The Life and Accomplishments of John F Kennedy President Kennedy was born on May 29, 1917, in Brooklin, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston. The other eight Kennedy children were Joseph, Jr. Rosemary Kathleen Eunice Patricia Robert F. Jean Edward M. "Ted". As the Kennedy children grew up, their parents encouraged them to develop their own talents and interests. Loyalty to each other was important to the Kennedys. But the brothers and sisters also developed a strong competitive spirit. Jack, as his family called him, and Joe, his older brother, were especially strong rivals. Jack was quiet and often shy, but he held his own in fights with his older brother. T