May 19: On This Day in World History … briefly
John F Kennedy Jr announced his mother's death to the press stating she had been "surrounded by her friends and her family and her books and the people and things that she loved". He added that "She did it in her very own way and on her own terms - and we all feel lucky for that."
1994: Jackie is reunited with her beloved John
The shocking news of much-loved Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’s death stunned the world. It was subsequently announced that Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis would be buried next to her former husband President John F Kennedy in Arlington National Cemetery.
During her time as First Lady, Jackie became known for her fashion sense and her decoration of the White House. She was honoured for her dignity after the assassination of her husband in 1963. She went on to marry wealthy Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis in 1968, then became a publishing editor after his death 7 years later.
In November 1993, Jacqueline was thrown from her horse while taking part in a fox hunt in Middleburg, Virginia, and was taken to the hospital to be examined. A swollen lymph node was discovered in her groin, which was initially diagnosed by the doctor to be caused by an infection. The fall contributed to her deteriorating health over the next 6 months.
In December, Onassis developed new symptoms, including a stomach ache and swollen lymph nodes in her neck and was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. She began chemotherapy in January 1994 and publicly announced the diagnosis when she stated that the initial prognosis was good. By March the cancer had spread to her spinal cord and brain and by May to her liver. Onassis made her last trip home from New York Hospital, Cornell Medical Centre, on May 18, 1994. The following night she died in her sleep at 10.15pm.
“Don’t let it be forgot, that once there was a spot, for one brief, shining moment that was known as Camelot. There’ll be great presidents again … but there will never be another Camelot.”—Kennedy describing the years of her husband’s presidency for Life magazine.
Most notable historic snippets or facts extracted from the book ‘On This Day’ first published in 1992 by Octopus Publishing Group Ltd, London, as well as additional supplementary information extracted from Wikipedia.
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