America’s so-called royal family is often associated with wealth, glamour, and power, but this ancestral line features just as much tragedy as it does privilege. In a phenomenon referred to as the Kennedy curse, several members of the Kennedy line—including President John F. Kennedy and his brother Robert F. Kennedy—have suffered tragic incidents and deaths. But where does this curse come from, and is it really real? Keep reading for these answers to these questions, plus more information about the exact timeline of Kennedy-related catastrophes and other conspiracies associated with the family.
The Curse of the Kennedy Family
The Kennedy family curse refers to multiple tragic events—including deaths, plane crashes, and assassinations—that have occurred in the Kennedy family over generations. The most famous of these unfortunate events is the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963.
Steps
Expert Q&A
Tips
- Curious to learn more about the Kennedy curse? There are plenty of movies, TV shows, and books that cover this subject in-depth. Try a highly-rated and authoritative book like The Kennedy Curse: Why Tragedy Has Haunted America's First Family for 150 Years by Edward Klein.Thanks
Warnings
- Please be aware that, despite their social standing and fame, the Kennedys are a family of real individuals with still-living relatives and friends. When sharing and discussing these stories, remain respectful of the family’s privacy and feelings of grief.Thanks
References
- ↑ https://www.kqed.org/pop/22432/rosemary-kennedy-the-tragic-story-of-why-jfks-sister-disappeared-from-public-view
- ↑ https://writersalliance.org/books/murder-in-st-augustine-the-mysterious-death-of-athalia-ponsell-lindsley-true-crime/
- ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/1973/08/21/archives/joseph-kennedy-is-found-guilty-of-negligence-in-road-mishap-swerved.html
- ↑ https://nationalpost.com/news/world/ted-kennedy-spoke-of-a-family-curse-after-deadly-chappaquiddick-crash-maybe-he-was-right
- ↑ https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/rosemary-kennedy-the-eldest-kennedy-daughter.htm
- ↑ https://jfkhyannismuseum.org/joseph-p-kennedy-jr/
- ↑ https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/remembering-death-lt-joe-kennedy-jr-and-americas-first-combat-drones
- ↑ https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/the-kennedy-family/kathleen-kennedy
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- ↑ https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/news/2011/respiratory-distress-syndrome-brighter-prospects-premature-babies
- ↑ https://time.com/6974279/jacqueline-kennedy-onassis-anniversary-surprising-facts/
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- ↑ https://www.si.edu/spotlight/robert-f-kennedy
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- ↑ https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/kennedys-bio-edward-kennedy/
- ↑ https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvzxxbc3
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- ↑ https://libguides.law.virginia.edu/c.php?g=39996&p=254228
- ↑ https://www.latimes.com/la-me-ted-kennedy-timeline-michael-kennedy-dies-story.html
- ↑ https://www.history.com/news/jfk-jr-plane-crash-carolyn-lauren-bessette
- ↑ https://abcnews.go.com/Health/mary-kennedys-death-asphyxiation-hanging/story?id=16368771
- ↑ https://www.cnn.com/2012/05/17/us/new-york-mary-kennedy-death/index.html
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- ↑ https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/01/politics/saoirse-kennedy-hill-granddaughter-robert-kennedy-death-certificate/index.html
- ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/08/us/gideon-kennedy-mckean-found.html
- ↑ https://www.peacecorpsconnect.org/maeve-kennedy-townsend-mckean-in-memoriam/
- ↑ https://www.peacecorpsconnect.org/maeve-kennedy-townsend-mckean-in-memoriam/
- ↑ https://mishpacha.com/a-plague-on-their-house/
- ↑ https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2018/04/06/ted-kennedy-spoke-of-a-family-curse-after-chappaquiddick-he-had-good-reason/
- ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/books/article/2024/jul/02/maureen-callahan-kennedy-family-women
- ↑ https://www.npr.org/2025/01/28/nx-s1-5278407/caroline-kennedy-rfk-jr-confirmation-hearing
- ↑ https://mishpacha.com/a-plague-on-their-house/
- ↑ https://nationalpost.com/news/world/ted-kennedy-spoke-of-a-family-curse-after-deadly-chappaquiddick-crash-maybe-he-was-right
- ↑ https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/kennedy-family-curse
- ↑ https://www.history.com/news/why-the-public-stopped-believing-the-government-about-jfks-murder
- ↑ https://news.gallup.com/poll/514310/decades-later-americans-doubt-lone-gunman-killed-jfk.aspx
- ↑ https://hilltopmonitor.jewell.edu/conspiracy-theory-column-the-curse-of-tippecanoe/
- ↑ https://www.britannica.com/biography/Zachary-Taylor
- ↑ https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/7bf0310b-154e-469e-86f7-822906662e9b/content
- ↑ https://archive.vanityfair.com/article/1991/5/the-man-who-kept-marilyns-secrets
- ↑ https://www.esquire.com/uk/culture/a41336664/blonde-true-story-marilyn-monroe-jfk/
- ↑ http://jfk.hood.edu/Collection/Weisberg+Subject+Index+Files+Original/M+Disk/Monroe+Marilyn/Item+08.pdf
- ↑ https://www.countryliving.com/life/entertainment/a43044/marilyn-monroe-joe-dimaggio/
- ↑ https://archive.org/details/fourdaysinnovemb0000bugl/page/57/mode/1up?q= "no,+they+sure+can't"
- ↑ https://youtu.be/z-fZBksei8o?t=143
- ↑ https://lib.arizona.edu/hsl/materials/collections/secret-illness/jfk
- ↑ https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/politics/a45811654/the-kennedy-family-tree-explained/