The Kennedy family has long been viewed as one of America’s most prominent political dynasties. Yet behind their fame lies a succession of tragic and untimely losses from lethal accidents and plane crashes to assassinations and personal suffering—that many have come to describe as the so-called Kennedy curse. The idea of a curse was even voiced by Senator Ted Kennedy, who, reflecting in 1969 on a fatal car accident and the loss of his siblings, wondered if “some awful curse did actually hang over the Kennedys”
Tragedy Across Generations
1941 – Rosemary Kennedy
Born with lifelong developmental challenges, Rosemary underwent a lobotomy at age 23 that tragically rendered her incapacitated—with the intellectual capacity of a small child—after which she lived in institutional care until her death at age 86.
1944 – Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.
The Kennedys’ eldest son, once groomed for future leadership, died at 29 when an explosive carried by his aircraft detonated during a top-secret World War II mission
1948 – Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy
Kathleen, known as “Kick”, lost both her husband in wartime and, later, her own life in a plane crash while traveling to Paris. Her death echoed the repeated misfortune that plagued the family
1963 – Patrick Bouvier Kennedy
President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy endured the brief life of their newborn son Patrick, who died just 39 hours after his premature birth due to respiratory distress
1963 & 1968 – Assassinations of JFK and RFK
In November 1963, President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. Only five years later, his brother Robert F. Kennedy was also assassinated while campaigning for the presidency
1969 – The Chappaquiddick Incident
Ted Kennedy was involved in a car accident that claimed the life of Mary Jo Kopechne. The incident severely tarnished his political career and prompted his reflection on whether the family was under a curse
1970s–90s – Cancer and Overdose
Ted Kennedy Jr. had his leg amputated in childhood following bone cancer. In the 1980s, RFK’s son David died of a drug overdose amid struggles with trauma and addiction. In 1997, another family tragedy struck when Michael Kennedy, RFK’s son, was killed in a skiing accident.
1999 – JFK Jr.’s Plane Crash
John F. Kennedy Jr., the president’s son, along with his wife and sister-in-law, perished in a plane crash off Martha’s Vineyard—an event that reignited talk of the Kennedy curse
2010s–2020 – Recent Heartbreaks
The tragedies continued into modern times: RFK’s estranged wife Mary died by suicide in 2012. In 2019, granddaughter Saoirse Kennedy Hill died of an accidental overdose, and in 2020, Maeve Kennedy McKean and her son Gideon drowned in a canoeing accident
Fact or Folklore?
While the sequence of tragedies is undeniably striking, skeptics argue that it’s not improbable for a large, high-profile family to encounter numerous misfortunes across generations. The label of a “curse” may stem more from collective trauma, media attention, and the family’s public visibility than from any supernatural force.
Changing Perspectives
Over time, the family has increasingly confronted these tragedies through the lens of mental health and vulnerability. Advocates like Patrick J. Kennedy emphasize that issues such as untreated trauma, substance abuse, and depression played substantial roles in many of these losses—offering a grounded, human explanation in place of supernatural speculation.
Summing Up
The story of the Kennedy curse is a mixture of historic sorrow, public fascination, and evolving understanding. While the sequence of premature deaths and catastrophic events is deeply tragic, viewing it through the prism of compassion and awareness—rather than destiny—may offer a more meaningful legacy for the family and those who reflect upon it.
