Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, was the widow of John F. Kennedy the 35th President of the United States of America and of Aristotle S. Onassis, a Greek businessman. Jackie was constantly in the spotlight during her years as First Lady and afterward, we admired her self-possession over things, beauty, and grace. She was known to the public as “Jackie,” and in her later years as “Jackie O” after she remarried Mr. Onassis.

Jacqueline Lee Bouvier was born in Southampton, N.Y., on July 28, 1929. Her father John Vernou Bouvier III was a successful Wall Street Broker and her Mother Janet Lee Bouvier was a well accomplished Equestrian. Her mother later divorced and re-married in 1940 to Hugh D. Auchincloss. She was brought up in wealthy and well-cultured surroundings, mainly in New York, Rhode Island, and Virginia. Jackie attended Miss Porter's School for Girls in Connecticut and Vassar College, where she excelled in history, literature, art and French and later graduated from George Washington University in 1951. In 1952, while working on her first job as an inquiring photographer for the Washington Times-Herald, she interviewed Senator John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts. On September 12, 1953, she and Kennedy got married at St. Mary’ Church in Newport. In time they had three children Caroline, John, and Patrick, who was born pre-mature and died two days after his birth in 1963.

At the age of 31 Jackie Kennedy became the third youngest first lady in U.S. history and the first to go into office as the mother of infant in over two decades. As First Lady, Jackie created a White House Fine Arts Committee to guide and authenticate the work, created the post of White House curator, oversaw publication of a guide book for visitors, established the white House Library and the Rose Garden and also promoted legislation to raise the presidential mansion to museum status. She also supported some projects like the renewal of Pennsylvania Avenue, preservation of Lafayette Square, across from the White House and plans for a national cultural complex which eventually became known as the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington DC. As the first lady, she was known for her elegance and interest in the arts. She became quite famous for turning the White House into a showcase for cultural and intellectual achievement.

Jackie Kennedy accompanied her husband on trips to France, Austria, United Kingdom, Venezuela, Columbia, Costa Rica, She even went as far as India. Because of her interest in cultural arts and her fluncey in many languages Jackie Became a popular ambassadors around the world.

On November 22, 1963, Jackie was siting beside her husband in a motorcade when he was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. She accompanied his coffin to Washington and walked in the funeral procession. She showed lots of courage by staying strong during all this events in her life.

After President’s Kennedy death she began working to organize the John F. Kennedy Library which would commemorate her husbands life. She an architect by the name I.M. Pei to design the library and decided that the best location to place the monumental building would be some where over looking Boston Harbor.

In search of privacy from being the widow of an assassinated president and worldly known for her efforts in preserving the history of the White House, Jackie moved with her children to New York City. On October 20, 1968,to everyone’s surprise she announced to the world that she had married Aristotle Onassis, a wealthy Greek businessman in his private island. After several years the marriage failed, but the couple never divorced. Aristotle S. Onassis died in 1975. Jackie found out that Onassis left her only $120,000 in his will she contested it and won $26 million dollars the well invested money later turned to hundreds of millions of dollars.

Widowed for a second time, Jackie began a career in publishing and eventually became a senior editor at Doubleday, where she specialized in works on performing arts and on Egyptian art and literature.

On May, 19,1994 Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis died in her New York City home. She was buried beside her first husband, President Kennedy, in Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington, DC.

Word Count: 699