November 8, 1960
Senator John F.
Kennedy is elected 35th President of the
United States
.
January 20, 1961
John F. Kennedy is
inaugurated President--"Ask
not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your
country."
January 21 and 24, 1961
President signs
Executive Orders increasing quantity and quality of surplus food
distributed to jobless Americans and expanding Food for Peace Program to
aid overseas needy.
January 30, 1961
President asks
Congress to include health insurance in Social Security Program.
February 2, 1961
President asks
Congress for program to help end recession, including food stamps,
extended benefits for unemployed workers and welfare payments for their
children.
February 9, 1961
President requests
legislation assisting medical and dental colleges and students.
February 15, 1961
President warns
Soviets to avoid interfering with United Nations pacification of the
Congo
.
March 1, 1961
President
initiates Peace Corps to carry American skills and idealism
to new and developing countries.
March 13, 1961
President proposes a
long-term
Alliance
for Progress between the
United States
and
Latin America
, emphasizing democratic reform and economic development.
March 22, 1961
President calls for
long-term Foreign Aid program with new emphasis on self help.
March 23, 1961
President warns
Communists that cease fire must precede negotiations for a neutral and
independent
Laos
.
March 28, 1961
President initiates
the largest and most rapid defense buildup in
United States
' peacetime history, doubling Polaris missile program, increasing armed
bomber and other missile programs, adding five combat ready divisions
and quadrupling anti-guerilla forces.
April 20, 1961
President assumes
responsibility for failed
Bay of Pigs
invasion, says policies and procedures will be changed.
May 1, 1961
President signs
long-sought Area Redevelopment Bill to aid communities with chronic
unemployment.
May 25, 1961
President proposes an
American space effort greater than all previous efforts combined, and
designed to put an American
space team on the moon within the decade.
June 3, 1961
President opens
channels of communication with Chairman Khrushchev of the Soviet Union
in an informal conference in
Vienna
.
June 30, 1961
President signs bill
extending Social Security benefits to five million people and permitting
people to retire with benefits at age 62.
President signs most
comprehensive Housing Bill in history, initiating aid to middle income
families and mass transportation users, and increasing urban renewal and
elderly housing.
July 20, 1961
President signs bill
doubling Federal effort to halt water pollution.
July 25, 1961
President tells nation
of determination to deter war in
West Berlin
, increasing military might and manpower--Soviet deadline for East
German Treaty subsequently passes.
August 7, 1961
President signs first
of three bills creating National Seashore Parks, the first major
addition to the National Park System in 16 years.
August 8, 1961
President signs most
comprehensive wheat and feed grain bill since 1938, resulting in higher
farm income and lower food surpluses.
September 3, 1961
President signs $1.25
Minimum Wage Bill, expanding coverage by several million for the first
time since original passage.
September 22, 1961
President signs bill
committing
United States
to unprecedented search for economic breakthrough in the conversion of
salt water to fresh.
President signs bill
establishing first Federal program to help combat juvenile delinquency.
September 25, 1961
President,
in speech to United Nations General Assembly endorses
complete and general disarmament and challenges Soviets to a "peace
race."
September 26, 1961
President signs bill
establishing the first full-scale, full-time Disarmament Agency in the
world.
December 15, 1961
President renews
American commitment to preserve independence of
Vietnam
.
March 2, 1962
President announces
that Soviet resumption of atmospheric nuclear testing makes American
testing necessary in late April unless effective treaty is signed.
March 15, 1962
President signs first
major Federal bill to retrain jobless victims of automation and chronic
unemployment.
April 5, 1962
President calls for
overhaul of Federal transportation policy, emphasizing increased and
equal competition instead of regulation--also renews request for urban
mass transportation program.
April 11, 1962
President
urges reconsideration of inflationary steel price increase--increase
was rescinded shortly thereafter.
July 12, 1962
President couples
depreciation reform with tax credit to spur greater investment in plant
and industry.
July 26, 1962
President signs the
most far-reaching revision of public welfare legislation since enactment
in 1935, emphasizing family rehabilitation and training instead of
dependency.
September 26, 1962
President signs bill
enabling construction of world's largest atomic power plant in
Hanford
,
Washington
.
September 30, 1962
President
announces action by Federal Government to carry out court
order admitting James Meredith to the
University
of
Mississippi
.
October 2, 1962
President signs United
Nations bond issue bill authorizing American participation in financing
United Nations peacekeeping operations in the
Congo
and elsewhere.
October 10, 1962
President signs first
major improvement in Food and Drug laws since 1938, protecting families
against untested and ineffective drugs.
October 11, 1962
President signs Trade
Expansion Act granting unprecedented authority to end American
protectionism and build free world economic unity.
October 22, 1962
President
announces naval quarantine to halt Soviet missile buildup in Cuba--Khrushchev
subsequently withdraws missiles under
United States
inspection.
November 20, 1962
President signs
Executive Order to prevent racial discrimination in Federal housing.
January 14, 1963
President calls for
massive tax reduction and tax reform, accurately predicting longest,
strongest economic expansion in American peace-time history to that
time.
March 22, 1963
President urges final
action on Constitutional Amendment outlawing poll tax as a bar to
voting--it became the 24th Amendment.
June 10, 1963
President, in speech
at American University, calls on American people to reexamine
their attitude toward Cold War.
June 11, 1963
President
mobilizes Alabama National Guard to admit two negroes to
University
of
Alabama
as ordered by the court.
June 22, 1963
President proposes
most sweeping Civil Rights legislation in history to give all Americans
equal opportunity in education, employment, public accommodations,
voting and access to Federal programs.
July 18, 1963
President presents
latest in series of administrative and legislative programs to stabilize
United States
balance of payments and stem outflow of gold.
September 20, 1963
President, in address
to the United Nations General Assembly, proposes additional
cooperation with Soviet Union, including outer space exploration--
United States
and
Soviet Union
subsequently agree on outer space disarmament move.
September 24, 1963
President signs first
major program assisting construction of higher education classrooms.
October 7, 1963
President signs
Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, first disarmament agreement of the nuclear age.
October 9, 1963
President announces
agreement with
Soviet Union
to open private negotiations for sale of American wheat.
October 24, 1963
President signs bill
launching first major national drive against mental illness and mental
retardation.
November 21, 1963
President asks
economic advisers to prepare "War on Poverty" program for
1964.
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