A good day for Jack and Nikita - American Thinker https://t.co/B8fyChebRo
— Silvio Canto. Jr. (@silvio_canto) September 12, 2024
In early June 1961, U.S. President John F. Kennedy and USSR Chairman Nikita Khrushchev had an important meeting in Vienna. There are many viewpoints about what happened, but the consensus is that the Soviet leader pushed his way around the new U.S. president. In his book about President Kennedy, Richard Reeves concluded that Kennedy was totally unprepared for the summit. It's hard to believe, but apparently no one told President Kennedy that Chairman Khrushchev was testing him.
Wonder if the two men joked about September 12th or an important anniversary that they shared?
On this day in 1953, John F. Kennedy, then a new senator from Massachusetts, and Nikita Khrushchev, of the USSR, had something to cheer about:
Jack married Jackie. Cardinal Richard Cushing officiated the wedding ceremony at St. Mary's Church in Newport, Rhode Island. They had a huge reception later. Of course, JFK was elected president in 1960.
Over in the USSR, Nikita Khrushchev was elected leader. He replaced Stalin who died. Khrushchev tried to reform by denouncing Stalin's totalitarian policies at the 20th Party Congress and released millions of political prisoners. He tried to present a new image to the world but the invasion of Hungary by Warsaw Pact tanks in November 1956 ended that.
Years later, the two met in Vienna as the leaders of their two nations. They went head-to-head in the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962.
They had something to cheer about on this day in 1953! Wonder if anyone reminded them about it?
P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos.
