J acqueline Bouvier Kennedy (July 28, 1929 - May 19,1994) was one of America’s most consequential First Ladies. She oversaw the renovation the White House—garnering worldwide awareness of American history, and brought national attention to American culture through her love of the arts. Kennedy established the White House Historical Association in 1961, and was instrumental in the hiring of the first White House curator. Jacqueline Kennedy served as a traveling ambassador, brought elegance to the White House, and influenced fashion trends. She was an American socialite, equestrienne, photographer, writer, author, and book editor, as well as an accomplished polyglot— speaker four languages: English, French, Spanish, and Italian.

She attended Vassar College in 1947 and transferred to George Washington University where she graduated with a degree in French literature in 1951. In 1952, she met John F. Kennedy and married him the following year. She gave birth to four children with two surviving to adulthood. Following the assassination of her husband in 1963, Jacqueline Kennedy bolstered the nation with her public display of strength and courage despite her personal pain.

Jacqueline Kennedy moved to New York City with her children, and married Greek businessman Aristotle Onassis in 1968. As an author, she penned three books—One Special Summer, The Last Will and Testament of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations on Life with John F. Kennedy.

Following the death of her second husband in 1975, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis took a job as an editor for Doubleday. In 1980, she began a relationship with long-time friend and Belgium-American businessman Maurice Tempelsman. They remained together till her death in 1994.