Today marks a sad day in the history of the United States and the world. Because, 48 years ago today, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, was gunned down in Dallas, Texas. You may have seen the various movies about this assassination or even the silent color film that Abraham Zapruder caught with his home movie camera on that awful day in Dealey Plaza.

The news of the assignation stunned America. Even veteran news reporter Walter Cronkite was shaken by the reports coming out of Dallas on November 22nd, 1963.

The tragedy of the day was compounded by the promise that was bound up in President Kennedy. He was youngest elected President (at the age of 43 years and 236 days). He had a young family with his beautiful wife, Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy. Just weeks after winning the 1960 presidential election, his son John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Jr. was born.

Kennedy brought a new vigor and enthusiasm into the White House, after years of lackluster leadership much as the election of Barack Obama did in 2008.

To get a sense of what might have been lost with Kennedy’s death, I invite you to watch this amazing inaugural address that John F. Kennedy made on January 20th, 1961.