On November 22, 1963, at 12:30 p.m. local time in “Deeley Plaza“, Dallas, Texas, USA, a sniper shot the 35th President John F. Kennedy while he was traveling with his wife Jacqueline, Texas Governor John Connolly, and his wife Nellie Connolly, accompanied by the presidential motorcade.
The 10-month investigation by the "Warren" Commission between 1963 and 1964 found that the President was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald, who acted alone, and that Jack Ruby also acted alone when he killed Oswald before he could stand trial. However, polls conducted between 1966 and 2004 showed that up to 80% of Americans suspected that it was a government cover-up.
The President's car, a specially designed 1961 Lincoln Continental convertible, was equipped with a futuristic plastic balloon that would protect the occupants in case of rain while also allowing passersby to get a good look at their elegant President and his beautiful wife. But the weather was nice, and the balloon was removed. The plastic wasn't armored anyway.
Following the president's limousine was a 1955 Cadillac carrying eight armed agents - four inside and four on the side steps.
Next in the line was the vice president's car, a four-door Lincoln convertible, carrying Johnson, Senator Yarborough, and a Secret Service agent. The driver was a patrolman from Texas. Behind Johnson's car came a car driven by a Dallas police officer, with three other agents and Johnson's assistant, Clifton Garter, riding in it.
The rest of the motorcade included five cars carrying the mayor of Dallas and five other Dallas politicians; the president's physician, Admiral George Berkeley; telephone company and Western Union cars; the White House communications car; three cars carrying press photographers; a White House staff van; and two vans carrying journalists.
The motorcade was closed by a Dallas police car and three other motorcycles.
At exactly 12:30 p.m., gunshots rang out.
According to the Warren Commission, one bullet passed through the president's neck. A second, fatal bullet followed, shattering the right side of his skull. Connally was wounded in the back, right chest, right wrist, and left thigh.
Secret Service agents rushed to the limousine. Jackie Kennedy screamed: “Oh, my God, they shot my husband! I love you, Jack!“.
In the presidential car, Agent Kellerman reported what had happened over the radio to Police Chief Curry, who led the motorcade at breakneck speed to Parkland Hospital, located 4 miles away. There was, of course, no hope of salvation for the president. He was pronounced dead 30 minutes after the shooting. Connally underwent emergency surgery and survived.
At 2:15 p.m., Kennedy's body was loaded into a casket on Air Force One to be returned to Washington.
At 2:38 p.m., just before the plane departed for Washington, Hughes swore in Lyndon Johnson as the 36th President of the United States.