Thread by @WestWingReport

The last president to own slaves while in office - Zachary Taylor - was born this day in 1784. Known as "Old Rough and Ready" for his 40-year Army career, he died 16 months into his term, probably of gastroenteritis. Second of eight presidents to die in office

48 hours a widow, Jacqueline Kennedy shows her children their father's coffin - this day 1963. Caroline thought it too small. Moments later, they emerged onto the North Portico - it was believed that no individual in history had ever been seen as much as Jackie was at that moment

This Day, 1963: Some think the killing of presidential assassin Lee Harvey Oswald proves a conspiracy. What they ignore: Oswald asked to go back for his sweater; in those 2-3 minutes, Jack Ruby arrived. Had Oswald not wanted his sweater, Ruby would have been too late (more)

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The dramatic photo of Oswald being shot was taken by Bob Jackson - who also saw Oswald's rifle sticking out the window of the Texas School Book Depository two days earlier. His camera was out of film and he didn't get what would have been a truly historic photo (more)

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Oswald was nearly wheeled into the very same emergency room that President Kennedy had been taken into two days earlier; a nurse said no, not there. Here: a rarely seen photo of the president's assassin in an elevator being taken for surgery. He died minutes later

As the tawdry Oswald drama played out in Dallas, President Kennedy's remains were taken to the Capitol Rotunda and placed on the Lincoln catafalque. The catafalque in the East Room (prior photo) was a replica that had been quickly built on the evening of Nov. 22-23