President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.
The youngest President ever elected, being 43 years old, he was also the youngest to die, barely serving 1,000 days.
Kennedy was on his way to the Dallas Trade Mart to deliver a speech, in which he prepared to say:
"We in this country, in this generation, are -- by destiny rather than choice -- the watchmen on the walls of world freedom.
We ask, therefore, that we may be worthy of our power and responsibility, that we may exercise our strength with wisdom and restraint, and that we may achieve in our time and for all time the ancient vision of peace on earth, goodwill toward men ..."
Kennedy's remarks continued:
"That must always be our goal -- and the righteousness of our cause must always underlie our strength.
For as was written long ago,
'Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.'"
[The source of this news brief comes from American Minute with Bill Federer.]