Unraveling the Kennedy Curse

President John F. Kennedy (Source: Britannica)

The Kennedy family is one of America's most iconic and influential dynasties, known for their involvement in politics, public service, entertainment, and business. But alongside their achievements lies a darker narrative: the TV series The Curse of the Kennedys  highlights a series of tragic events that claimed the lives of many members of the family.  

The Curse of the Kennedys (2018) TV series (Source: IMDb)

Among one of the most tragic of these incidents is the death of John F Kennedy Jr. on July 16th, 1999. He was the son of Jackie Onassis Kennedy and President John F Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963. Piloting a Piper Saratoga aircraft, JFK Jr. was traveling to Martha's Vineyard with his wife Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and her sister Lauren when the plane went down in the Atlantic Ocean, killing all three passengers. Investigators revealed that the cause was likely due to spatial disorientation, which is a challenge faced by many pilots flying under difficult night conditions, especially over open water.   

JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy's Piper Saratoga aircraft (Source: Business Insider)

JFK Jr's death was unfortunately not the first aviation tragedy for the family. His uncle, Joseph P Kennedy Jr., the eldest of the Kennedy siblings, was killed during a World War 2 mission. He was piloting a plane loaded with explosives when it detonated prematurely. Four years later, Kathleen Kennedy, another one of JFK's siblings, died in a plane crash in France. She was traveling with her companion when their plane encountered bad weather; the crash left no survivors. Even Ted Kennedy, a former US senator, survived a horrific plane crash in 1964. The crash killed one of his aides, as well as the pilot. He was pulled out of the wreckage by a fellow senator and suffered chronic pain for the rest of his life.  

These repeated tragedies have fueled the idea of a "curse" surrounding the Kennedy name. Beyond plane crashes, the family has experienced high-profile assassinations such as those of President JFK and Senator Robert F Kennedy, as well as many untimely deaths and multiple scandals.   

Many wonder if the family is just a victim of misfortune or if their prominence and lifestyle expose them to greater risk. Ted Kennedy himself has questioned whether a "curse actually did hang over all the Kennedys" during his own testimony about the Chappaquiddick incident in 1969. Ted had accidentally driven his car off a bridge, trapping his 28-year-old companion, Mary Jo Kopechne, inside to die in the waters. He pleaded guilty to a charge of leaving the scene of the accident.   

However, skeptics argue that it is not improbable for a large extended family to experience similar events over multiple generations. Overall, the Kennedy story leaves us wondering whether these tragedies are fate, coincidence, or the cost of their extraordinary lives.