The Assassination of John F. Kennedy Through Contemporary Reports

On November 22, 1963, the city of Dallas, Texas, was bathed in autumn sunshine as President John F. Kennedy’s motorcade wound through the streets. Crowds lined the route, eager to catch a glimpse of the young president and his wife, Jacqueline. At approximately 12:30 p.m., as the limousine passed through Dealey Plaza, shots rang out. Within minutes, the first news bulletin crackled across the wires: “President Kennedy was shot today just as his motorcade left downtown Dallas. Mrs. Kennedy jumped up and grabbed Mr. Kennedy. She cried, ‘Oh, no!’ The motorcade sped on.” The world would never be the same.

What Happened?

According to the Associated Press, the first bulletin was filed by Dallas bureau chief Bob Johnson, based on information relayed by AP photographer James “Ike” Altgens, who was near the president. The bulletin, sent at approximately 1:34 p.m. Eastern Time, reported the shooting and Mrs. Kennedy’s reaction. The motorcade immediately sped to Parkland Memorial Hospital, where doctors fought to save the president’s life. At approximately 1:00 p.m. Central Time, the president was pronounced dead. The AP later reported: “President John F. Kennedy, thirty-sixth president of the United States, was shot to death today by a hidden assassin…” The news spread rapidly across the country and the world. In New York, BBC reporter Peter Watson was at the United Nations when he heard the news from a temporary secretary, Sylvia Gould, who said, “I have; Kennedy’s been shot.”

How It Was Seen at the Time

Peter Watson, a BBC reporter, was at the UN delegates lounge when the news broke. He later wrote: “I said: ‘You look as if you had some news.’ She said: ‘I have; Kennedy’s been shot.’ The time then must have been about a quarter to two in New York and the President had in fact been shot…” Watson’s reports from Dallas captured the mood of a city in shock. The BBC article notes that his reports “capture the atmosphere of a city in shock, and Texas’s shame – and the gloom that soon descended on the country.” The initial disbelief and horror were palpable. Many Americans could not comprehend how such a thing could happen in their country.

Historical Snapshot

What People Knew at the Time

Contemporary Newspaper Coverage

The Associated Press provided the first bulletin, which was later republished in its original form. The AP also issued a longer report later that day, which contained an error: it referred to Kennedy as the “thirty-sixth president” instead of the thirty-fifth. The BBC’s Peter Watson filed reports from Dallas, capturing the city’s shock and the nation’s gloom. The BBC article notes that Watson’s reports “capture the atmosphere of a city in shock, and Texas’s shame – and the gloom that soon descended on the country.”

“President Kennedy was shot today just as his motorcade left downtown Dallas. Mrs. Kennedy jumped up and grabbed Mr. Kennedy. She cried, ‘Oh, no!’ The motorcade sped on.” — Associated Press bulletin, November 22, 1963

Eyewitness Accounts

AP photographer James “Ike” Altgens was near the president and relayed the news to Dallas bureau chief Bob Johnson, who filed the first bulletin. Johnson’s bulletin is a primary eyewitness account of the immediate aftermath. BBC reporter Peter Watson was at the United Nations in New York when he heard the news. He later wrote: “I said: ‘You look as if you had some news.’ She said: ‘I have; Kennedy’s been shot.'” Watson’s account provides a vivid sense of how the news broke to those far from Dallas.

“The time then must have been about a quarter to two in New York and the President had in fact been shot…” — Peter Watson, BBC reporter

What the Sources Got Wrong

The most notable error in contemporary reporting was in the AP’s later report, which referred to Kennedy as the “thirty-sixth president” instead of the thirty-fifth. The AP itself acknowledged this error when republishing the report years later. Additionally, the first bulletin stated the motorcade was “leaving downtown Dallas,” though the shooting actually occurred in Dealey Plaza, a detail that was clarified in subsequent reports. These errors highlight the chaos and speed of breaking news in 1963.

Aftermath

The immediate aftermath was marked by shock and mourning. The BBC’s Peter Watson traveled to Dallas and filed reports that captured the city’s shame and the nation’s gloom. The AP continued to provide updates, and the world learned of the president’s death within hours. The assassination led to a swift investigation, and Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as president later that day. The country entered a period of deep mourning, and the events of November 22, 1963, became a defining moment in American history.

The primary sources from that day—the AP bulletin, the BBC dispatches, and the eyewitness accounts—reveal a nation caught between disbelief and grief. They remind us that history is not just a sequence of facts, but a lived experience, filled with confusion, fear, and the struggle to make sense of the unthinkable.