John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born on May 29, 1917, in Brookline, Massachusetts. During his short tenure as our 35th and youngest President, he created the Peace Corp, tackled the Cuban Missile Crisis, proposed a new Civil Rights Bill to Congress and promoted advancement in space exploration. All of this while he suffered Migraines and other ailments.

Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy and John Francis Fitzgerald Kennedy of Irish descent, had a large family - nine children in all. JFK was the second oldest and a fairly sick child. He had measles, chicken pox, whooping cough and a bout with scarlet fever during 1920, which back then, was considered life-threatening. It is also reported he suffered gastrointestinal issues and fatigue as a child. His health issues plagued him throughout his entire life.

JFK and his older brother Joe, attended Harvard, where both men were considered smart, friendly, and likeable. They played football together when Kennedy sustained his first substantial back injury, a ruptured disc in his spine. This would be the one of many back issues that would bother him for the rest of his life.

You can read more in John F. Kennedy's Migraines - A Secret?

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© Nancy H. Bonk

Last updated January 27, 2010.