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Celebrate the JFK Centennial

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Join us in celebrating the life and legacy of the 35th President of the United States.

To honor the 100th anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s birth, ten cultural institutions across Washington, D.C., and Boston are partnering to mark the centennial of our 35th President. In the year before and after Kennedy’s 100th birthday on May 29, 2017, each partnering organization will hold dedicated events and exhibits exploring Kennedy’s legacy through their specialized curatorial lens. Members of the JFK 100 Partnership are dedicated to sharing resources and expertise across cultural institutions to extend the reach and impact of the JFK centennial.

Partner organizations include the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts , the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, the Library of Congress, the National Archives, National History Day , the Newseum , the Smithsonian American Art Museum , the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History , the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery , and the White House Historical Association .

Learn more about the JFK Centennial celebration.

John F. Kennedy Centennial Commission

On July 29, 2016, the United States Congress passed Public Law 114-215 which established the "John F. Kennedy Centennial Commission." The commission is tasked with planning, developing, and carrying out activities to honor President Kennedy on his centennial.  Commission members include Senator Edward J. Markey, Congressman Joe Kennedy, Jack Schlossberg, Kennedy Library Foundation Chairman Kenneth R. Feinberg, world renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma, civil rights leader Elaine Jones, the Secretary of the Interior, and others. Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero serves as an ex-officio member.

Learn more about the Commission.

About John F. Kennedy

 

  • The spring 2017 issue of Prologue, the quarterly magazine of the National Archives, commemorates the centennial of President Kennedy. “JFK in Congress” examines the formative years JFK spent in the House of Representatives and the Senate, before running for the Presidency in 1960. “JFK 100: Milestones & Mementos” traces JFK’s life through 100 items from the Library’s

Featured Events

Boston, MA

Washington, DC

Full List of Events at the National Archives in DC

Celebrate With Us Using #JFK100

Join us to celebrate the life of of our 35th President by sharing your favorite JFK photos .tagging them #JFK100. Be sure to follow @JFKLibrary for more #JFK100! 

Featured Exhibits

"A Presidential Call to Action" The Public Vaults Gallery, National Archives in Washington, D.C. October 12 through April 26, 2018

"A Presidential Call to Action," about President Kennedy's call for the U.S. to send an astronaut to the moon will be on display in the Public Vaults gallery of the National Archives Museum in Washington, D.C.

"JFK at 100: Milestones and Mementos" Presidential Rotunda, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston, MA. May 26, 2017 through May 2018.

Featuring several items that have never before been displayed, this special exhibition reflects the arc of President Kennedy’s life—the challenges, burdens, and opportunities of his life and times—as well as the sweep of history over the last century.

"American Visionary: John F. Kennedy's Life and Times " American Art Museum (8th and F Streets, N.W.), Washington, DC. May 3, 2017 through September 17, 2017.

"American Visionary: John F. Kennedy’s Life and Times" brings together images culled from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation, Getty Images, private collections, and the Kennedy family archives that capture the dramatic scope of Kennedy’s life. The exhibition is based on the forthcoming book JFK: A Vision for America. It is one of the most exhaustively researched collections of Kennedy photos ever assembled.

“Creating Camelot: The Kennedy Photography of Jacques Lowe ” Newseum, Washington, DC. September 29, 2017 through January 7, 2018.

This stunning photo exhibit showcases more than 70 intimate and iconic images of President John F. Kennedy, first Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and their children, Caroline and John, taken by Kennedy’s personal photographer, Jacques Lowe.

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