Kennedy Family: 6 Generations of Power, Tragedy, and Art

At a Glance

• The Kennedy dynasty began in 1884 with P.J. Kennedy’s election to the Massachusetts House.
• John F. Kennedy became the 35th U.S. president and was assassinated in 1963.
• The family’s legacy spans politics, art, and activism across six generations.

Why it matters: The Kennedys continue to shape American culture and politics, influencing public memory and policy long after their most famous members.

The Kennedy family has captivated America for over a century. From P.J. Kennedy’s early legislative work to the tragic loss of President John F. Kennedy, the family’s story intertwines public service, artistic influence, and personal tragedy. This article explores the key members and milestones that define the Kennedy legacy.

John F. Kennedy

John F. Kennedy was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, on May 29, 1917. He graduated cum laude from Harvard University and served as a Navy patrol-boat commander in World II, earning a Navy and Marine Corps Medal and a Purple Heart. In 1961, he was sworn in as the 35th president of the United States, a role he held until his assassination on November 22, 1963 in Dallas, Texas.

• Education: Harvard (B.A.), Naval Academy training
• Military service: World II patrol-boat commander, decorated
• Presidency: 1961-1963, landmark speeches, space race
• Assassination: 1963, Dallas, Texas, age 46

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

**Jacqueline “Jackie” Kennedy Onassis was born July 28, 1929 in Southampton, New York. She studied history, art, and French literature, and worked as a photojournalist for the Washington Times Herald after graduating from George Washington University. Jackie married JFK in 1953; together they moved to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and ushered in the era known as Camelot. In 1968, she married Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, and she died on May 19, 1994 at age 64.

• Early life: Wall Street family, elite education
• Career: Photojournalist, author of Sweet Caroline (inspiration)
• Camelot: First Lady, cultural icon, art patron
• Onassis marriage: 1968, global socialite, later years

Caroline Kennedy

**Caroline Kennedy was born November 27, 1957 and is the eldest child of JFK and Jackie. She attended Harvard’s Radcliffe College and Columbia Law School, and has worked as an attorney, author, ambassador, and artist. She is the only surviving child of the former first family.

• Education: Radcliffe (B.A.), Columbia Law (J.D.)
• Career: U.S. Ambassador to the UN, author, attorney
• Public life: Frequent speaker, philanthropist, artist

Edwin Schlossberg was born July 19, 1945 in New York City. An artist, author, and designer, he met Caroline at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They married in 1986, have three children, and remain together.

• Background: Artist, author, designer
• Marriage: 1986, Caroline, three children
• Professional work: Exhibitions, publications, design projects

John F. Kennedy Jr. was born November 25, 1960, two weeks after his father’s election. He graduated from Brown University and NYU School of Law, worked as an attorney and journalist, and co-founded the magazine George. He married Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy in 1996, and died in a plane crash on July 16, 1999 at age 38.

• Education: Brown (B.A.), NYU Law (J.D.)
• Career: Attorney, journalist, magazine founder
• Marriage: 1996, Carolyn, high-profile wedding
• Death: 1999, plane crash, age 38

Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy

**Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy was born January 7, 1966 in White Plains, New York. She worked as a publicist for Calvin Klein before meeting JFK Jr. in 1992. The couple married in 1996; she died with her husband in the 1999 plane crash.

• Early career: Calvin Klein publicist
• Marriage: 1996, JFK Jr., media attention
• Death: 1999, plane crash, age 33

Arabella was born August 23, 1956 and was stillborn. Patrick was born August 7, 1963 and died two days later from a respiratory disease, three months before his father’s assassination.

• Arabella: Stillborn, August 1956
• Patrick: Infant death, August 1963, respiratory disease

Rose Schlossberg was born June 25, 1988 in New York City. She studied English literature and documentary filmmaking at Harvard and earned a master’s from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. She works as an artist and filmmaker, and in 2022 married restaurateur Rory McAuliffe.

• Education: Harvard (English), NYU Tisch (MFA)
• Career: Artist, documentary filmmaker
• Personal life: Married 2022, Rory McAuliffe

Tatiana Schlossberg was born May 5, 1990. A graduate of Yale and Oxford, she is a journalist and author of Inconspicuous Consumption: The Environmental Impact You Don’t Know You Have. She married George Moran in 2017 and had two children. In November 2025, she was diagnosed with terminal acute myeloid leukemia; she died on December 30 at age 35.

• Education: Yale, Oxford (journalism)
• Career: Journalist, author, environmental advocate
• Marriage: 2017, George Moran, two children
• Illness: 2025, terminal leukemia, death 2025

Jack Schlossberg

Jack Schlossberg was born January 19, 1993. A graduate of Yale, Harvard Business School, and Harvard Law School, he works as a journalist and political correspondent. In 2024 he spoke at the Democratic National Convention and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president.

• The Kennedy legacy spans six generations of public service, art, and activism.
• John F. Kennedy’s presidency and tragic assassination remain a defining moment in American history.
• The family continues to influence politics and culture through current members like Jack Schlossberg and the artistic work of Rose Schlossberg.

The Kennedy family’s story is one of triumph, tragedy, and enduring influence, echoing through every generation.