presidency of John F. Kennedy began at noon EST on January 20 , 1961 , when Kennedy was inaugurated as the 35th President of the United States , and ended on November 22 , 1963 , upon his assassination , a span of days . A Democrat from Massachusetts , he took office following the 1960 presidential election , in which he narrowly defeated Richard Nixon , the then – incumbent Vice President . He was succeeded by Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson
assassination
Assassination of John F. Kennedy
Presidency of John F. Kennedy