Although JFK had his fair share of controversial moments in his almost three years in office, most notably the Bay of Pigs invasion, his list of achievements in a time when the world was standing on a knife’s edge cannot be understated. Despite the disastrous relations with Cuba and the threat posed by the Cuban Missile Crisis, JFK was always an advocate of helping Third World and developing countries, as such, he created the Peace Corps.
He may not be remembered for his part in the civil rights movement, it wasn’t until LBJ became president that true civil rights reform took place. However, a few months before his assassination, he would deliver a speech that embraced the cause of civil rights and called it a “moral crisis” for America.
His last and most famous legacy is his turning his eyes to the heavens, and just over five years after his death on July 20, 1969, two American astronauts landed on the moon and became the first humans to walk on the lunar surface.
