50 years of Kennedy’s death
On Wednesday,
president Obama laid a wreath at Kennedy’s tomb at the national cemetery in
Arlington, Virginia.
The city, which long struggled with the legacy of the assassination, hosted a series of official events.
Kennedy, who served less than three years, is often ranked among the nation's most revered presidents.
Just 46 when he died, he is praised for his youthful vigour, his leadership through the Cuban missile crisis and his vision to put a man on the Moon.
But he is also remembered for ordering one of the most disastrous episodes of the Cold War, the failed Bay of Pigs invasion of communist Cuba by a CIA-trained paramilitary force of Cuban exiles.
Kennedy's family members laid a wreath on his grave at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington DC on Friday. His wife Jackie and two of their children are also buried there.
President Barack Obama issued a proclamation for flags to be flown at half mast at the White House, US Capitol and other government buildings.
"Today, we honour his memory and celebrate his enduring imprint on American history," he said.
Among official events in Dallas on Friday, the city's symphony orchestra performed and bells tolled at the minute of Kennedy's death. Crowds thronged the ceremony at Dealey Plaza, where the president was shot.
