United States of Kennedy
Marilyn Monroe and the Kennedys
Marilyn Monroe has been associated with the Kennedy family for decades, from her memorable rendition of “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” to enduring rumors about a full-fledged affair with his brother Bobby. Most disturbingly, Kennedy-related conspiracy theories persist surrounding Monroe’s untimely…
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Update
We’re taking a break this week, but here’s a sneak peek of what’s to come in the next ten episodes.
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RFK's Assassination
On June 5, 1968, the day after winning the California Democratic primary for President, Robert F. Kennedy was shot and killed by a man named Sirhan Sirhan at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. As with most Kennedy tragedies, some people don’t buy the official narrative of how the events unfolded.…
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Film of the Month: Thirteen Days (2001) and the Cuban Missile Crisis
“You’ll never believe how close we came.” That’s the tagline for this month’s film, the 2001 historical political thriller Thirteen Days. Kevin Costner stars as White House assistant Kenneth O’Donnell during the 1962 diplomatic standoff between the U.S. and the Soviet Union that became known as the…
34:16
Catholicism and the Kennedys
The Kennedys are the most famous Catholic family in America, and their religious background shaped both their personal lives and their careers in politics. We’re joined by Matthew Sitman, co-host of the podcast Know Your Enemy, to chat about Joe Kennedy’s complicated relationship with the Catholic …
1:04:07
The Myths of the JFK-Nixon Debate
The first televised presidential debate in U.S. history took place in 1960 between then-Vice President Richard Nixon and a young, charismatic Senator named John F. Kennedy. You may have learned in high school that audiences who watched the debate on television thought JFK won, and audiences who lis…
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Kennedy Year in Review
To ring in the new year, we count down the 10 most important Kennedy moments of 2025, from government corruption to media scandals to tell-all memoirs to family feuds. Happy holidays!
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The Kennedy Compound
Today, we welcome back Rolling Stone features director Kate Storey to chat about her 2023 book White House by the Sea, a sprawling and meticulously researched history of the Kennedy Compound in Hyannis Port, MA. Kate walks us through the major historical moments, family events, and celebrity visits…
39:21
Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy
America’s prince JFK Jr. and his wife Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy were ubiquitous in ’90s New York until their tragic death in a plane crash in the summer of 1999. “In the pages of the city tabloids during those few short years, Bessette was a daily soap opera, forced into the multitude of unforgiving…
1:07:39
Kennedy Fashion
From JFK’s allegedly hat-less inauguration to Jackie’s pillbox hats, the Kennedys have always had a distinct style. But the type of fashion they’re most known for is the “classic” New England look you’re already picturing. In a word: Preppiness. We’re joined by Avery Trufelman, the host of the podc…
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