1968 was a tumultuous year in America's history. It was the year when Civil Rights and the unpopular Vietnam war protests were at its peak. It was also the year of the Presidential elections when the incumbent President Lyndon Johnson eligible for re-election declined to do so, a rare (probably the only) instance of a sitting President not running again for another term.
It was followed by the announcement of Robert (Bobby) Kennedy, also popularly know as RFK as the Presidential candidate for the Democratic party. He was juggernauting his way through the nomination process by winning the important state of California on this day - exactly 50 years ago on 4th June 1968. His Republican opponent Nixon was all set to be the only Presidential nominee in United States history to be defeated by brothers.
But it was not to be, as cruel fate had something else in mind. No sooner he gave his victory speech at Ambassador Hotel in LA, California than he was walking through the kitchen of the hotel and shaking hands when his assassin Sirhan Sirhan pumped bullets from point blank range on Senator Kennedy as he slumped to the floor, lying in a pool of blood. Bobby Kennedy died early next morning in Hospital.
JFK, his elder brother and the president who was assasinated a few years back appointed Robert Kennedy as Attorney General. The young Bobby played a major role during his brother Kennedy's administration, especially negotiating with the Russians during the Cuban missile crisis. It is still regarded as a huge diplomatic success of John Kennedy who famously said - "We will not negotiate out of fear, but we should fear to negotiate". But lot of credit goes to his younger brother Bobby's work in the background to clinch the deal.
RFK was instrumental in evolving the Democratic party fight for the cause of the working, poorer American Middle Class who formed its base in the rust and mining belt of the Midwest until last election when they decided to switch their loyalty to Trump. The depth of Bobby's popularity could be gauged from the thousands of public who thronged the carriage on train all the way from California going through the Midwest on its way to the East coast.
Exactly 2 months before RFK's tragic assassination, on 4th April, 1968 Dr. Martin Luther king Jr, the American leader and minority civil rights crusader was shot dead as he stepped into the balcony of his Motel in Memphis, Tennessee.
Two eminent, charismatic persons in America of the time died in a span of just couple of months. The history of United States and the world could have been a whole lot different if these two leaders lived longer. We just passed the 50th Anniversary of the untimely deaths - their dream and legacy still lives on.
It was followed by the announcement of Robert (Bobby) Kennedy, also popularly know as RFK as the Presidential candidate for the Democratic party. He was juggernauting his way through the nomination process by winning the important state of California on this day - exactly 50 years ago on 4th June 1968. His Republican opponent Nixon was all set to be the only Presidential nominee in United States history to be defeated by brothers.
But it was not to be, as cruel fate had something else in mind. No sooner he gave his victory speech at Ambassador Hotel in LA, California than he was walking through the kitchen of the hotel and shaking hands when his assassin Sirhan Sirhan pumped bullets from point blank range on Senator Kennedy as he slumped to the floor, lying in a pool of blood. Bobby Kennedy died early next morning in Hospital.
JFK, his elder brother and the president who was assasinated a few years back appointed Robert Kennedy as Attorney General. The young Bobby played a major role during his brother Kennedy's administration, especially negotiating with the Russians during the Cuban missile crisis. It is still regarded as a huge diplomatic success of John Kennedy who famously said - "We will not negotiate out of fear, but we should fear to negotiate". But lot of credit goes to his younger brother Bobby's work in the background to clinch the deal.
RFK was instrumental in evolving the Democratic party fight for the cause of the working, poorer American Middle Class who formed its base in the rust and mining belt of the Midwest until last election when they decided to switch their loyalty to Trump. The depth of Bobby's popularity could be gauged from the thousands of public who thronged the carriage on train all the way from California going through the Midwest on its way to the East coast.
Exactly 2 months before RFK's tragic assassination, on 4th April, 1968 Dr. Martin Luther king Jr, the American leader and minority civil rights crusader was shot dead as he stepped into the balcony of his Motel in Memphis, Tennessee.
Two eminent, charismatic persons in America of the time died in a span of just couple of months. The history of United States and the world could have been a whole lot different if these two leaders lived longer. We just passed the 50th Anniversary of the untimely deaths - their dream and legacy still lives on.
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