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How John F. Kennedy celebrated his last birthday, May 29, 1963

JFK's last birthday was classic 'Camelot,' with 'festive yachting suit and dress' and a dash of Hollywood. 'I don鈥檛 think I had ever seen the president and Mrs. Kennedy having more fun,' wrote an aide.

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Charles Dharapak/AP
The John F. Kennedy Eternal Flame burns behind a wreath placed by the US Army Military District of Washington at President John F. Kennedy's gravesite at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., on Thursday, marking his 97th birthday.

John F. Kennedy was born 97 years ago today, on May 29, 1917, in a second-floor bedroom in the family home in Brookline, Mass.

He traveled far from that bedroom, of course. As president, he became a symbol of vigor and hope to millions of Americans, though subsequent revelations about his health and private life have somewhat darkened that image for posterity.

His last birthday celebrations were replete with the glamor later conveyed by his administration鈥檚 鈥淐amelot鈥 nickname. Strictly speaking, there were three. The first was a Democratic Party fundraiser billed as 鈥淣ew York鈥檚 Birthday Salute to the President." It was held on May 23 in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. In brief remarks, JFK said that the dinner鈥檚 $1,000 price tag was simply the admission price attendees paid to join "" He also noted that his generally pro-business predecessor Dwight Eisenhower was down the hall receiving an annual man-of-the-year award from the steel industry.

鈥淟ast year I won the award and they came to Washington to present it to me, but the Secret Service just wouldn鈥檛 let them in,鈥 said Kennedy to a round of laughter.

Then on May 29, his staff threw him a birthday party in the White House mess hall. Photos show a relaxed chief executive, wife Jacqueline at his side, bantering with his officials while opening presents (he received a shillelagh, among other things). The assembly toasted his health with champagne glasses.

That night Mrs. Kennedy hosted a Invitations were sent out over the name of Jackie鈥檚 social secretary, Letitia Baldridge, and requested attendees to wear 鈥渁ppropriately festive yachting suit and dress."

The guest list was a glimpse of Washington gone by. It included family (Robert and Edward Kennedy, Sargent Shriver, and their spouses), Hollywood (actors David Niven and Peter Lawford), and Kennedy pals (Sen. George Smathers and wife, and Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee and his then-wife Toni).

Toni鈥檚 sister Mary Pinchot Meyer also attended. An alleged Kennedy mistress, Meyer was murdered the next year on a path in Georgetown. The killing remains unsolved.

By all accounts, the party was a great success. The menu was high 1960s 鈥 crabmeat appetizer, followed by roast beef, noodle casserole, and asparagus Hollandaise.

鈥淭here were plenty of toasts, and after birthday cake at the dining table, the president opened presents in the aft salon. Then the dancing started. They were doing the twist, the cha-cha, and everything in between. I don鈥檛 think I had ever seen the president and Mrs. Kennedy having more fun,鈥 wrote Secret Service agent Clint Hill

Six months later, Mr. Hill was riding in the car behind JFK and Jackie as their motorcade twisted through a narrow part of downtown Dallas. At the first shot, he leaped out and jumped on the back of the presidential limousine, pulling himself onto the trunk with a hand-hold. He was perhaps two seconds too late to shield the president from Lee Harvey Oswald鈥檚 fatal, final shot.

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