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Showing posts with label World War I Begins. Show all posts
Showing posts with label World War I Begins. Show all posts

Monday, July 28, 2014

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACKIE

JACQUELINE BOUVIER BORN 85 YEARS AGO 

Southampton, New York (JFK+50) Mr. and Mrs. John Vernou Bouvier III announced the birth of their daughter Jacqueline Lee Bouvier*, eighty-five years ago today, July 28, 1929.

John Bouvier, who was known as "Black Jack", was a Wall Street stockbroker and was of both French and English descent.

Jacqueline's mother, Janet Norton Lee Bouvier was of Irish descent.

The Bouviers divorced in 1940 and Jackie's mother was remarried two years later to Hugh D. Auchincloss, Jr., heir to the Standard Oil Company fortune.



                     Jackie at 6 years old
            Photo by David Berne (1935)
                            JFK Library

*Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis (1929-1994) was raised in New York City and East Hampton, NY.  She attended Chapin School, Holton-Arms School in Bethesda, MD., Miss Porter's School in Farmington, CT and made debutante of the year in 1947.

Jackie was an accomplished equestrienne and loved riding horses her entire life.  She continued her studies at the University of Grenoble and the Sorbonne in Paris.


Jacqueline Bouvier became the "inquiring photographer" for the Washington Times-Herald and married Senator John F. Kennedy on Sept. 12, 1953. 


The couple had two children, Caroline and John Jr.  At age 31, Jackie became one of the youngest 1st Ladies in history and would prove to be one of the most popular.  



Jacqueline and JFK 
with Andre Malraux of France
White House Photo

After her husbands death, Mrs. Kennedy worked to preserve the memory of the 35th President and helped establish the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library in Boston.

On Oct. 20, 1968, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy married Aristotle Onassis. The former First Lady died on May 19, 1994.   She is buried beside President Kennedy in Arlington National Cemetery.


Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy
Official White House Portrait


WORLD WAR I BEGAN A CENTURY AGO TODAY

Vienna, Austria (JFK+50) On this day 100 years ago, July 28, 1914, the government of Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia.  The war declaration came just one month after Archduke Francis Ferdinand and his wife, Sophia, were gunned down in an open car on the streets of Sarajevo.*

After receiving the backing of Germany, Austria-Hungary presented Serbia with an ultimatum less than a week earlier days demanding the right to investigate of the murders.

Austria-Hungary had broken diplomatic relations with Serbia on July 25.

*JFK+50 NOTE

I just finished reading Tim Butcher's new book "The Trigger" which is about the assassin of Archduke Ferdinand.  The subtitle of the book is "Hunting the Assassin Who Brought the World War."

At the end of the book, Mr. Butcher points out something most intriguing that I had never read before.  It seems the Archduke's car sported a front license plate with the the letter/numbers A 111 118.

The significance of this number is this.  World War I ended on November 11, 1918 or 11-11-18.  


Archduke's Limo Replica

Photo Credit, Amel Emric




Saturday, June 28, 2014

MURDER IN SARAJEVO

ARCHDUKE ASSASSINATED IN SARAJEVO 100 YEARS AGO TODAY

Sarajevo, Bosnia (JFK+50) One hundred years ago today, June 28, 1914, the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, was assassinated and his wife, Sophia, was killed as they rode in an open touring car here in Sarajevo.

The Royal couple were on a state visit and celebrating their wedding anniversary.

The assassin, a young Serbian named Gavrilo Princip, was taken into custody. Princip was one of seven members of a Bosnian-Serb militant organization desiring independence from Austria-Hungary.

The assassination will trigger a chain reaction of events which led to a declaration of war by Austria-Hungary on Serbia and the beginning of world war.




Murder in Sarajevo

Allan Little of the BBC reports that "cultural and sporting events" will mark the 100th anniversary of the assassination along with a concert by the Vienna Philharmonic.

Little also writes that the great granddaughter of the Archduke and family "will be holding events at Artstetten, near Vienna, where Ferdinand in buried."

Serbs in Sarajevo, however, who celebrate Princip as a national hero, unveiled a statue of the assassin this past Friday.  

A recreation of the assassination will be performed in Visegrad.

SOURCE

"Sarajevo marks 100 years since Archduke Francis Ferdinand shooting," by Allan Little, June 28, 2014, www.bbc.com/

JFK VISITED CORK 51 YEARS AGO

Cork, Ireland (JFK+50) President John F. Kennedy paid a visit to Cork, Ireland's second largest city 51 years ago today, June 28, 1963.

President Kennedy was greeted by a crowd estimated to be 100,000.

Speaking in Cork, JFK took pride in introducing "2 or 3 Irishmen" who came along with him from America.

First to be introduced was JFK's Presidential assistant and long-time political and personal confidant, David Powers who, according to Mr. Kennedy, had seven of his cousins sitting with him on the front row.

The second "Irishman" to be introduced was Larry O'Brien, JFK's legislative aide and the third was Jim Roley, head of the United States Secret Service.

In his address, JFK said that Ireland's mission today...

"is to lead the free world (as it) has done for the last 800 years (in) independence and freedom".

Later, back at Dublin's Arbour Hill, President Kennedy laid a wreath at the grave of Irishmen who took part in the 1916 Easter Uprising.

He also watched the Irish Guards perform  impressive drills. (In late November 1963, Mrs. Kennedy arranged for the drill team to perform at JFK's funeral service at Arlington).




Irish Guards at Arlington
November 25, 1963

President Kennedy then proceeded to Leinster House to speak to a joint session of the Dail and Seanad (Irish Parliament).

JFK spoke about the heroics of the Irish Brigade at the Battle of Fredericksburg in December 1862.

The President presented one of the surviving flags of the 69th Regiment of New York volunteers from the battle "to the people of Ireland".



Battle Flag of the 69th Regiment
New York Volunteers


JFK said to the Irish Parliament:

"Today this is no longer the country of hunger and famine....nor is it any longer a country of persecution, political or religious.  It is a free country and that is why any American feels at home.

This is an extraordinary country.  George Bernard Shaw, speaking as an Irishman, summed up an approach to life:  'Other people', he said, 'see things and...say: why? But I dream things that never were and say: why not?"*

*RFK would later use this Shaw quote in his 1968 Presidential campaign with the change...."Some men see things as they are and say why?  I dream things that never were and say why not?"




 Dail Chamber, Leinster House
 Dublin, Ireland
June 28, 2008
Photo by AnCatDubh

Still later, at Dublin Castle, JFK was given honorary law degrees to National University of Ireland and Trinity College.  

JFK said:

"I want to express....thanks to the people of Dublin.  I can imagine nothing more pleasant than continuing day after day to drive through the streets of Dublin and waving and I may come back and do it."




JFK Motorcade in Dublin
June 28, 1963
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