Ted Kennedy

Edward Moore Kennedy, born on February 22, 1932, in Dorchester, Boston, Massachusetts, was an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States senator from Massachusetts from 1962 until his death in 2009. He was a member of the Democratic Party and part of the prominent Kennedy family. Kennedy's tenure in the U.S. Senate made him the second-most senior senator at the time of his death, and he holds the rank of fifth in U.S. history for longest continuous service as a senator.

Kennedy was the younger brother of President John F. Kennedy and U.S. Attorney General and Senator Robert F. Kennedy. His son, Patrick J. Kennedy, served as a U.S. representative. Kennedy's early education included attendance at Gibbs School in Kensington, London, and multiple schools in the United States due to his family's international relocations. He received his formal education at Milton Academy in Massachusetts, where he played varsity football and participated in various extracurricular activities.

He enrolled at Harvard College, where he was a member of several clubs and participated in athletics, notably playing as a football end. Kennedy's academic performance was initially inconsistent, and he was expelled for cheating during an exam but was later readmitted. He served in the United States Army from 1951 to 1953, primarily in Europe, and was discharged as a private first class. After his military service, he returned to Harvard, earning an AB in history and government in 1956.

Kennedy sought legal education at the University of Virginia School of Law, where his acceptance was deemed controversial due to past academic misconduct, but he was admitted after a faculty vote. His early career began as an assistant district attorney in Suffolk County, Massachusetts. In 1962, following the death of his brother John F. Kennedy, who was then President of the United States, Kennedy won a special election to fill the vacant Massachusetts Senate seat. He was subsequently elected to a full term in 1964 and was re-elected seven times.

Kennedy's legislative focus included civil rights, health care, immigration, and social justice. He played a significant role in the passage of numerous laws, including the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, the Civil Rights Act of 1991, and the ADA of 1990. He also championed efforts toward universal health care, which he considered his primary cause. Kennedy’s legislative work extended into the 2000s, with efforts on immigration reform and health care initiatives.

He delivered notable speeches, including a 1968 eulogy for his brother Robert F. Kennedy and a 1980 campaign rallying speech for American liberalism. Kennedy was known as "The Lion of the Senate" for his influence and tenure. Throughout his career, he authored more than 300 bills that became law.

Kennedy's political career was marked by a blend of liberal advocacy and bipartisan cooperation. In 1980, he ran in the Democratic presidential primaries but lost to incumbent President Jimmy Carter. Kennedy's sustained efforts in social legislation and his leadership in the Senate made him a prominent figure in American progressive politics.

Kennedy died on August 25, 2009, of glioblastoma, a type of brain tumor, at his home in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. He was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery.