Probably, there are few families that could compare with the Kennedy clan in terms of fame. For most of the twentieth century, its representatives were in the center of attention of the world media. By far the most famous among the children of Joseph Patrick and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy was their second son, John. However, at all stages of his political career, his brothers were by his side. One of them, Robert Francis Kennedy, repeated the tragic fate of the 35th President of the United States. Despite dying at a fairly young age, he achieved great heights in his political career and went down in history as a politician striving to eradicate racial inequality and make the world a better place.
Robert Kennedy. Biography, early years
The future attorney general and presidential candidate was born in 1925. He was the third child in a family that already then belonged to the category of the richest and most respected in the United States. In contrastfrom older brothers, due to his age, he did not have time to take part in the Second World War. When a warship was named after Joseph Kennedy, who died fighting in the skies over Great Britain, the young man went on a trip to the Caribbean Sea, after which he was demobilized in May 1946.
Study and the beginning of a political career
Robert Kennedy showed great diligence in his studies and graduated from Harvard University with a bachelor's degree. However, he did not stop there, as he was preparing for a brilliant political career. That is why in 1951 the young man continued his studies at the University of Virginia and became a doctor of laws. Immediately thereafter, Robert led and successfully ran the election campaign of his brother John F. Kennedy, who ran for the United States Senate from Massachusetts.
Rapid career growth
After 5 years, Robert Kennedy was appointed chief adviser to the Senate committee investigating the facts of extortion and blackmail in labor unions. Three years later, his help was again needed by brother John, who this time put forward his candidacy for the presidency of the United States. Robert took over the leadership of the election campaign, and after its triumphant conclusion was appointed to the post of Attorney General. In this capacity, Kennedy proved to be a staunch fighter against corruption. He actively fought organized crime and enforced antitrust laws. In addition, everyone knew that Robert Kennedy was one of the mainpresidential advisers.
The death of a brother and further political career
Robert Francis Kennedy retained his high post even after the death of his brother John. However, he did not enter the new Cabinet formed by Lyndon Johnson, who was elected President of the United States. In 1965, Robert Kennedy became a senator from the state of New York, and soon led the liberal-minded part of the Democratic Party representatives. Every day his popularity grew among ordinary citizens of the country, who agreed with his angry criticism of Johnson's Vietnamese policy.
In 1968, Robert Kennedy announced his intention to become a candidate for the presidency of the Democratic Party.
Campaign
Robert Kennedy's platform as a contender for the presidency of the United States was fundamentally different from the positions of all other candidates. Along with the desire to end the war, he announced his desire to radically change the social structure of his country. Robert Kennedy was an excellent orator, and according to journalists, his influence on the electorate was comparable to that which a rock star produces on his fans.
In addition, he advocated equal rights for all US citizens, regardless of race, and even created a corporation to restore one of the most disadvantaged areas of Brooklyn.
The assassination of Robert Kennedy
June 4, 1968, the primaries were held in South Dakota and California. In them as a candidateRobert Kennedy won a landslide victory for the Democratic presidency. Late in the evening, he gave a speech at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles and went to another room where he was supposed to give a press conference. The shortest path lay through the kitchen of the hotel restaurant, so Robert Kennedy, along with his wife and assistants, chose it. When they were near the pantry, a young man of Arab appearance jumped out from behind a mountain of dishes and opened fire. Three bullets hit Robert Kennedy and he died 26 hours later in a Los Angeles hospital. In addition, five employees of the hotel and bystanders of the assassination were injured of varying severity.
According to the official version, the murderer of the presidential candidate was 24-year-old Serhan Serhan, who allegedly avenged him in this way for supporting the Zionists. However, there are many facts that indicate that Kennedy died from bullets that were fired from other weapons. Nevertheless, Serhan Serhan is in prison to this day, as he is serving a life sentence.
Funeral
After his death, the body of Robert Kennedy rested for 2 days in New York's St. Patrick's Catholic Cathedral.
Funeral mass was held on June 8th. A well-known politician was interred at Arlington Cemetery, next to the grave of brother John.
Family
Robert Kennedy married Ethel Skakel in 1950. Despite rumors about her husband's numerous novels, she bore him seven sons and four daughters. Robert Kennedy's older children followed himfootsteps. In particular, his daughter Kathleen Harington served as Lieutenant Governor of Maryland for eight years. Other offspring of the Kennedy clan have also been active in social activities. So, the youngest of the children, Rory (born six months after the murder of her father), became a well-known director of social documentaries, and her sister Mary was the US representative for the UN AIDS Foundation.
Now you know some details of the biography of Robert Kennedy, whose short life is full of triumphs and tragic situations. One can only guess what the history of the United States and the planet could have been if not for the shots that sounded in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel in June 1968.
