LBJ Forms Warren Commission: Seeking Truth After JFK
President Lyndon Johnson established the Warren Commission on November 29, 1963, seven days after Kennedy's assassination, to investigate the killing and assure the public that the truth would be found. Chief Justice Earl Warren reluctantly agreed to lead it after Johnson warned that wild speculation could trigger a nuclear war if people believed the Soviets or Cubans were involved. The commission heard testimony from 552 witnesses over ten months and produced a 888-page report concluding that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone and that Jack Ruby acted independently. The single-bullet theory, suggesting one bullet caused seven wounds to Kennedy and Governor Connally, became the most contested finding. Within years, polls showed a majority of Americans rejected the lone-gunman conclusion, a skepticism that has persisted for over six decades.
November 29, 1963
63 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on November 29
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