John Jr. lived in the White House during the first three years of his life and remained in the public spotlight as a young adult . His father was assassinated on November 22 , 1963 , and the state funeral was held three days later , on John Jr. 's third birthday . In a moment that became an iconic image of the 1960s , John Jr. stepped forward and rendered a final salute as his father 's flag-draped casket was carried out from St. Matthew 's Cathedral . The family continued with their plans for a birthday party to demonstrate that the Kennedys would go on despite the death of the president
assassinated
Assassination of John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy Jr.