Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos

Carolyn Bessette Kennedy: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last updated

Facts

Also Known As Carolyn Jeanne Bessette • Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy
Born January 7, 1966 • White Plains • New York
Died July 16, 1999 (aged 33) • near Martha’s Vineyard • Massachusetts
Notable Family Members spouse John F. Kennedy, Jr.
Role In John F. Kennedy, Jr., plane crash

Photos

Carolyn Bessette Kennedy
John F. Kennedy, Jr. in a black tuxedo and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy in a black suit hold hands while arriving at an event, with greenery and parked cars in the background.
Map tracing John F. Kennedy, Jr.'s flight route on July 16, 1999, from Essex County Airport in New Jersey, heading northeast over Long Island toward Martha's Vineyard. The approximate plane route is marked with a dashed line, showing the last radar detection at 9:40 PM and the crash site near Philbin Beach, Martha's Vineyard, at 9:41 PM. The intended arrival was Martha's Vineyard Airport around 10 PM, with debris later found at Philbin Beach. Major locations and times are labeled for context.
See All Images →
John F. Kennedy, Jr., 1999
John F. Kennedy, Jr.
American publisher and lawyer
Christy Turlington Burns smiling and posing in a patterned jacket with a black sash at an evening event.
Christy Turlington
American fashion model
default image
Edward Bernays
American publicist
default image
Carl Byoir
American public relations consultant
Lee, Ivy Ledbetter
Ivy Ledbetter Lee
American publicist
Kate Moss
Kate Moss
British model
Raf Simons
Raf Simons
Belgian fashion designer
Sophie, duchess of Edinburgh
Sophie, duchess of Edinburgh
British royal
default image
Townes Van Zandt
American musician
default image
Albert Shanker
American labor leader
default image
Lee Shubert
American theatrical manager
default image
Freddie Hubbard
American musician
default image
Florence Ballard
American singer
default image
Jordin Sparks
American pop singer
default image
David Maysles
American documentary filmmaker
default image
Craig Kilborn
American talk-show host
default image
Arne Duncan
American education administrator
default image
Susan Rice
American public official and foreign policy analyst
default image
Cedar Walton
American musician
default image
Jim Bunning
United States senator and baseball player