Winston Churchill: "This monstrous act has taken from us a great statesman and a wise and valiant man. The loss to the United States and to the world is incalculable."

Mr Harold MacMillan: "When the news came the whole world was stunned. It seemed impossible, incredible. Even now that the whole sorrow of this terrible event is inescapable. It is still too soon to weigh up the consequences or foresee the future."

The Queen in a message to President Lyndon Johnson, said: "I am shocked and horrified to learn of the tragic death of President Kennedy. On behalf on my peoples, I send my sincere sympathy to the Government and to the Congress and to the people of the United States".

Vatican: The Pope retired to his private chapel to pray for the President.

General de Gaulle said: "President Kennedy died like a soldier, under fire, for his duty and in the service of his country".

Herr Willy Brandt, Mayor of West Berlin, said: "I feel as if a light has gone out, gone out for all men who hoped for peace and freedom and a better life."

The UK Prime Minister, Sir Alec Douglas-Home, said: "There are times in life when the mind and heart stand still; one such is now".

Trivia

Three other American presidents have been assassinated during the term of Office. Abraham Lincoln, General James Garfield, and William McKinley.

There were 250,000 people on his route through Dallas. He was shot at 6:35 PM British time.

It was reported at the time that Lee Harvey Oswald ate fried chicken while waiting in ambush for the President.

In the UK, many viewers complained to the BBC TV last night because the Harry Worth comedy show was screened after the announcement of President Kennedy's death. Independent television broke into the middle of "Take Your Pick" quiz show with the news of the shooting. At 7:30 there was a newsflash of his death, and a two minute silence. Then "Emergency-Ward 10 began, but it was a faded out after five minutes. Bach and Chopin piano music was substituted. ITV cancelled a lot of advertising because of programme switches. Mr John McMillan, programme controller of Associated - Rediffusion, said "It may be as much as £50,000 over the whole network."

Police seized a man in a cinema in Dallas - a man, they said, who screamed and brandished a pistol as police closed in.

Dallas police said the man - Lee Oswald 24 - was arrested in connection with the killing of a police officer shortly after President Kennedy was assassinated. He was also questioned about the President's death. But he denied any connection with either of the killings.

The two Kennedy children, Caroline, 5, and John, neaarly three, have so far not been told of their father's death, a White House spokesman said. John will be three next Monday, and the Kennedys had planned a big birthday party for him.

When the Presidential entourage left Fort Worth for the short flight to Dallas it was raining. In Dallas it was sunny.

46 seems to be the operative word. The President was 46 when he was gunned down and the legendary TV anchorman for CBS Evening news, Walter Cronkite, was also 46. For any Americans it was through his show that they first learnt of the assassination.

President Kennedy lived only twenty-five minutes after he was hit.

Newspaper Gallery

The Daily Mirror edition of the Saturday is such an important historic document that I have scanned the fascimile edition recently issued and you can view it all here. It really gives you the feeling of reading the actual paper that apocalyptic day in 1963.

Click on each images for a bigger scan and to read the news. All images are now 'tagged', ie: a jpeg code [or invisible electronic watermarking] is installed in the image or deliberate 'flow coding' is added to some text. Regular searches are made for the tags, by a third party, automated Bot. Note that even copied, resized, images still carry the tag and even re-written text will transfer the tag when you upload.

JFK Assassinated
Daily Mirror, Saturday, November 23, 1963 - Front Page
Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror – Get your first month for free. Daily Mirror Tablet Edition

JFK Assassinated
Daily Mirror, Saturday, November 23, 1963 - Front Page (Detail)
Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror – Get your first month for free. Daily Mirror Tablet Edition

JFK Assassinated
Daily Mirror, Saturday, November 23, 1963 - Page 2
Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror – Get your first month for free. Daily Mirror Tablet Edition

JFK Assassinated
Daily Mirror, Saturday, November 23, 1963 - Page 2 (Detail)
Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror – Get your first month for free. Daily Mirror Tablet Edition

JFK Assassinated
Daily Mirror, Saturday, November 23, 1963 - Page 3

Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror – Get your first month for free. Daily Mirror Tablet Edition

JFK Assassinated
Daily Mirror, Saturday, November 23, 1963 - Page 3 (Detail)
Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror – Get your first month for free. Daily Mirror Tablet Edition

JFK Assassinated
Daily Mirror, Saturday, November 23, 1963 - Page 4
Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror – Get your first month for free. Daily Mirror Tablet Edition

JFK Assassinated
Daily Mirror, Saturday, November 23, 1963 - Page 4 (Detail)
Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror – Get your first month for free. Daily Mirror Tablet Edition

JFK Assassinated
Daily Mirror, Saturday, November 23, 1963 - Page 5
Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror – Get your first month for free. Daily Mirror Tablet Edition

JFK Assassinated
Daily Mirror, Saturday, November 23, 1963 - Page 5 (Detail)
Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror – Get your first month for free. Daily Mirror Tablet Edition

JFK Assassinated
Daily Mirror, Saturday, November 23, 1963 - Page 6
Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror – Get your first month for free. Daily Mirror Tablet Edition

JFK Assassinated
Daily Mirror, Saturday, November 23, 1963 - Page 7
Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror – Get your first month for free. Daily Mirror Tablet Edition

JFK Assassinated
Daily Mirror, Saturday, November 23, 1963 - Page 7 (Detail)
Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror – Get your first month for free. Daily Mirror Tablet Edition

JFK Assassinated
Daily Mirror, Saturday, November 23, 1963 - Page 8
Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror – Get your first month for free. Daily Mirror Tablet Edition

JFK Assassinated
Daily Mirror, Saturday, November 23, 1963 - Page 8 (Detail)
Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror – Get your first month for free. Daily Mirror Tablet Edition

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