Real Time 1960s

Nov. 22, 1963 - At 12:40 p.m. Central Standard Time, CBS-TV interrupted the program “As The World Turns” with a screen reading “CBS NEWS BULLETIN.” Over this screen, Walter Cronkite’s voice reported the following: “In Dallas, Texas, three shots were fired at President Kennedy’s motorcade in downtown Dallas. The first reports say President Kennedy has been seriously wounded by this shooting.” Following a brief pause, Mr. Cronkite then continued: “More details just arrived. These details about the same as previously. President Kennedy shot today just as his motorcade left downtown Dallas. Mrs. Kennedy jumped up and grabbed Mr. Kennedy. She called, ‘Oh no!’ The motorcade sped on. United Press International reports that the wounds perhaps could be fatal.” All three major television networks are currently preparing to cover the events in Dallas live with visual reports. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Nov. 22, 1963 - This second audio-only CBS-TV bulletin concerning the assassination attempt against President Kennedy aired at 1:43 p.m. EST, at which point the President was still clinging to life. The narrator is Walter Cronkite. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Nov. 22, 1963 - Father James Thompson and Father Oscar Huber, pastor of Holy Trinity Church in Dallas, arrived at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, Texas at 12:58 p.m. Central Standard Time to give President John F. Kennedy the last rites of the Catholic Church. In the hospital’s Trauma Room One, a tracheotomy was performed on the President at 12:43 p.m., but his breathing remained inadequate. President Kennedy has reportedly sustained massive damage to the right side of his brain. His condition is grave. Mrs. Kennedy, her clothing spattered with her husband’s blood, is at the hospital. She has reportedly refused sedation. In Trauma Room Two, Dr. Robert R. Shaw has been working on Governor John Connally, who was also shot. The medical team at Parkland has placed a tight occlusive dressing over a large sucking wound in the Governor’s chest and a rubber tube, connected to a water seal bottle, between the Governor’s second and third ribs. The purpose of the latter is to expand Mr. Connally’s collapsed right lung. At 12:57 p.m., Mr. Connally was put under for surgery which is expected to take a minimum of three hours. The Governor’s condition is critical, but his chances for survival are reportedly good. His wife, Nellie, is also at the hospital. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Nov. 22, 1963 - President Kennedy, who spent last night at The Texas Hotel in Fort Worth, delivered a speech this morning to a crowd of roughly 5,000 people who had gathered in the rain in the hotel parking lot. The President, bareheaded and without a coat, made his remarks after a brief introduction by Vice President Johnson. Mrs. Kennedy, who remained in the hotel room, is expected to appear later with the President at a Chamber of Commerce breakfast. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Nov. 22, 1963 - Here are scenes of Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, where President Kennedy died today of a wound in the brain caused by a bullet fired at him as he was riding through downtown Dallas in a motorcade. On the soundtrack is radio confirmation of the President's death. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Nov. 22, 1963 - President Kennedy spoke this morning at a Chamber of Commerce breakfast at The Texas Hotel in Fort Worth. But the star of the event was Mrs. Kennedy, who entered the ballroom to a tremendous round of applause from the 2,500 guests, prompting the President to remark: “Two years ago, I introduced myself in Paris as the man who had accompanied Mrs. Kennedy to Paris. I’m getting somewhat that same sensation as I travel around Texas. Nobody wonders what Lyndon and I wear.” After President Kennedy’s speech, the president of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce presented both Kennedys with cowboy boots and the President with a 10-gallon hat. Mr. Kennedy declined to put it on in public, joking that he would wear it at the White House next Monday. Following the speech, President Kennedy and Mrs. Kennedy returned to their hotel suite, where the President placed a telephone call to former Vice President John Nance Garner to wish him a happy 95th birthday. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Nov. 22, 1963 - Patrolman Martin Friedl of the NYPD describes the scene in Times Square hours after the assassination of President Kennedy today in Dallas, Texas. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Nov. 22, 1963 - A Dallas woman who photographed President Kennedy as he was shot tells her story. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Nov. 22, 1963 - At 12:34 p.m. Central Standard Time, United Press International flashed the following sentence to its network of subscribers: “Three shots were fired at President Kennedy’s motorcade today in downtown Dallas.” The President’s motorcade had been traveling its scheduled 9½-mile journey from Love Field, Dallas’s airport, to the Dallas Trade Mart. The shots were reportedly fired in Dealey Plaza in downtown Dallas. Some witnesses have stated that President Kennedy was struck by at least one bullet and that Texas Governor John Connally may have been shot as well. The shots reportedly came from the Texas School Book Depository in Dealey Plaza. The President’s motorcade was seen traveling at a high rate of speed to Parkland Memorial Hospital, arriving at the emergency entrance at 12:36 p.m. local time. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Nov. 22, 1963 - In New York City, visitors to the U.S. from foreign countries reacted with shock and dismay to the assassination of President Kennedy. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Nov. 22, 1963 - This evening in San Francisco, everyday citizens reacted with shock and horror to the assassination of President Kennedy earlier today in Dallas, Texas. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Nov. 22, 1963 - Dallas Police Sergeant Gerald Hill, who helped arrest Lee Harvey Oswald, describes what was found in the Texas Schoolbook Depository, from which the fatal shots were fired. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Nov. 22, 1963 - President Kennedy spoke this morning at a Chamber of Commerce breakfast at The Texas Hotel in Fort Worth. But the star of the event was Mrs. Kennedy, who entered the ballroom to a tremendous round of applause from the 2,500 guests, prompting the President to remark: “Two years ago, I introduced myself in Paris as the man who had accompanied Mrs. Kennedy to Paris. I’m getting somewhat that same sensation as I travel around Texas. Nobody wonders what Lyndon and I wear.” After President Kennedy’s speech, the president of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce presented both Kennedys with cowboy boots and the President with a 10-gallon hat. Mr. Kennedy declined to put it on in public, joking that he would wear it at the White House next Monday. Following the speech, President Kennedy and Mrs. Kennedy returned to their hotel suite, where the President placed a telephone call to former Vice President John Nance Garner to wish him a happy 95th birthday. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Nov. 22, 1963 - This evening, Dallas Mayor Earle Cabell answered questions about the assassination of President Kennedy today. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Nov. 22, 1963 - Disbelief, shock, tears, and finally outrage were Congress’ reactions today to the assassination of President Kennedy. Some legislators pounded their fists against the nearest wall. Others wandered aimlessly, stunned, through the halls of Congress. “This is terrible,” Senate Democratic Leader Mike Mansfield (Mont.) whispered after being told. He stammered, “I — I can’t find the words.” “Oh God, Oh God! This is the most distressing thing that could ever happen,” Senate GOP Leader Everett Dirksen (Ill.) declared. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii), recalling the assassination of Lincoln a little less than 100 years ago, raged: “This black Friday will be long remembered by the people of our nation.” “This is a tragic event,” House Speaker John McCormack (Mass.), a lifelong friend of the President, said in disbelief. “I feel very inadequate in expressing my thoughts,” he said. “The nation has sustained a staggering loss, the significance of which is stupendous. Our country and the entire world will never forget President Kennedy. His leadership was superb in meeting the challenges of the world.” He wandered away, still crying. Sen. Barry Goldwater (R-Ariz.), who had been a possible Kennedy opponent in the 1964 Presidential race, called the assassination “shocking and dreadful.” “The President’s death is a profound loss to the nation and the free world,” Goldwater said in a statement. “He and I were personal friends. It is also a great loss to me. Mrs. Goldwater and I offer our heartfelt sympathies to Mrs. Kennedy and the President’s family.” And Congressman Joe D. Waggoner Jr. (D-La.) declared: “I don’t know what this country is coming to. We’re a damned banana republic.” Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Nov. 22, 1963 - This afternoon, Dallas citizens responded to the assassination of President Kennedy. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Nov. 22, 1963 - At 7:04 p.m. Central Standard Time, Captain J.W. Fritz of the Homicide and Robbery Bureau of the Dallas Police Department signed complaint number F-153 charging 24-year-old Lee Harvey Oswald with the murder of 39-year-old Dallas Police Officer J.D. Tippit this afternoon. Assistant District Attorney Bill Alexander also affixed his signature to the complaint. Judge David Johnston then entered Mr. Oswald’s interrogation room and informed Mr. Oswald that he was charged in the complaint with having “unlawfully, voluntarily, and with malice aforethought killed J.D. Tippit by shooting him with a gun” earlier that day. Judge Johnston advised Mr. Oswald of his constitutional rights. “You’ll be given the opportunity to contact an attorney,” Judge Johnston told the prisoner. “Bond is denied on this capital offense. I hereby remand you to the custody of the sheriff of Dallas County, Texas.” Police and other officials continue to gather evidence and witness statements which they believe will positively connect Mr. Oswald with the murder of President Kennedy as well. Police sources say Mr. Oswald will likely be formally charged with that crime by the end of the day. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Nov. 22, 1963 - This third CBS-TV bulletin concerning the assassination attempt against President Kennedy aired at 1:56 p.m. EST, at which point the President was only a few minutes from death. Following this audio-only bulletin, the network went to live visual coverage at 2:08 p.m. EST. The narrator is Walter Cronkite. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime196

Nov. 22, 1963 - In these street interviews by a CBS reporter, Chicago citizens express shock, dismay, and deep sadness at the assassination of President Kennedy. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Nov. 22, 1963 - Former President Dwight D. Eisenhower held a press conference in New York City today concerning the death of President John F. Kennedy. “I share the sense of shock and dismay that the entire nation must feel at the despicable act that took the life of the nation’s President,” said General Eisenhower in his opening statement. “On the personal side, Mrs. Eisenhower and I share the grief that Mrs. Kennedy must now feel, and we send her our prayerful thoughts and sympathetic sentiments in this hour.” Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Nov. 22, 1963 - The Presidential jet landed at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland at 5:58 p.m. after the flight from Dallas, Texas. Both President Johnson and his wife, Lady Bird, remained aboard the aircraft until the coffin bearing the body of President Kennedy had been removed from a forward compartment to an enclosed ramp and then to a waiting Navy ambulance. A large delegation of Administration officials was on hand as the plane taxied to a stop. President Johnson solemnly shook hands with a few persons and then walked toward a large Congressional delegation. Bareheaded in the November cold, President and Mrs. Johnson stepped into the glare of the airport and television lights. Mr. Johnson stepped up to a podium arrayed with microphones and spoke to the world for the first time as President of the United States. “This is a sad time for all people,” said President Johnson. “We have suffered a loss that cannot be weighed. For me, it is a deep personal tragedy. I know the world shares the sorrow that Mrs. Kennedy and her family bear. I will do my best. That is all I can do. I ask for your help — and God’s.” Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Nov. 22, 1963 - President Kennedy, Mrs. Kennedy, Texas Governor John Connally, and Mrs. Connally arrived at Love Field, Dallas’s airport, at 11:40 a.m. local time. The flight on Air Force One from Carswell Air Force Base in Fort Worth took just thirteen minutes. Vice President Johnson arrived on a separate flight, as is customary. The temperature in Dallas was 63 degrees, and the skies were clear. Bill Greer, the president’s Irish-born driver and at age 54 the oldest man in the Secret Service’s White House detail, will drive the Presidential limousine, a 1961 Lincoln Continental convertible, through downtown Dallas, where a large crowd has been gathering all morning. The President’s immediate destination is the Dallas Trade Mart, where he is scheduled to deliver a speech to 2,600 people at a sold-out luncheon in the Grant Courtyard. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Nov. 22, 1963 - The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, who has been subjected to numerous death threats for many years and was stabbed by a deranged woman in Harlem in 1958, reacted today to the assassination of President Kennedy. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Nov. 22, 1963 - President John Fitzgerald Kennedy died today of a wound in the brain caused by a bullet fired at him as he was riding through downtown Dallas in a motorcade. He was 46 years old. He was shot at 12:30 p.m. Central Standard Time. President Kennedy was pronounced dead at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas at 1:00 p.m. Malcolm Kilduff, assistant White House press secretary, made the following statement to reporters at the hospital: “President John F. Kennedy died at approximately one o’clock Central Standard Time today here in Dallas. He died of a gunshot wound in the brain. I have no other details regarding the assassination of the President. Mrs. Kennedy was not hit. Governor Connally was hit. The Vice President was not hit.” Mr. Kilduff further stated that Vice President Johnson had left the hospital and that he had not yet taken the oath of office. He added that, for reasons of security, he could not discuss the whereabouts or travel plans of the Vice President. “I understand that Governor Connally’s condition is satisfactory. He was shot twice, once apparently in the side and once in the wrist.” Mr. Kilduff added that the death of President Kennedy had been described to him by Dr. George Burkley, President Kennedy’s personal physician, as “a simple matter of a bullet right through the head.” Dallas police sources say a rifle has been found in the Texas School Book Depository but that President Kennedy’s assassin remains at large. Senator Ralph Yarborough (D-Tex.), who was riding with Vice President Johnson two cars behind the Kennedy limousine, with a Secret Service car in between, told newsmen in a voice choked with sobs: “It is too horrible to describe. We did not see them shot, but we knew immediately they were. I saw a Secret Service man in the car beating his fists on the back as they drove off, in frustration, anger, and despair.” Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Here is a montage of contemporary radio and television reports concerning the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s