Biography of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, First Lady

Biography of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (born Jacqueline Lee Bouvier; July 28, 1929–May 19, 1994) was the wife of John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States. During his presidency, she became known for her fashion sense and for her redecoration of the White House. After the assassination of her husband in Dallas on November 22, 1963, she was honored for her dignity in her time of grief; she later remarried, moved to New York, and worked as an editor at Doubleday. Fast Facts: Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Known For: As the wife of John F. Kennedy, she was the first lady of the United States.Also Known As: Jacqueline Lee Bouvier, Jackie O.Born: July 28, 1929 in Southampton, New YorkParents: John Vernou Bouvier III  and socialite  Janet Norton LeeDied: May 19, 1994 in New York, New YorkEducation: Vassar College, George Washington UniversitySpouse(s): John F. Kennedy (m. 1953-1963), Aristotle Onassis (m. 1968-1975)Children: Arabella, Caroline, John Jr., Patrick Early Life Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was born Jacqueline Lee Bouvier in East Hampton, New York, on July 28, 1929. Her mother was socialite Janet Lee, and her father was John Vernou Bouvier III, a stockbroker known as â€Å"Black Jack.†Ã‚  He was a playboy from a wealthy family, French in ancestry and Roman Catholic by religion. Her younger sister was named Lee. Jack Bouvier lost most of his money in the Depression, and his extra-marital affairs contributed to the separation of Jacqueline’s parents in 1936. Though Roman Catholic, her parents divorced and her mother later married Hugh D. Auchincloss and moved with her two daughters to Washington, D.C.  Jacqueline attended private schools in New York and Connecticut and made her society debut in 1947, the same year she began attending Vassar College. Jacqueline’s college career included a junior year abroad in France. She completed her studies in French literature at George Washington University in 1951.  She was offered a job for a year as a trainee at Vogue, spending six months in New York and six months in France.  At the request of her mother and stepfather, though, she refused the position. Jacqueline began working as a photographer for the Washington Times-Herald. Meeting John F. Kennedy Jacqueline met John F. Kennedy, the young war hero and congressman from Massachusetts, in 1952, when she interviewed him for one of her assignments. The two began dating, became engaged in June 1953, and married in September at St. Mary’s Church in Newport. There were 750 wedding guests, 1,300 at the reception, and some 3,000 spectators.  Her father, because of his alcoholism, was unable to attend or walk her down the aisle. In 1955, Jacqueline had her first pregnancy, which ended in a miscarriage.  The next year another pregnancy ended in premature birth and stillborn child, and soon after her husband was bypassed for an expected nomination as the Democrat Partys vice presidential candidate.  Jacqueline’s father died in August 1957. Her marriage suffered because of her husband’s infidelities. On November 27, 1957, she gave birth to her daughter Caroline.  It was not long before Kennedy was running for the Senate again, and Jackie- as she was fondly known- took part in that, though she still disliked campaigning. While Jackie’s beauty, youth, and gracious presence were an asset to the campaigns of her husband, she only reluctantly participated in politics. She was pregnant again when he was running for president in 1960, which allowed her to bow out of active campaigning.  That child, John F. Kennedy, Jr., was born on November 25, after the election and before her husband was inaugurated in January 1961. First Lady As a very young first lady- only 32 years old- Jackie Kennedy was the subject of much fashion interest.  She applied her interests in culture to restoring the White House with period antiques and inviting musical artists to White House dinners.  She preferred not to meet with the press or with various delegations that came to meet with the first lady- a term she disliked- but a televised tour of the White House was very popular. She helped get Congress to declare White House furnishings government property. Jackie maintained an image of distance from politics, but her husband sometimes consulted her on issues and she was an observer at some meetings, including of the National Security Council. The White House announced in April 1963 that Jackie Kennedy was again pregnant.  Patrick Bouvier Kennedy was born prematurely on August 7, 1963, and lived only two days.  The experience brought John and Jackie Kennedy closer together. November 1963 Jackie Kennedy was riding in a limousine next to her husband in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963, when he was shot.  Images of her cradling his head in her lap as he was rushed to the hospital became part of the iconography of that day.  She accompanied her husband’s body on Air Force One and stood, still in her bloodstained suit, next to Lyndon B. Johnson on the plane as he was sworn in as the next president.  In the ceremonies that followed, Jackie Kennedy, a young widow with children, figured prominently as the shocked nation mourned.  She helped plan the funeral and arranged for an eternal flame to burn as a memorial at President Kennedy’s burial site in Arlington National Cemetery.  She also suggested to an interviewer, Theodore H. White, the image of Camelot for the Kennedy legacy. After the Assassination After the assassination, Jackie did her best to maintain privacy for her children, moving to an apartment in New York City in 1964 to escape the publicity of Georgetown.  Her husband’s brother Robert F. Kennedy stepped in as a role model for his niece and nephew.  Jackie took an active role in his run for the presidency in 1968. After Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June, Jackie married Greek tycoon Aristotle Onassis on October 22, 1968- many believe to give herself and her children an umbrella of protection. However, many of the people who had admired her so much in the aftermath of the assassination felt betrayed by her remarriage. She became a constant subject of tabloids and a constant target for paparazzi. Career as an Editor Aristotle Onassis died in 1975. After winning a court battle over the widow’s portion of his estate with his daughter Christina, Jackie moved permanently to New York. There, though her wealth would have supported her quite well, she went back to work, taking a job with Viking and later with Doubleday and Company as an editor.  She was eventually promoted to senior editor and helped produce bestselling books. Death Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis died in New York on May 19, 1994, after a few months of treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and was buried next to President Kennedy in Arlington National Cemetery.  The nation’s depth of mourning stunned her family.  A 1996 auction of some of her belongings, to help her two children pay inheritance taxes on her estate, brought more publicity and significant sales. Legacy Jackie Kennedy is one of the United States most iconic first ladies, consistently topping polls of the nations most beloved and influential figures. As a style icon, she helped popularize long gloves and pillbox hats, and she continues to inspire couture designers today. She has been depicted in the films Thirteen Days, Love Field, Killing Kennedy, and Jackie. A book written by Jacqueline Kennedy was found among her personal effects; she left instructions that it not be published for 100 years. Sources Bowles, Hamish, ed.  Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years: Selections from the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum.  Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2001.Bradford, Sarah.  Americas Queen: A Life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.  Penguin, 2000.Lowe, Jacques.  My Kennedy Years.  Thames Hudson, 1996.Spoto, Donald.  Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis: A Life.  Macmillan, 2000.

The Connection Between Gun Control Legislation and Gun Crime

The Connection Between Gun Control Legislation and Gun Crime In the aftermath of the June 2016 mass shooting in Orlando, a debate has again turned to whether gun control legislation actually works to reduce gun-related violence. Over the years studies have produced mixed results, which fuels the debate, providing science-based arguments on both sides. However, researchers at Columbia Universitys Mailman School of Public Health have now settled the debate by conducting a massive international review of studies published all the way back to 1950. They found that gun control laws are in fact associated with lower rates of gun-related violence in most countries. About the Study The study, titled  What Do We Know About the Association Between Firearm Legislation and Firearm-Related Injuries? was published in  Epidemiologic Reviews  in February 2016. Lead by Dr. Julian Santaella-Tenorio, a team of researchers examined the findings from 130 studies from 10 countries published between 1950 and 2014. The studies reviewed were all conducted to examine the connection  between gun laws and gun-related homicides, suicides, and unintentional injuries and deaths. The laws in question covered a range of issues related to citizen access to guns. They included laws that govern the use of guns, like the right to carry and stand your ground laws; the sale of guns, including background checks and waiting periods; ownership restrictions, like bans on purchasing for persons with a felony record or documented mental condition; storage-related laws designed to prevent child access in the home; and laws that regulate access to certain guns like automatic and semi-automatic weapons and high-capacity magazines. The studies reviewed included numerous other laws within these categories, ​which are listed in full in the report. The Convincing and Consistent Evidence While the researchers did find some conflicting findings within their review, they found enough convincing and consistent evidence across various locations to conclude that laws that restrict access to and govern the use of guns are  associated with reductions in gun-related deaths, lower rates of intimate partner homicide, and reductions in unintentional gun-related deaths of children. The researchers, however, emphasize that their findings from the review of these 130 studies do not prove causality between gun control legislation and reduced rates of gun violence. Rather, the findings point to an association or correlation between the two variables. Santaella-Tenorio summed this up for Columbia Universitys online news outlet, saying,  In most countries, we saw evidence of the reduction in the firearm death rates after the enactment of firearm legislation.† A Look at Other Nations   Honing in on specifics, the study found  laws that target multiple aspects of gun control reduced gun-related deaths in some countries. They highlight the well-known clear evidence from Australia that followed the passage of the countrys 1996 National Firearm Agreement. Studies that have examined rates of gun violence following the passage of this legislative package found that it led to a decline in gun-related deaths, gun-related suicides, and mass shootings. The researchers point out that similar studies found similar results in other nations. Studies of Targeted Laws   Focusing on studies of more targeted laws, the researchers found that in some cases, restrictions on purchasing, access, and use of guns are associated with reduced gun-related deaths. Studies from the U.S. show that when background checks include restraining orders, fewer women are killed by current or former romantic partners through the use of guns. Further, some studies from the U.S. show that laws that require background checks to include local mental health facility records are associated with fewer gun-related suicides. Studies of Legislation in Place The review also found that studies that focused on legislation that relaxes gun laws, like stand your ground and right to carry laws, and the repeal of existing laws leads  to an increase in gun-related homicides. So, contrary to the belief of the NRA and many others in the U.S., the right to carry laws do not reduce gun violence. Theres never been more compelling evidence that legislative control of our access to and use of guns is a benefit to society.