Reporter and author Maria Shriver spent a portion of her childhood in the White House while her uncle, the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy. Maria is the daughter of Eunice Kennedy Shriver — who is the younger sister of JFK and the fifth Kennedy sibling — making the newscaster JFK’s niece. Eunice went on to marry Robert “Sargent” Shriver in 1953 and welcomed Maria in 1955. The future First Lady of California was just a young girl when her uncle was elected the commander-in-chief in 1961. The Archive of The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum contains a photo of the entire Kennedy family — including 5-year-old Maria — celebratorily posing on the White House lawn in 1961. There’s one picture in the archive with Maria, JFK himself, and his daughter Caroline swimming together in July 1963 during a family vacation in Massachusetts just months before his assassination in Texas.
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The Today correspondent reminisced on her uncle’s “light” on the 57th anniversary of his assassination. “His smile lit up the room. His words inspired millions, and his service brought hope to millions. But he was also a father, a son, a beloved brother, and uncle,” Maria wrote. “I remember this day like it happened a moment ago. My world stopped, as did so many others today.”
