Onassis, Jacqueline Kennedy (1929-1994), the wife of President John F. Kennedy, was one of the most popular first ladies in United States history. President Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. Five years later, Mrs. Kennedy married Aristotle Onassis, a wealthy Greek businessman.
Jacqueline Lee Bouvier was born in Southampton, New York, on July 28, 1929. She graduated from George Washington University in 1951. From 1951 to 1953, she worked for the Washington Times-Herald, where she produced a daily column as an inquiring photographer. She asked people human-interest questions, such as whether they had done their Christmas shopping, and wrote up the replies. She took pictures of the people, which accompanied the column.
In 1953, Jacqueline Bouvier married Kennedy, who was then a U.S. senator. The couple had two children who survived infancy: Caroline, born in 1957; and John F., Jr., 1960. A daughter was stillborn in 1956, and a son born prematurely in 1963 lived only two days. Kennedy became president in 1961. As first lady, Jacqueline—who was often called “Jackie”—became known for her elegance in hairstyle, clothing, and other elements of fashion. She also won admiration for her composure and dignity following the assassination of her husband on Nov. 22, 1963.
Jacqueline Kennedy married Onassis in 1968. He died in 1975. From 1975 until her death on May 19, 1994, Jacqueline worked as an editor for book publishers.
