Lee Harvey Oswald was an American citizen who gained notoriety for his involvement in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Born on October 18, 1939, in New Orleans, Oswald served in the United States Marine Corps before his eventual defection to the Soviet Union in 1959. He later returned to the U.S. with his Russian wife and settled in Dallas, Texas.
Oswald became a central figure in the assassination of President Kennedy on November 22, 1963. Positioned on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository as the motorcade passed by, he reportedly fired three shots, with one fatally hitting Kennedy in the head. Oswald's escape attempt led to the murder of police officer J.D. Tippit before Oswald was eventually apprehended.
Oswald's motives and involvement in the assassination remain subjects of intense speculation and debate. Officially charged with the crime, Oswald was never brought to trial as he was murdered two days later on November 24, 1963, while in police custody. Jack Ruby, a nightclub owner, shot Oswald in the basement of the Dallas Police Department, adding further intrigue to the case.
As a result of his actions, Lee Harvey Oswald's name has become synonymous with conspiracy theories and the enduring controversy surrounding President Kennedy's assassination. The assassination itself, combined with Oswald's subsequent killing, has fueled countless investigations, documentaries, and works of fiction attempting to unravel the mysteries surrounding this tragic moment in American history.
