John F. Kennedy — 35th President (1961–1963)

**John F. Kennedy** served only 1,036 days before his assassination in Dallas, but in that time he navigated the Cuban Missile Crisis (the closest humanity has come to nuclear annihilation), launched the Space Race with the moon speech, created the Peace Corps, and inspired a generation to public service with "Ask not what your country can do for you." He was young, charismatic, and imperfect — the Camelot myth obscures a complicated reality of health problems, personal failings, and policy missteps (Bay of Pigs).