January 2, 1960: Senator John F. Kennedy announced his candidacy for the presidency of the United States. He entered the race a little over 10 months before Election Day. He would go on to win his party's nomination in July of that year, and in November, be elected president in one of the closest elections in US history. Film: Universal Newsreel, IFP-83B in the JFK Library | JFK Library Foundation

Lady Bird Johnson provided a vivid, firsthand account of the assassination of JFK, describing the "sharp, loud" sounds of the shots and the "poignant" sight of Mrs. Kennedy's blood-caked pink dress at the hospital. She captured the shock and sorrow of the day, from the chaos in Dallas to the somber flight back to Washington, D.C., where her husband was sworn in as president. Credit: @pbs | History In Pictures

The 11 Best Books About John F. Kennedy