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PRESENTER

Anyone who was listening to the news on 22 November 1963 finds it hard to forget what they heard. On that day the American President John Fitzgerald Kennedy was assassinated. The shooting happened while the youngest man ever to hold the highest office in America was touring the Texas city of Dallas. At 12.30 on November 22, 1963 two shots hit the President as he was travelling in a motorcade in downtown Dallas. Let's hear how the event was recorded by news reporters present at the scene.

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'It appears as though something has happened in the motorcade route. Something I repeat has happened in the motorcade route'.

'We're here at the Trademark. The motorcade is coming by here. I can see many many motorcycles coming by now, police motorcycles. Just heard a call on the radio for all units and all industrials to pick up the motorcade. Something has happened here. We understand there has been a shooting. The presidential car coming up now. We know it's the presidential car. I can see Mrs Kennedy's pink suit'.

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PRESENTER

Shortly afterwards this solemn message was heard throughout America:

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'From Dallas, Texas, the flash apparently official, President Kennedy died at 1 pm Central Standard time'.

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PRESENTER

America was stunned by the news. Twenty-four-year-old Lee Harvey Oswald was picked up in connection with the shooting. But he denies any involvement:

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'Did you kill the President?'

'No, I've not been charged with that. In fact nobody has said that to me yet. The first thing I heard about it was when the newspaper reporters in the hall er – asked me that question'.