JUNE 5

Robert F. Kennedy (Bobby) was born on November 20, 1925, in Brookline, MA. He attended Harvard University, served in the Navy in WWII, and earned a law degree from the University of Virginia. He helped to run his brother John F. Kennedy's US Senate campaign in 1952, and then worked for family friend Senator Joseph McCarthy.

In 1960, Bobby helped to run John's successful campaign to become President of the United States. He was named Attorney General, and was a staunch advocate for the advancement of the Civil Rights Movement. After the assassination of his brother, Kennedy remained Attorney General through 1964 for the Lyndon Johnson administration. That year, Bobby ran to become the US Senator of New York, and won. He joined his younger brother, Ted Kennedy, who was elected Senator of Massachusetts in 1962.

On March 16, 1968, Senator Robert Kennedy announced that he was running for president. Two weeks later on March 31, 1968, Lyndon Johnson announced he would not seek a second term as President. At a campaign rally in Indianapolis, IN, on April 4, 1968, Kennedy announced to the crowd that Martin Luther King, Jr. had been assassinated. It is a short but moving speech, in which Kennedy shared that he felt the pain they were going through, having lost his brother to gun violence.

Just two months later, Kennedy was assassinated after a campaign rally where it was announced he had won the California Democratic Primary. He died the next day. He was survived by his wife Ethel, and their ten children. His eleventh child, Rory, was born six months after his death. She is now a documentary film maker. His daughter Kathleen and his son Joe each held political offices, and daughter Kerry was married to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo for 20 years. All of his children are involved in public service organizations. Kennedy's grandson Joe was the US Congressman for the fourth district of Massachusetts (which includes Newton). He ran against Ed Markey to become Senator, but lost in the 2020 primary.

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