Joe Biden

[Michael Rolls]

actually, that's only true of the last two. Trump was 71, Biden 79 when taking office. Of the POTUS holders since the war, Regan at 70 was the only other one past normal retirement age - 65 - and Bush senior just squeaked in - 64. Yougest, of course, was JFK - 43

[Diasi]

actually, that's only true of the last two. Trump was 71, Biden 79 when taking office. Of the POTUS holders since the war, Regan at 70 was the only other one past normal retirement age - 65 - and Bush senior just squeaked in - 64. Yougest, of course, was JFK - 43

I wouldn't regard JFK as a resounding endorsement for a young POTUS.

Lol 

[Michael Rolls]

are you referring to his private life?

[klondike]

Nearly starting WW3 wasn't too smart either....

There are conspiracy theories that his assassination may have been orchestrated by a government agency in case he  got careless again.

[Michael Rolls]

Almost started WW3? How do you work that out? It was JFK who ensured that it didn't happen – I assume that you are talking about the Cuban missile crisis? That had its origins in 1958 when Castro overthrew Batista and promptly nationalized everything is sight, including a lot of American investments – banks, hotels, plantations, etc., all without any compensation. Somewhat miffed, President Eisenhower authorized the CIA to overthrow Castro by whatever means needed, including assassination. Needless to say, those attempts failed (some were quite ludicrous). The CIA encouraged and funded ex-pat Cubans, leading to the Bay of Pigs fiasco in April 1961, by which time JFK had been in office for three months. The CIA plan called for the landing to be supported by air and sea power from the USAF and USN. Realising that he had inherited a disaster, JFK vetoed the support and the landing failed. Castro had now been in power for three years originally with the support of Moscow, but was also beginning to cosy up to Beijing, playing the one off against the other.
Khruschev, anxious to keep Castro sweet (this was the time when relations between Moscow and Beijing were beginning to become a bit fractious with Mao Zedong tiring of being seen as the 'little brother' in world-wide Communism) hit on the idea of supplying Castro with nuclear missiles. He used as an excuse the placing of MRMs in Italy and Turkey (another Eisenhower policy) – sauce for the goose, etc.
When the USA realised what was going in the Advice of the National Security Council to JFK was to launch air strikes against the sites and invade. He vetoed the idea and instead instituted the 'quarantine' of Cuba by sea (interesting choice of words – it was really a blockade, but a blockade is normally seen as an act of war)
This gave Khruschev a chance to save face – America removes the MRMs from Italy and Turkey, USSR doesn't deliver the missiles to Cuba and dismantles and removes what had already been started.  Honour is satisfied, escalation is avoided. What might have happened if JFK had followed the NSC advice?

[klondike]

This was all before my time as an adult so I've only seen bits and pieces from after the events and most of that has been conspiracy theories of one sort or another. I do recall something about exploding cigars for Castro  

[Michael Rolls]

yes that was one of the dafter ideas. I was 25 at the time, and for a while there seemed a very good chance that I might not make 26! The various assassination attempts were the work of the CIA, usually acting through intermediaries. At the time Allen Dulles was the director if the CIA - a dedicated anti-communist and given Eisenhower's go-ahead really wanted to get rid of Castro any way that he could. After the Bay of Pigs fiasco, Kennedy, apparently furious at what he saw as misleading and dangerous advice from the CIA, promptly sacked Dulles. 
As you may imagine, there was an awful lot of coverage of the crisis in the news at the time. I worked for teh Surrey County Council at the time and the council was so worried at what happen that they set up an incident room in the basement of County Hall to handle the expected civil chaos that could occur. As a recent ex-serviceman who had worked in Air Traffic Control, I was due to one of the folk who staffed the room. Thankfully, of course, it never happened. GAWD, it brings back memories!
Analysis years later reckoned that neither Kennedy nor Khrushchev really understood the other, but thankfully mutual fear and common sense eventually prevailed. Oh, that was why the 'hot line' was created.

[Sheila]

Very interesting posts Mike.  As I have already mentioned, we have just spent two weeks in Cuba and the situation is much worse than it was five years ago.  I don't quite understand why but the rationing is terrible and the holiday makers stay in the hotel on their last day as the locals work out when they are going home and try to get the holiday makers' clothes and toiletries.

The staff in the hotel are lovely and well tipped.  One was delighted with the Calpol someone gave her for her baby.  We were told that everyone gets the same wage, regardless of their job.  Five years ago a maths professor was working on the beach beds because of the tips!  

[Michael Rolls]

oh, and one of the tales that came out - a council - can't remember which one, but it was splashed all over the media - ordered (and I am pretty sure actually received, but it was a long time ago) hundreds of cardboard coffins- if they did receive them I wonder what they did with them?

[klondike]

Sounds typical council idiocy. I reckon that in the event of nuclear war there would be no call for coffins of any type. 

[Michael Rolls]

can't disagree, but to be fair the thinking was that perhaps there would be some survivors - what was that film called, 'On the Beach'?

[Jacqueline]

yes that was one of the dafter ideas. I was 25 at the time, and for a while there seemed a very good chance that I might not make 26! The various assassination attempts were the work of the CIA, usually acting through intermediaries. At the time Allen Dulles was the director if the CIA - a dedicated anti-communist and given Eisenhower's go-ahead really wanted to get rid of Castro any way that he could. After the Bay of Pigs fiasco, Kennedy, apparently furious at what he saw as misleading and dangerous advice from the CIA, promptly sacked Dulles. 
As you may imagine, there was an awful lot of coverage of the crisis in the news at the time. I worked for teh Surrey County Council at the time and the council was so worried at what happen that they set up an incident room in the basement of County Hall to handle the expected civil chaos that could occur. As a recent ex-serviceman who had worked in Air Traffic Control, I was due to one of the folk who staffed the room. Thankfully, of course, it never happened. GAWD, it brings back memories!
Analysis years later reckoned that neither Kennedy nor Khrushchev really understood the other, but thankfully mutual fear and common sense eventually prevailed. Oh, that was why the 'hot line' was created.

I remember the Bay of Pigs very well.  I was about 12/13 at the time and the nun's at my school had us all on our knees praying all day that god would intercede and there would be no nuclear war. He obviously heard our prayers and sorted it out lol!!!

[Michael Rolls]

well done! I must admit that I went to bed each night wondering if I would be there in the morning - or if anyone would. It really was that scary

[Cassandra]

Theodore Roosevelt became the youngest president of the United States after the assassination of President William McKinley. Roosevelt assumed office on September 14, 1901, at the age of 42 years, 322 days. A record that looks unlikely to be topped at the present time!

However Kennedy was the youngest 'elected' President. At the age of 43 years and 163 days.

[Michael Rolls]

frightening to think that it is over 59 years since he was assassinated - still remember it like yesterday