A man named Lee Oswald did something very bad. 
A man named Lee Oswald lived a hard life. 

Lee Harvey Oswald was born in New Orleans in 1939. 

In 1962, he came back to the United States. He moved to Dallas, Texas. On November 22, 1963, Oswald shot President John F. Kennedy. 

Lee Harvey Oswald was a man whose life was marked by many changes and difficult moments. 
As he grew older, Oswald sought new ways to find his place in the world. At age seventeen, he joined the United States Marine Corps in October 1956. 
In June 1962, Oswald and his family returned to the United States. They eventually moved to Dallas, Texas, where they had a second daughter. On November 22, 1963, a very serious event happened in Dallas. 

After his arrest, Oswald told people he was not responsible for the killing. He claimed he was just a "patsy," which means someone who is blamed for a crime they did not do. Two days after his arrest, Oswald was killed by a man named Jack Ruby. 
Even though many experts agreed with the official report, many people still have questions. Many Americans do not believe that the official story is the whole truth. This has led to many different theories about what really happened that day. 
Lee Harvey Oswald was an American man who changed history through a single violent act. He was the person who assassinated John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States. This event occurred on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas. Oswald's life was defined by instability, frequent moves, and a search for political identity. His actions led to massive government investigations and a lasting debate in American society. 
Oswald's early years were marked by a lack of a steady family structure. He was born in New Orleans on October 18, 1939. His father, Robert Edward Lee Oswald Sr., died just two months before Lee was born. In 1942, Lee and his two older brothers were placed in an orphanage. His mother, Marguerite, eventually brought him home in 1944. However, the family continued to move frequently. By the time he was a teenager, Oswald had attended 12 different schools and moved 21 times.
Psychologists and social workers studied Oswald's behavior during his youth. When he was twelve, he was placed in juvenile detention for truancy. A psychiatrist named Dr. Renatus Hartogs assessed him during this time. Hartogs described Oswald as having a "personality pattern disturbance." He noted that Oswald suffered from emotional isolation and a lack of affection. A social worker named Evelyn D. Siegel also observed him. She noted that Oswald seemed to have detached himself from the world because his needs for love were not met. 
As Oswald entered his late teens, he sought structure in the military and politics. In October 1956, he joined the United States Marine Corps. He was 17 years old at the time. He trained in radar operation, a technical skill that required a security clearance. During his service, he faced disciplinary issues and was court-martialed twice. In 1959, he was discharged from active duty. He then traveled to the Soviet Union, where he lived in Minsk. There, he married a Russian woman named Marina and had a daughter. 
Oswald returned to the United States in June 1962. He settled in Dallas, Texas, where he and Marina had a second daughter. On November 22, 1963, Oswald shot President Kennedy from a sixth-floor window. This window was located in the Texas School Book Depository. 

Following his arrest, the legal and social consequences were immediate and intense. Oswald denied that he killed the President. He claimed he was a "patsy," a term for someone framed for a crime. Two days later, while in police custody, Oswald was murdered by Jack Ruby. Ruby was a local nightclub owner. This killing happened on live television in the basement of the Dallas Police Headquarters.
Multiple official investigations were launched to find the truth. The Warren Commission was established to look into the assassination. In September 1964, the Commission concluded that Oswald and Ruby acted alone. This finding was supported by the FBI, the Secret Service, and the Dallas Police Department. Later, the House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) also investigated the case in 1979. Despite these findings, many Americans remain skeptical. Many people believe there were other people involved, which has led to many conspiracy theories. 

🖼️ Images & Media (15)
+ 3 more
More to explore
✨ What else?
Related topics you might enjoy
🔬 Go deeper
More advanced topics to explore
🪜 Step back
Simpler topics to build understanding
What is Nepedia?
A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.