Born – 28th July 1929
Died – 19th May 1994
Father – John Vernou Bouvier (1891 – 1957)
Mother – Janet Norton Lee (1907 – 1989)
Spouses – m. 1953 – US President John Fitzgerald Kennedy (1917 – 1963); m. 1968 – Aristotle Onassis (1906 – 1925)
Children – by John F Kennedy – Arabella (stillborn), Caroline (b. 1957), John (1960 – 1999), Patrick (7th – 9th Aug 1963)
First Lady of the United States 1961 – 1963
Preceded by – Mamie Eisenhower 1953 – 1961
Succeeded by – Lady Bird Johnson 1963 – 1969
1929 (28th July)
Jackie Kennedy Onassis was born Jacqueline Lee Bouvier to John Vernou Bouvier and Janet Norton Lee at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, Southampton, New York. Her father was a stockbroker. The family divided their time between Manhattan and Lasata, a country estate on Long Island.
1929 (late Summer)
Jacqueline was baptised at the Catholic Church of St Ignatius Loyola in Manhattan.
1929 (October)
Wall Street Crash
The fall in the stock markets left John Bouvier with financial problems. He began drinking, gambling and seeing other women which put a strain on his marriage.
The fall in the stock markets left John Bouvier with financial problems. He began drinking, gambling and seeing other women which put a strain on his marriage.
1933 (3rd March)
Jackie’s sister Caroline Lee Bouvier was born at Doctors Hospital, New York City. She was generally referred to as Lee.
1935 (Autumn)
Jacqueline began her education at Chapin School, Manhattan.
1936 (during)
Jacqueline’s parents separated. The separation was hard for young Bouvier as she had been particularly close to her father.
1940 (during)
Jacqueline’s parents were divorced.
1940 (during)
Bouvier began learning French. She also took ballet lessons.
1942 (21st June)
Janet Lee Bouvier, married Hugh Dudley Auchincloss. Jackie and her sister gained three step-siblings, Hugh Dudley (Yusha) Auchincloss, Nina Gore Auchincloss and Thomas Gore Auchincloss. The family lived mainly at Auchincloss’ Merrywood estate, McLean, Virginia but also spent time at Hammersmith Farm, Newport, Rhode Island. Jackie and her sister also visited their father in New York City and Long Island.
1942 (Autumn)
Jacqueline attended Holton-Arms School, Washington DC.
1944 (Autumn)
Jacqueline attended Miss Porter’s School, Farmington, Connecticut as a boarder.
1945 (13th June)
Jacqueline’s half-sister, Janet Jennings Auchincloss was born to Janet Norton Lee and Thomas Gore Auchincloss.
1947 (during)
Jacqueline’s half-brother, James Lee Auchincloss was born to Janet Norton Lee and Thomas Gore Auchincloss.
1947 (Autumn)
Jackie began studying history, literature, art and French at Vassar College, Ploughkeepsie, New York.
1949 (Autumn)
Jacqueline Bouvier began a year of studies in France. She attended the University of Grenoble and also the Sorbonne in Paris.
1950 (Autumn)
Back in the United States, Bouvier transrerred to George Washington University, Washington DC to complete her degree.
1951 (Summer)
Jacqueline Bouvier graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in French literature.
1951 (Summer)
Jackie and her sister, Lee spent the summer in Europe.
1951 (Autumn)
Vogue magazine had selected Jacqueline to work as a junior editor with the company for twelve months. However, when she arrived on her first day the editor told her she was too old to be single and that the job would hamper her chances of marriage. Jackie took the advice and returned to Washington.
1951 (October)
The Washington Times-Herald hired Jacqueline Bouvier. She was first employed as a receptionist and then as an ‘Inquiring Camera Girl’.
1951 (November)
Jackie began dating John G W Husted.
1951 (December)
Jackie agreed to marry John G W Husted.
1952 (21st January)
The engagement of Jacqueline Lee Bouvier to John G W Husted was officially announced in the New York Times. The wedding was scheduled for June 1952.
1952 (March)
Jackie broke off her engagement John G W Husted.
1952 (May)
Charles L Bartlett introduced Jacqueline to John F Kennedy, known as Jack to his family, a member of the House of Representatives. They were attracted to each other and began dating.
1952 (November)
John Kennedy beat Republican candidate Henry Cabot Lodge and was elected to the U S Senate.
1953 (late May)
Jackie travelled to the United Kingdom to cover the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on 2nd June.
1953 (25th June)
After returning to the United States, Jackie accepted John Kennedy’s proposal and it was officially announced.
1953 (12th September)
Jacqueline Lee Bouvier married John Fitzgerald Kennedy at St Mary’s Church in Newport, Rhode Island. The wedding was followed by a reception at Hammersmith Farm which was attended by around 1200 people.
1953 (13th September)
John and Jackie Kennedy left for a honeymoon in Acapulco, Mexico. When they returned they moved into Hickory Hill, McLean, Virginia.
1954 (21st October)
John Kennedy had surgery to his back to help alleviate his back pain.
1955 (during)
Jackie suffered a miscarriage.
1955 (late)
Jackie became pregnant.
1956 (early)
John and Jackie Kennedy sold Hickory Hill to John’s younger brother, Robert Kennedy. They moved to N Street, Georgetown, Washington. They also bought an apartment in Bowdoin Street, Boston, Massachusetts.
1956 (23rd August)
John and Jackie Kennedy’s daughter, Arabella, was stillborn.
1957 (Spring)
Jackie Kennedy announced she was pregnant again.
1957 (27th November)
A daughter, Caroline, was born to John and Jackie Kennedy in New York.
1958 (during)
Jackie joined her husband in the campaign for him to be re-elected to the Senate.
1958 (November)
John Kennedy was re-elected for a second term in the Senate.
1960 (2nd January)
John Kennedy announced his intention to run for President of the United States.
1960 (Spring)
Jackie accompanied her husband on the campaign trail as he sought to secure the Democratic nomination for President. When she discovered she was pregnant she returned home to Georgetown. However, she continued giving press interviews and writing a weekly column entitled ‘Campaign Wife’.
1960 (13th July)
John F Kennedy won the Democratic nomination for President. He chose Lyndon Johnson as his running mate.
1960 (26th September)
John Kennedy and Richard Nixon took part in the first televised presidential debate.
1960 (8th November)
John F Kennedy was elected 35th President of the United States. He became known by his initials as JFK.
1960 (25th November)
A son, John Fitzgerald Kennedy Jr, was born to John and Jackie Kennedy at Georgetown University Hospital.
1961 (20th January)
John Kennedy was sworn in as President of the United States. He was the youngest elected President and the first Roman Catholic President. During his inaugural speech he spoke his famous words “ask not what your country can do for you .. ask what you can do for your country”.
1961 (after January)
First Lady, Jackie Kennedy attracted much attention by the media and was seen as a influencer in fashion and design.
1961 (Spring)
White House Restoration
Jackie was unimpressed by the decor of the White House. She felt that it should reflect the history of the United States and be furnished with historical pieces and decorated with important works of art.
Jackie was unimpressed by the decor of the White House. She felt that it should reflect the history of the United States and be furnished with historical pieces and decorated with important works of art.
1961 (31st May)
John and Jackie Kennedy made an official three-day trip to Paris. They then travelled to Vienna where John Kennedy met Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev.
1962 (14th February)
Jacqueline Kennedy and Charles Collingwood made a video for CBS News entitled ‘A Tour of the White House with Mrs John F Kennedy’. The programme showed the refurbished White House with comment by the First Lady.
1962 (March)
Jackie and her sister, Lee, made a tour of India and Pakistan.
1962 (March)
John Kennedy’s name was linked to that of Marilyn Monroe amid rumours of an affair.
1963 (Spring)
Jackie Kennedy became pregnant again. She spent much more time at home during her pregnancy.
1963 (7th August)
A son, Patrick Bouvier Kennedy, was born five weeks early to John and Jackie Kennedy. The baby’s lungs were underdeveloped so he was taken to Boston Children’s Hospital.
1963 (9th August)
Patrick Bouvier Kennedy died aged 2 days from a lung condition.
1963 (14th August)
Jackie was discharged from hospital. She suffered from depression following Patrick’s death.
1963 (September)
Jackie accepted an invitation from her friend, Aristotle Onassis, to spend time recuperating on board his yacht.
1963 (17th October)
Jackie Kennedy returned to the United States.
1963 (20th November)
John and Jackie Kennedy hosted a cocktail party at the White House.
1963 (21st November)
John and Jackie Kennedy began a tour of Texas.
1963 (22nd November)
John and Jackie attended a Breakfast at Fort Worth before flying to Love Field, Dallas.
1963 (22nd November, 12.30 pm)
John Kennedy was shot in the head in Dealey Plaza, Elm Street, Dallas, Texas as he was riding in an open-top limousine. During the shooting Governor of Texas, John Conally was also hit. Both casualties were rushed to Parkland Memorial Hospital.
1963 (22nd November, 1 pm)
John Fitzgerald Kennedy was pronounced dead by doctors at the Parkland Memorial Hospital.
1963 (22nd November, 1.50 pm)
Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested and charged with the assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy.
1963 (22nd November, 2.38 pm)
On board Air Force One, Jackie stood next to Lyndon Baines Johnson as he was sworn in as President of the United States. The plane, with John Kennedy’s body on board, then departed for Washington. Jackie refused to change out of her blood-stained pink suit stating that she wanted ‘them to see what they have done to Jack’.
1963 (24th November)
Jack Ruby assassinated Lee Harvey Oswald.
1963 (25th November)
Jackie walked behind the casket of John F Kennedy to the Cathedral of St Matthew the Apostle in Washington where a funeral service was held. Afterwards Kennedy was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
1963 (29th November)
Jackie spoke to Theordore White of Life magazine. She compared her time in the White House with her husband to King Arthur’s mythical Camelot. Following the interview the Kennedy White House era was often referred to as the ‘Camelot Era’.
1963 (6th December)
The former First Lady and her two children left the White House and moved into the home of Averell Harriman in Georgetown. She had declined an offer by Lyndon Johnson to be US ambassador to France.
1963 (December)
Jackie began putting plans into operation to build a library in honour of John Kennedy. Architect I M Pei was selected to design the new building.
1964 (14th January)
Jackie Kennedy made a televised broadcast to the American people to thank them for the messages of support she had received.
1964 (early)
Jackie purchased a house in Georgetown, but due to continual media attention she later sold it and bought a penthouse apartment in Manhattan. She relied heavily on her brother-in-law Robert Kennedy for practical and emotional support.
1964 (22nd November)
Warren Commission Report
The resultes of the investigation into the assassination of John F Kennedy was published. It concluded that the assassination had been carried out by long gunman Lee Harvey Oswald.
The resultes of the investigation into the assassination of John F Kennedy was published. It concluded that the assassination had been carried out by long gunman Lee Harvey Oswald.
1967 (November)
Jackie visited the Angkor Wat complex in Cambodia with the British ambassador to the United States, David Ormsby-Gore.
1968 (4th April)
Jackie Kennedy attended the funeral service of Martin Luther King.
1968 (16th March)
Robert Kennedy announced his intention to stand for nomination as the Democratic candidate for the Presidency. Jackie supported her brother-in-law.
1968 (5th June)
At just after midnight, Kennedy left the ballroom of the Ambassador Hotel for the press room. He was taken through the hotel kitchen as it was a short cut. He was shot three times by Sirhan Bishara Sirhan, a Palestinian national, and fell to the floor. Five other people were wounded.
1968 (5th June morning)
After hearing that Robert Kennedy had been shot Jackie travelled to Los Angeles to be at his bedside.
1968 (6th June 1.44 am)
Robert Kennedy was died from the injuries sustained in the shooting.
1968 (8th June)
After a funeral service at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Robert Kennedy was buried at Arlington Cemetery next to his brother John.
1968 (Summer)
Jackie Kennedy became very depressed after Robert Kennedy’s assassination. She was also fearful for the safety of her children.
1968 (20th October)
Jackie Kennedy married Aristotle Onassis on Onassis’ private Greek island, Skorpios. After her marriage she took the name Jacqueline Onassis but the press often styled her Jackie O.
1973 (23rd January)
Alexander Onassis, son of Aristotle, was killed in a plane crash. Aristotle took the news very badly.
1975 (15th March)
Aristotle Onassis died of respiratory failure in Paris.
1975 (September)
Jackie Kennedy Onassis returned to the United States. She took a position as consulting editor at Viking Press.
1976 (July)
Jackie attended the Democratic National Convention at Madison Square, New York.
1977 (during)
Jacqueline resigned from Viking Press.
1978 (during)
Jackie took a position as Associate Editor with Doubleday Publishing.
1979 (during)
Jackie Kennedy Onassis supported Edward Kennedy when he announced that he was going to run for the Democrat nomination for President.
1979 (20th October)
The John F Kennedy Library and Museum was officially opened.
1980 (around)
Jackie developed a close friendship with businessman, Maurice Tempelsman.
1982 (during)
Jackie was promoted to Senior Editor with Doubleday Publishing. She held the position for twelve years.
1987 (during)
John and Jackie Kennedy’s daughter, Caroline, became President John F Kennedy Library Foundation.
1989 (22nd July)
Janet Lee Auchincloss, Jackie’s mother, died from complications caused by Alzheimer’s disease.
1992 (during)
Onassis supported Bill Clinton in his bid to become President.
1993 (November)
Jackie was thrown from her horse while taking part in a fox hunt in Middleburg, Virginia. She was examined by a doctor who discovered a swollen lymph node.
1993 (December)
Jackie Kennedy Onassis discovered more swellings and was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
1994 (January)
Onassis began chemotherapy.
1994 (March)
The disease had spread further and now affected her spine and brain.
1994 (19th May)
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis died.
1994 (23rd May)
A funeral service was held at the Church of St Ignatius Loyola and afterwards Jackie was buried at Arlington National Cemetery next to John, Patrick and Arabella Kennedy.
Published Sep 3, 2016 @ 5:15 pm – Updated – [last-modified]
Harvard Reference for this page:
Heather Y Wheeler. (2020). Jacqueline (Jackie) Kennedy Onassis 1929 – 1994. https://www.thetimelinegeek.com/jacqueline-jackie-kennedy-onassis-1929-1994. Last accessed [date]