Bryan McAllister’s personal reference notebook
September 11, 2026Short & citedBlog
Civic Viewpoint.
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Civic Brief • First Lady

Jackie Kennedy Onassis

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (born Jacqueline Lee Bouvier) was an American first lady, writer, and editor best known as the wife of U.S.

Updated September 11, 20261 min readCited sources

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was an American first lady, writer, and editor. She is best known as the wife of President John F. Kennedy and later Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis.

What it is

Jacqueline Lee Bouvier was born in 1929 and married John F. Kennedy in 1953. She served as first lady from 1961 to 1963, becoming a global icon for her style and White House restoration efforts.

Key details

She had four children with JFK, though only Caroline and John Jr. survived. After JFK's assassination in 1963, she married Aristotle Onassis in 1968. Following his death in 1975, she worked as a book editor in New York.

Why it matters

Jackie Kennedy Onassis remains a lasting figure in American culture, remembered for her influence on fashion, historic preservation, and her role during the Kennedy era. Her life story continues to fascinate internationally, including in Canada.

In short

  • Served as first lady from 1961 to 1963.
  • Married John F. Kennedy and later Aristotle Onassis.
  • Known for White House restoration and style.
  • Worked as an editor after her second husband's death.
Canadian angle

Jackie Kennedy Onassis is relevant to Canadian readers through her international celebrity, her place in North American political history, and her continuing influence on fashion, media, and public memory.

Quick questions

Who was Jackie Kennedy married to?
She was married to John F. Kennedy and later to Aristotle Onassis.
How old was Jackie Kennedy when she died?
She died at age 64 in 1994.
What was Jackie Kennedy's cause of death?
She died of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Sources

  1. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum — https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/life-of-jacqueline-b-kennedy
    Supports: Birth, marriage to JFK, widowhood at age 34, remarriage to Aristotle Onassis, publishing career, burial beside JFK
  2. Encyclopaedia Britannica — https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jacqueline-Kennedy-Onassis
    Supports: Birth and death dates, marriages, children, and cause of death
  3. Encyclopedia.com — https://www.encyclopedia.com/women/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/kennedy-jacqueline-1929-1994
    Supports: Marriages, children, and family details
  4. People — https://people.com/politics/jackie-kennedy-husbands-relationships-history/
    Supports: Marriage to JFK, children, remarriage to Aristotle Onassis