After winning the California primary, charismatic presidential contender Robert F. Kennedy gave a victory speech to a crowded ballroom at the opulent Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles just after midnight on June 5, 1968.
Robert Kennedy was running for president almost five years after his elder brother, John F. Kennedy, was killed in Dallas. The Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement caused division in America.
The senator from New York was gathering ground in hopes of winning the Democratic nomination. However, he would not speak to the public again after that evening, which occurred 55 years ago today.
Another Kennedy was killed.
Kennedy's name was sung by the audience as he left the Ambassador Hotel stage amid a throng of excited reporters.
Cheering, "We want Bobby," they said.
Kennedy left the ballroom via the kitchen after shaking hands with fans. Then, what witnesses would later describe as the sound of firecrackers reached the throng. Kennedy was struck by a.22 caliber pistol shot by a shooter, who also injured five other people.
A friend of Kennedy's who worked on his campaign, Olympic gold champion Rafer Johnson, pulled the shooter to the ground and attempted to disarm him.
Kennedy lay on the floor, comforted by adolescent busboy Juan Romero amid the confusion.
In 2018, Romero told StoryCorps, "I knelt down to him and put my hand between the cold concrete and his head just to make him comfortable." "A constant flow of blood was passing through my fingertips. I pulled out the rosary I had in my shirt pocket because I knew he would need it far more than I would. They wheeled him away after I tied it around his right hand.
Running a race-related campaign with some inconsistencies
Before the sun rose, mourners gathered outside St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City for Kennedy's funeral liturgy. Sen. Ted Kennedy gave the eulogy inside the church.
"As he said many times in many parts of this nation: Some men see things as they are and say 'Why?'" Kennedy said. "I dream things that never were and say 'Why not?'"
The space where it took place
The Ambassador Hotel does not exist now. 2006 saw its demolition.
The Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools are a public school complex located on the site in Los Angeles. The campus and the corridors are covered with colorful paintings. Large, vibrant paintings and pictures of Kennedy cover the school library's walls.
FAQs
Which Kennedy brother was shot in the kitchen?
Shortly after midnight on June 5, 1968, Senator Robert F. Kennedy was shot by Sirhan Sirhan as he passed through the Ambassador Hotel's kitchen after giving a speech the evening after he had won the California Democratic presidential primary.
Was Bobby Kennedy buried at night?
After guests and relatives had left, Kennedy's casket was lowered into the grave, and at 11:34 PM, his corpse was buried. at 2011, authorities of Arlington National Cemetery said that the burial of Robert F. Kennedy was the first burial ever to occur at night at the cemetery.
What were Robert Kennedy's last words?
Stephen Edward Smith, Kennedy's brother-in-law and his campaign manager, quickly came on TV and requested a doctor. A few minutes later, medical staff came and hoisted Kennedy onto a stretcher, causing him to mutter, "Don't lift me," which was his last command before he passed out.
How many times was Kennedy shot?
Shots were fired as the automobile entered Dealey Plaza. Kennedy had two gunshot wounds: one to the head and one to the neck. At 12:30 p.m., it occurred. 18:30 UTC is Central Standard Time.
Pirkko Koskitalo
After winning the California primary, charismatic presidential contender Robert F. Kennedy gave a victory speech to a crowded ballroom at the opulent Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles just after midnight on June 5, 1968.
Robert Kennedy was running for president almost five years after his elder brother, John F. Kennedy, was killed in Dallas. The Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement caused division in America.
The senator from New York was gathering ground in hopes of winning the Democratic nomination. However, he would not speak to the public again after that evening, which occurred 55 years ago today.
Another Kennedy was killed.
Kennedy's name was sung by the audience as he left the Ambassador Hotel stage amid a throng of excited reporters.
Cheering, "We want Bobby," they said.
Kennedy left the ballroom via the kitchen after shaking hands with fans. Then, what witnesses would later describe as the sound of firecrackers reached the throng. Kennedy was struck by a.22 caliber pistol shot by a shooter, who also injured five other people.
A friend of Kennedy's who worked on his campaign, Olympic gold champion Rafer Johnson, pulled the shooter to the ground and attempted to disarm him.
Kennedy lay on the floor, comforted by adolescent busboy Juan Romero amid the confusion.
In 2018, Romero told StoryCorps, "I knelt down to him and put my hand between the cold concrete and his head just to make him comfortable." "A constant flow of blood was passing through my fingertips. I pulled out the rosary I had in my shirt pocket because I knew he would need it far more than I would. They wheeled him away after I tied it around his right hand.
Running a race-related campaign with some inconsistencies
Before the sun rose, mourners gathered outside St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City for Kennedy's funeral liturgy. Sen. Ted Kennedy gave the eulogy inside the church.
"As he said many times in many parts of this nation: Some men see things as they are and say 'Why?'" Kennedy said. "I dream things that never were and say 'Why not?'"
The space where it took place
The Ambassador Hotel does not exist now. 2006 saw its demolition.
The Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools are a public school complex located on the site in Los Angeles. The campus and the corridors are covered with colorful paintings. Large, vibrant paintings and pictures of Kennedy cover the school library's walls.
FAQs
Which Kennedy brother was shot in the kitchen?
Shortly after midnight on June 5, 1968, Senator Robert F. Kennedy was shot by Sirhan Sirhan as he passed through the Ambassador Hotel's kitchen after giving a speech the evening after he had won the California Democratic presidential primary.
Was Bobby Kennedy buried at night?
After guests and relatives had left, Kennedy's casket was lowered into the grave, and at 11:34 PM, his corpse was buried. at 2011, authorities of Arlington National Cemetery said that the burial of Robert F. Kennedy was the first burial ever to occur at night at the cemetery.
What were Robert Kennedy's last words?
Stephen Edward Smith, Kennedy's brother-in-law and his campaign manager, quickly came on TV and requested a doctor. A few minutes later, medical staff came and hoisted Kennedy onto a stretcher, causing him to mutter, "Don't lift me," which was his last command before he passed out.
How many times was Kennedy shot?
Shots were fired as the automobile entered Dealey Plaza. Kennedy had two gunshot wounds: one to the head and one to the neck. At 12:30 p.m., it occurred. 18:30 UTC is Central Standard Time.