61 years have passed since the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, an event recorded in the annals of American history on November 22, 1963. The Kennedy family, known for its contributions to politics and public service, has faced an extraordinary series of misfortunes that some attribute to the so-called “Kennedy curse.” Today, we revisit that legacy.

Tragic losses in the Kennedy family

The history of the Kennedy family is marred by a series of heartbreaking tragedies.

The 1960s were also marked by other incidents that affected the Kennedy family:

The following decades brought additional sadness. In 1974, Athalia Ponsell Lindsley, who was dating Joseph P Kennedy Jr., was murdered in her home. On April 25, 1984, David Kennedy died of a drug overdose. On New Year’s Eve 1997, Michael Kennedy met a tragic end in a skiing accident when he crashed into a tree. John F. Kennedy Jr., a charismatic figure in his own right, died in a plane crash in 1999 with his wife, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, and sister-in-law, Lauren Bessette.

The following years saw the deaths of Kara Kennedy in 2011, Mary Kennedy in 2012, Christopher Kennedy Lawford in 2018, Saoirse Kennedy Hill in 2019 and Maeve Kennedy Townsend McKean in 2020, who tragically lost her life in a boating accident along with her young son, Gideon. It was really a catalog of disasters.

Kennedys keeping the family name alive

That the Kennedy family have weathered these heartbreaking losses, some members persist in carrying on the family legacy. Notable survivors include the children and grandchildren of Senator Edward M. Kennedy, who continued to contribute to public life.

Patrick Kennedy, son of Senator “Ted” Kennedy – and grandson of President JFK – was an eight-term congressman from Rhode Island. Joseph Kennedy II, son of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., served six terms as a congressman from Massachusetts, while his sister Kathleen Kennedy Townsend served as lieutenant governor for two terms in Maryland. Then there is Caroline Kennedy, JFK’s daughter and only surviving child. She almost replaced Hillary Clinton in the Senate in 2009, but chose a different path.

However, the most prominent of the Kennedys at this time is certainly the aforementioned Robert. And he’s pushing for more information to be released about his uncle’s death.

What is the status of the JFK assassination files?

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the grandson of the late president and the current nominee to become the US Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Trump administration, launched a petition urging the Biden administration to release remaining government records related to this historical event. In 1992, Congress passed the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act, which requires all materials related to JFK’s assassination to be stored in the National Archives and Records Administration. The act required public disclosure of all records by 2017.

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While both Presidents Trump and Biden have released thousands of documents, citing national security, law enforcement, and foreign affairs concerns, some records remain classified. Kennedy Jr. argues that disclosure of the full, unredacted records is crucial to restoring trust in government. The Biden released 99% of the information about the assassinationciting the need to protect against identifiable harm to military defense, intelligence operations, law enforcement, and foreign relations.

But Kennedy Jr. believes the release of the remaining records is essential to transparency and democracy and has urged President Biden to comply with the 1992 act. Kennedy Jr. questions the hesitation, asking, “What is so embarrassing that they are afraid to show the American public 60 years later?”

Despite launching the petition, The White House has yet to respond to Kennedy Jr.’s request. Now, as part of the Trump administration, maybe RFK will be able to have that last 1% released.