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Robert F. Kennedy 1925-1968
Robert Francis Kennedy was presidential
adviser to his brother,
John F. Kennedy, who was the 35th U.S.
president from 1961 until 1963.
Bobby Kennedy then served as U.S. senator
from 1965 - 1968.
On June 6, 1966, Robert F. Kennedy
delivered his
Day of Affirmation Address at the University of Cape Town in
Cape Town, South Africa.
On April 4, 1968, Robert F. Kennedy gave
his
speech on the death of Martin Luther King, Jr., who was
killed earlier that day. At the time, Kennedy was campaigning for his
presidential nomination in Indianapolis, Indiana.
These photos are from the Indiana
Historical Bureau:
THE
ASSASSINATION OF ROBERT F. KENNEDY
Just weeks after MLK's assassination, Kennedy was assassinated himself.
On June 5, 1968, shortly after midnight,
senator and presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy spoke to his
followers at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California, after
winning the California presidential primary.
The handbook for body-guards Just 2
Seconds by Gavin de Becker et al gives the events as follows:
Kennedy finished addressing a large
crowd in the Ambassador Hotel and walked off stage toward the
hotel's kitchen, through which he was to exit the ballroom.
His protectors were two famous
athletes, and they were trailing Kennedy.
Sirhan Sirhan had read Kennedy's
schedule in the newspaper and was waiting in the pantry when
Kennedy was led through by a headwaiter.
Sirhan opened fire with an Iver
Johnson .22 revolver, striking Kennedy four times. Five other
bystanders were also wounded. Due to the crowd, it took 17
minutes to evacuate Kennedy to an ambulance. He died 25 hours
later.
The assassin was Sirhan Bishara Sirhan,
an immigrant from Palestine. He claimed that he had no memory of the
night of the assassination. Sirhan serves a life sentence.
If you want to dive further into the
subject, the
FBI Robert F. Kennedy Assassination Summary is for you.
Check also
Assassinations in History.
On June 8, 1968, Robert's brother Ted
delivered the eulogy, his
Tribute to
Robert F. Kennedy in New York City.
Here is more about Robert's brother
Edward Moore Kennedy (Ted).
And here is more about
Martin Luther King Jr.
See also the
American Timeline.
Go here for more about
Human Rights in History.
More History
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