Exact Date and Location of the Kennedy Assassination
The date of the Kennedy assassination is November 22, 1963. President John F. Kennedy was fatally shot in Dallas, Texas, while riding in an open-top limousine through Dealey Plaza. The event was captured on film and radio, and the official time of the shooting is recorded as 12:30 p.m. Central Standard Time, according to the Warren Commission Report and the National Archives. The motorcade route and hospital arrival times are documented in detail in the Dealey Plaza Witness Database and the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza.
The assassination site is now a major historical landmark, with the former Texas School Book Depository building housing a museum and research center. The National Park Service maintains the area as part of the Dealey Plaza National Historic Landmark District. Visitor centers and official guided tours provide the date of the Kennedy assassination alongside archival footage, witness testimony, and ballistic evidence summaries. The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza is a primary resource for official records and timelines.
Official Investigations and Key Findings
Warren Commission Report and Subsequent Reviews
The Warren Commission, established by President Lyndon B. Johnson, concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in the assassination. The report was published in September 1964 and is available through the National Archives. The House Select Committee on Assassinations later reviewed additional acoustic evidence in the late 1970s, while the Assassination Records Review Board released millions of previously withheld documents. The date of the Kennedy assassination remains the central reference point for all these investigations.
The National Archives continues to release declassified documents related to the assassination, with the most recent batch of records made available under the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act. The FBI and CIA also maintain dedicated portals for records and FOIA releases. Researchers and the public can access official findings, forensic reports, and witness statements through the National Archives website and the Mary Ferrell Foundation database.
Impact, Legacy, and Modern Commemorations
Historical and Cultural Significance
The assassination marked a pivotal moment in American history, influencing security protocols for presidents, changes in intelligence coordination, and public trust in government institutions. The Secret Service underwent major reforms, and the date of the Kennedy assassination is taught in schools as a key event of the 1960s. The event is also referenced in countless books, documentaries, and academic studies that analyze its long-term political and social effects.
Each year on November 22, official ceremonies take place at Dealey Plaza, the JFK Memorial in Dallas, and Arlington National Cemetery, where President Kennedy is buried. The JFK Library and Museum in Boston also hosts commemorative events and educational programs. The date of the Kennedy assassination is preserved in national memory through these institutions, official archives, and ongoing historical research that draws on primary sources and modern forensic analysis.