Ever since John F. Kennedy became president in the early 1960s, accompanied by his wife Jacqueline, his large family has consistently been in the news.
Because of the profound and lasting shock of President Kennedy’s assassination, his family has consistently remained a subject of public interest.
Considering he grew up with nine siblings, and that so many Kennedys experienced personal tragedies—like the assassinations of Robert F. Kennedy in 1968 (just five years after his brother’s) and the 1999 plane crash that killed John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette—it’s easy to see why people are so captivated by this large family, often viewed as America’s royal family.
According to J. Randy Taraborrelli’s 2019 book, The Kennedy Heirs, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, one of Joseph and Rose Kennedy’s nine children, once shared her belief that the family’s troubles weren’t so much caused by misfortune, but by their inability to cope with it privately.
For the past year and a half, Tatiana Schlossberg, 35, has privately coped with a terminal cancer diagnosis. She recently shared her story publicly in an essay for The New Yorker.
Just days after Tatiana and her husband, George Moran, had their daughter in May 2024, Tatiana received a diagnosis of a rare and aggressive form of leukemia called acute myeloid leukemia.
After undergoing chemotherapy, two bone marrow transplants, and experiencing periods of improvement followed by setbacks, she explained that during a recent clinical trial, her doctor told her he could potentially keep her alive for another year.
Through it all, she’s leaned heavily on her devoted fam.
Most people know Caroline Kennedy as the daughter of President John F. Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy Onassis. But to Tatiana, she’s simply Mom – the woman who welcomed her son-in-law and two young grandchildren into her home while her daughter was seriously ill.
Tatiana shared that Caroline, her husband Edwin Schlossberg, and their children, Jack and Rose, have been incredibly supportive during a difficult year and a half. She explained they’ve spent countless hours by her side in the hospital, offering unwavering comfort and shielding her from their own worry and sadness.
Tatiana continued, explaining that she felt deeply for everyone affected. She’d always strived to be a good person – a good student, sister, and daughter – and to shield her mother from distress. Now, she felt she’d brought another sorrow into their lives, and was powerless to change it.
She plans to keep making the most of every moment with her son, Edwin, who is three years old, and their eighteen-month-old daughter.
I mostly focus on enjoying time with my loved ones now,” the environmental journalist explained. “But it’s surprisingly difficult to stay present, so I allow myself to remember the past without dwelling on it.
This offers a peek into the upbringing of a member of one of America’s most famous political families. Continue reading for a complete guide to the Kennedy family and its history.
Joseph Patrick “Joe” Kennedy married Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald on Oct. 7, 1914.
By 1932, Joseph and Rose Kennedy had nine children: Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., John F. Kennedy, Rosemary Kennedy, Kathleen Kennedy, Eunice Kennedy, Patricia Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Jean Kennedy, and Edward Kennedy.
Born July 25, 1915, Joe Jr. was going to be president, as far as his father was concerned.
He attended the 1940 Democratic National Convention and intended to run for Congress after his service in the Navy. Tragically, the 29-year-old and his co-pilot, Wilford John Willy, died on August 12, 1944. They were killed when explosives they were transporting detonated too early during a bombing mission as part of Operation Aphrodite.
The bodies of both pilots were never found. Their names are remembered on the Tablets of the Missing at the Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial, which honors those who died in World War II.
John, born on May 29, 1917, began his political career in Congress before becoming a U.S. Senator and eventually winning the presidency in 1960.
Oh my gosh, can you believe he married Jackie Bouvier? It was September 12th, 1953 – a perfect match! And then, Caroline Kennedy arrived on November 27th, 1957, the sweetest little girl. And John Jr.! November 25th, 1960… another precious Kennedy! I was absolutely captivated by their family; they were everything.
The couple tragically lost a daughter, Arabella, who was stillborn in 1956. Several years later, in 1963, their son, Patrick, was born prematurely and sadly lived only 39 hours.
JFK was assassinated on Nov. 22, 1963, one of the defining events of the 20th century.
Caroline served as the U.S. ambassador to Japan under President Obama and to Australia under President Biden. She married Edwin “Ed” Schlossberg in 1986.
Caroline and Edwin Schlossberg have three children: Rose, born June 25, 1988; Tatiana, born May 5, 1990; and their son, John, nicknamed “Jack,” born January 19, 1993.
TV producer Rose went to Harvard like her mom and married restaurateur Rory McAuliffe in 2022.
Journalist Tatiana, a Yale graduate, didn’t realize that a 2014 New York Times article she wrote about a bear found dead in Central Park actually involved her cousin, RFK Jr. She married her college sweetheart, George Moran, in 2017, and they now have two children: a son, Edwin Jr., born in 2022, and a daughter born in 2024.
In a November 2025 essay for The New Yorker, Tatiana revealed she had been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, a rare and terminal blood cancer, according to her doctors.
Jack, a graduate of both Yale and Harvard (where he earned a law and business degree), gained attention for his engaging presence on social media. He recently spoke at the 2024 Democratic National Convention and covered the latest presidential election as a political correspondent for Vogue magazine.
In a 2024 interview with Vogue, he shared that his family’s history of serving the public motivates him. He feels a strong responsibility to carry on that tradition and wants to find his own way to give back, focusing both on future goals and making a difference right now.
So, things really kicked off when Jack decided to run for Congress. He officially announced his candidacy in November 2025, aiming to represent the people of New York’s 12th congressional district. It was a big step, and honestly, a really exciting one!
Before marrying publicist Carolyn Bessette on September 21, 1996, the former first son was widely considered one of the world’s most desirable bachelors. He had even been named People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive in 1988.
John F. Kennedy Jr. tragically died in a plane crash on July 16, 1999, mirroring his father’s early death and causing immense grief for his family. He was traveling with his wife, Carolyn, and her sister, Lauren Bessette, when the crash occurred, cutting short his promising future.
Rosemary (at right, with sister Kathleen and mom Rose) was born Sept. 13, 1918.
Rosemary went to a boarding school for students who struggled with learning. However, she also had behavioral problems, and at age 23, her father authorized a prefrontal lobotomy in an attempt to address them.
I’ll never forget Rosemary. She went into what was supposed to be a groundbreaking treatment, something everyone hoped would finally ease her mental health struggles. But it went terribly wrong. Instead of helping, it left her severely disabled, and sadly, she spent the rest of her life – she lived until January 7th, 2005 – in an institution. It was heartbreaking.
Rose later told historian Doris Kearns Goodwin that she’d always thought her daughter could have had a more relaxed life, fitting the Kennedy family mold. However, she explained, everything changed—and was lost—in an instant.
Born Feb. 20, 1920, Kathleen got a kick out of life, hence her jaunty nickname.
She married William Cavendish, the Marquess of Hartington, in a London ceremony on May 6, 1944. Her mother disapproved of the marriage because he wasn’t Catholic, so only her brother, Joe Jr., attended the wedding.
A month later, William, a major in the British Army, was killed by a sniper in Belgium.
She stayed in England and became romantically involved with William Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, the 8th Earl Fitzwilliam, who was married at the time. Tragically, both of them died in a plane crash on May 13, 1948, while traveling to the French Riviera, before he could finalize a divorce.
Eunice was born July 10, 1921.
Eunice Kennedy Shriver, a passionate advocate for people with intellectual disabilities and the creator of the Special Olympics, wed Robert Sargent Shriver Jr. on May 23, 1953.
They had five children: Robert “Bobby” Shriver III (born April 28, 1954), Maria Shriver (born November 6, 1955), Timothy (born August 29, 1959), Mark (born February 17, 1964), and Anthony (born July 20, 1965).
Maria Shriver married Arnold Schwarzenegger on April 26, 1986, at the Kennedy family estate in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver were the governor and first lady of California from November 2003 to January 2011. Their marriage ended shortly after Arnold revealed he had a son, Joseph Baena, with their family’s housekeeper.
Eunice passed away at the age of 88, leaving behind 19 grandchildren. This included Maria Shriver’s four children from her marriage: Katherine (born December 13, 1989), Patrick (born September 18, 1993), Christina (born July 23, 1991), and Christopher (born September 27, 1997).
Katherine married Chris Pratt on June 8, 2019, and they have three children together: Lyla (born August 6, 2020), Eloise (born May 21, 2022), and Ford (born November 8, 2024). Chris also has a son, Jack (born August 17, 2012), from his previous marriage to Anna Faris.
Patricia, who was born on May 6, 1924, became connected to the famous Rat Pack when she married Peter Lawford on April 24, 1954.
She and her British actor husband had four children: Christopher Lawford (born in 1955), Sydney Maleia Lawford (1956), Victoria Francis Lawford (1958), and Robin Elizabeth Lawford, before their divorce in 1966.
Peter, who passed away in 1984, was a close friend and advisor to his brother-in-law, John F. Kennedy. He’s widely believed to be the one who first introduced JFK to Marilyn Monroe when she visited the home of his sister and her husband in Malibu.
Patricia died in 2006. Her son, Christopher, who had been married three times, passed away in 2018 after a heart attack.
The son known familiarly to the whole country as Bobby Kennedy married Ethel Skakel on June 17, 1950.
They had a large family, with eleven children named Kathleen, Joseph II, Robert Jr., David, Courtney, Michael, Kerry, Christopher, Maxwell, Douglas, and Rory.
Ethel was expecting Rory when Bobby was tragically killed by a gunshot on June 6, 1968, just after winning the California Democratic primary election.
David Kennedy tragically died from a drug overdose on April 25, 1984, at just 28 years old. Years later, on December 31, 1997, his brother, Michael Kennedy, died in a skiing accident in Aspen, Colorado. Reports indicate he collided with a tree while skiing and playfully tossing a football with family members. Michael Kennedy was 37 and had three children with his wife, Victoria Gifford.
Ethel Kennedy experienced the loss of her husband when her oldest child was just 16 years old. Despite this, she went on to have 34 grandchildren. Sadly, she has also outlived two of them: 22-year-old Saoirse Hill, who died in 2019 from an accidental drug overdose, and her 40-year-old granddaughter Maeve Kennedy McKean, who died in a canoeing accident in 2020. Saoirse was the daughter of Courtney Hill and Paul Hill, and Maeve was the daughter of Kathleen Kennedy Townsend and David Townsend.
RFK Jr., born Jan. 17, 1954, is a thrice-married father of six.
He and his first wife, Emily Black, have two children: Robert Francis Kennedy III (born in 1984) and Kathleen Kennedy (born in 1988).
They divorced in 1994 after 12 years of marriage.
RFK III has been married to CIA analyst turned author and TV host Amaryllis Fox since 2017.
As a lifestyle expert, I often talk about blended families, and this one is beautiful! I’m happy to share that they are parents to two wonderful children: little Bobby, born in January of 2019, and Cassius Watts Thoreau Kennedy, who arrived in August 2021. Plus, they’re also a loving family to Amaryllis’ daughter, Zoë, from a previous relationship – it’s all about creating a strong and supportive family unit!
In a 2012 interview with Town & Country, the Stanford graduate explained their view that life is simply a series of experiences, both positive and negative, and that having many of them enriches it.
After Jennifer Lopez filed for divorce from Ben Affleck in August 2024, even a casual acquaintance with him – as one source described it – was enough to make Kick Kennedy a popular topic online.
A representative for Ben Affleck immediately denied rumors of a romantic relationship, stating to TopMob News that reports about him and Kick are false.
So nothing about being a Kennedy had really changed in a decade. Or a century.
I often get asked what it’s like to be a Kennedy,” she shared with Town & Country. “Honestly, I don’t really know. It’s strange seeing my face or name in the tabloids – it makes me anxious, like I’m reading about someone else, not the real me.”
Despite never meeting her, she felt a connection to the great-aunt she was named after, who had passed away long before her father was even born.
“It’s funny how similar we are,” Kick mused. “She was fun and social and a performer in many ways.”
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. married Mary Richardson in 1994, and together they had four children: Conor Richardson Kennedy (born July 25, 1994), Kyra LeMoyne Kennedy (born August 22, 1995), William Finbar “Finn” Kennedy (born November 8, 1997), and Aidan Caohman Vieques Kennedy (born July 13, 2001).
The couple were legally separated when Mary died by suicide in 2012.
Father and sons: Conor, Aidan and RFK III.
Despite achieving sudden fame at 18 as a Harvard student – and famously introducing Taylor Swift to his family – Conor has generally kept to himself.
Their relationship didn’t last long – just a few months. Conor eventually went on to study law at Georgetown and earned his degree, but the story still made the news.
“Taylor Swift’s ex Conor Kennedy” is now engaged to singer Giulia Be.
Kyra, a regular among the high-fashion set, lives in Milan.
In a video released on August 27, 2024, in collaboration with Elle and Bvlgari, she revealed she’s developing a project to honor her mother’s memory.
She reflects on whether she’s fundamentally changed as a person, stating, “Yes, absolutely.” She explains that she was one way growing up, but completely transformed when she reached young adulthood.
RFK Jr. married Curb Your Enthusiasm star Cheryl Hines in 2014.
The actress shares daughter Catherine Young (born March 8, 2004) with ex-husband Paul Young.
In a 2018 Instagram post for Father’s Day, Kick thanked her dad, jokingly acknowledging all of her siblings by saying he was the reason she had so many ‘wacky’ brothers and sisters.
Ethel Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s seventh child has three daughters with her former husband, Andrew Cuomo: twins Mariah and Cara Kennedy-Cuomo (born in 1995), and Michaela Kennedy-Cuomo (born in 1997).
Kerry and Andrew married in 1990, but their relationship ended after a separation in 2003 and a divorce finalized in 2005. Andrew served as governor of New York from 2011 to 2021.
Born on February 20, 1928, as the eighth of nine children to Joe and Rose, Jean Kennedy founded the VSA Kennedy Arts Center and later served as the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland under President Clinton.
She married Stephen Edward Smith, who worked as a strategist for John F. Kennedy’s presidential campaign, on May 19, 1956. Together, they had four children: sons Stephen Smith Jr. and William Smith, and daughters Amanda Smith and Kym Smith.
Jean died June 17, 2020, having outlived all of her siblings.
Senator Ted Kennedy, known for his personal controversies, had three children with his first wife, Joan Bennett. They are Kara Kennedy (born February 27, 1960), Edward Kennedy Jr. (born September 26, 1961), and Patrick Kennedy II (born July 14, 1967).
He and Joan divorced in 1982 after 24 years of marriage and he wed Victoria Reggie in 1992.
Kara passed away from a heart attack on September 16, 2011, two years after the death of her father. Joan died on October 8, 2025.
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2025-11-24 19:51