John F. Kennedy BiographyJohn F. Kennedy was born on May 29, 1917 in Brookline, Massachusetts. He was the second child of nine children. She lived in the suburbs of Boston but as her family grew, her father's income increased and they moved back to Brookline. John had a seemingly happy childhood. He attended private elementary schools where he played sports and games. Although he never attended university, his father encouraged him to take part in athletics. He studied under Roman Catholic lawyers at the Canturbery School and later spent four years at the Choate School in Wallingford, Connecticut. Although he suffered from many illnesses, his classmates voted him "most likely to succeed." He graduated in 1935, ranking 64th out of 112 students. In the summer of 1935 he studied at the London School of Economics. Then he went to study at Princeton University. During the Christmas holidays of his first year he had an attack of jaundice and was forced to leave. With great determination he enrolled at Harvard in 1936, where his father went to college. He played football and graduated in 1940. Soon after graduation he wrote his first book, "Why England Slept." It received good reviews. In March 1941, Kennedy volunteered for the Army, but was rejected shortly thereafter due to a back injury sustained playing football at Harvard. He took classes to strengthen his back and was accepted into the Navy. In 1943, Kennedy was on a Navy ship when it was destroyed by the Japanese. He was thrown from the boat and forced to swim out to sea for a rescue vessel. He received a Purple Heart for his courageous actions. He also received a Navy and Marine Corps award. medal. But after having further back and operation problems he was discharged in 1945. Kennedy held many jobs after being discharged from the Army. He wasn't sure what career he wanted to pursue. He worked as a reporter for Hearst Newspapers, where he covered a conference that established the United Nations. He then returned to Boston to pursue his new career as a politician. In early 1946, Kennedy announced his fall from office.