JFK

I have decided to use the JFK speech for this project as I feel although it is less emotive than the speech by Earl Spencer, it is a lot more powerful and could make for a stronger film. Although I have listened to the speech and have gone through each word I feel there is a lot of background information I am missing, because of this I have decided to look further into the meaning of the speech and what else happened in 1961.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy was the 35th President of the United States and in 1961 he delivered his Inaugural Address to America. His words were strong and to this day are still well known, his speech was all about keeping America strong, not giving into fear and above all else keeping the country united and peaceful. He wanted to remind people that the country should work together and not be at war with itself or at war at all.

He wanted his speech to asure America that they had made the right choice, he promised so much but his speech successfully reassured the country that he would do his best to achieve everything he had previously said. He was also making sure that America saw him as a bold and strong leader, using lines such as "I do not shrink from this responsibility, I welcome it" built the confidence of his followers and gained him credit from the whole country. Kennedy made his speech personal to the listeners and by addressing them and saying they have the power to change things. Kennedy's speech gave the common citizen a right and a role and at the start of the speech he addresses them putting them on the same level as the government. Overall the speech was hugely successful with a combination of strength, determination and respect for the everyday person, Kennedy definitely gained confidence from his country.


1961

The main news in 1961 (http://www.downthelane.net/growing-up-50s-60s/1961-news-entertainment.php)

• Sunday Telegraph first published 
• John F. Kennedy becomes the 35th President of the United States. 
• The Beatles perform at the Cavern Club in Liverpool for the first time. 
• The first U.S. Polaris submarines arrive at Holy Loch. 
• Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space 
• The government unveils new "panda" crossings with push button controls for pedestrians 
• Michael Ramsey enthroned as the 100th Archbishop of Canterbury 
• Russian ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev requests asylum in France while in Paris 
• Tottenham Hotspur become the first English football team this century to win both the League title and FA Cup. 
• Construction of the Berlin Wall begins 
• Betting shops are legalised. 
• George Blake is sentenced to 42 years imprisonment for spying 
• Police arrest over 1,300 protesters in Trafalgar Square during a CND rally 
• The Vietnam War officially begins, as the first American helicopters arrive in Saigon 

Here is an image I found on the internet summing up what happened in 1961, it includes prices, events, music, movies and people that were born in 1961.