13 things you may not know about former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Uncredited photographer/AP
Born Jacqueline Lee Bouvier on July 28, 1929, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis is remembered as one of the most iconic, influential, and admired First Ladies in American history.
Known for her poise, style, and intelligence, Onassis wore many hats throughout her storied life. She was an accomplished equestrian by the time she was 11 years old. She demonstrated a lifelong passion for the arts. She spoke fluent French. And she successfully led numerous campaigns to preserve and restore historic landmarks and architecture.
Below, find out more about Onassis' life and legacy.
Onassis split her early childhood years between Manhattan and Long Island.
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum (Public domain)
Born in Southampton, New York, Onassis attended grade school in Manhattan and spent summers at her family home, a sprawling 11-acre estate called Lasata, in East Hampton.
She was an accomplished equestrian at a young age.
Uncredited photographer/AP
According to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Onassis won several national championships by the time she was 11 years old. Her childhood love of horseback riding became one of her lifelong passions.
She spoke French, Spanish, and Italian.
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum (Public domain)
Onassis was famously fluent in French. The former First Lady studied the language, along with history, literature, and art, for two years at Vassar College from 1947 to 1948.
According to the National First Ladies' Library, Onassis also spent her junior year abroad in France, where she took classes at the Sorbonne and the University of Grenoble. Upon her return to the US, Onassis transferred to The George Washington University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in French literature in 1950.
During John F. Kennedy's Senate re-election campaign in 1958 and presidential campaign in 1960, Onassis taped short speeches in French, Spanish, and Italian encouraging voters to support her husband.
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