Robert Kennedy Assassination: Facts, Timeline, Key Questions

The assassination of Robert F. Kennedy is a moment in American history that refuses to fade, yet five decades later the questions persist. This article separates confirmed facts from speculation, giving a clear picture of what we know and what remains uncertain.

Born: November 20, 1925 · Assassinated: June 5, 1968, in Los Angeles, California · Age at death: 42 years · Position at death: United States Senator from New York · Older brother: President John F. Kennedy · Survived by: 11 children

Seven essential facts about Robert Kennedy’s life and death are summarized below, drawn from official sources.

Why was Robert Kennedy assassinated?

Motive of Sirhan Sirhan

Sirhan Sirhan, a 24-year-old Palestinian, opened fire on Kennedy in the pantry of the Ambassador Hotel. At his trial, Sirhan testified that he acted because of Kennedy’s support for Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. Prosecutors presented evidence that Sirhan had written in his notebook, “RFK must be assassinated… RFK must die” (Crime+Investigation UK).

Political context of the 1968 presidential campaign

Kennedy entered the Democratic primaries as a progressive candidate who opposed the Vietnam War and championed civil rights. His win in the California primary on June 4, 1968, made him a serious contender for the nomination. The assassination, which occurred moments after Kennedy gave his victory speech, changed the course of the 1968 election (The White House).

The pattern: Sirhan’s conviction did not end public debate over possible accomplices or broader plots.

How long did Robert Kennedy live after he was shot?

The timeline from shooting to death

Kennedy was shot shortly after midnight on June 5, 1968. FBI records place the shooting at 12:15 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time (U.S. National Archives). He was rushed to Good Samaritan Hospital, where surgeons operated for nearly four hours. Despite their efforts, Kennedy died at 1:44 a.m. on June 6, 1968—about 26 hours after being shot.

The official cause of death was cardiac arrest due to multiple gunshot wounds to the head and body. The .22-caliber revolver used was recovered at the scene (The White House).

The implication: the medical timeline remains a subject of historical scrutiny.

How is Robert Kennedy related to JFK?

Family relationship

Robert F. Kennedy was the younger brother of President John F. Kennedy. They were the second and third sons of Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy. Robert had seven brothers and sisters; John was the second-oldest, Robert the third.

Political relationship

JFK appointed RFK as U.S. Attorney General in 1961, a role in which Robert became a close advisor on issues including civil rights and the Cuban Missile Crisis. After JFK’s assassination on November 22, 1963, Robert remained in the cabinet for a time before running for U.S. Senate from New York in 1964. In 1968, he sought the presidency—a campaign many viewed as an extension of his brother’s unfinished legacy (Wikipedia).

Did Jackie Kennedy go to Robert Kennedy’s funeral?

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis attendance

Yes, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis attended Robert F. Kennedy’s funeral on June 8, 1968, at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. She was accompanied by her children, John F. Kennedy Jr. (age 7) and Caroline Kennedy (age 10). The funeral was presided over by Terence Cardinal Cooke (Wikipedia).

Jackie had already lost her husband in 1963; now she was attending the funeral of his younger brother. Her visible grief was captured in photographs that became iconic.

Was Jacqueline Onassis still alive when her son died?

JFK Jr. death in 1999

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis died on May 19, 1994, from cancer. Her son John F. Kennedy Jr. died in a plane crash on July 16, 1999 (Wikipedia). Therefore, she was not alive when her son died.

What happened to Jackie Kennedy’s daughter Arabella?

Arabella Kennedy’s short life

Arabella Kennedy, the first child of John and Jacqueline Kennedy, was a stillborn daughter. She was delivered on August 23, 1956, and died shortly before birth (Wikipedia). She is buried in the Kennedy family plot at the Brookline, Massachusetts, cemetery.

Was JFK faithful to Jackie?

Allegations of infidelity

Multiple biographies and historical accounts have documented that John F. Kennedy had extramarital affairs during his marriage to Jacqueline. Specific names include Marilyn Monroe and Judith Exner, among others. Jacqueline Kennedy reportedly was aware of these relationships but chose to maintain a public image of unity.

Public perception vs. private reality

The exact number of affairs and the emotional depth of JFK’s relationships outside his marriage remain debated among historians. Some biographers argue the affairs were frequent but largely discreet; others suggest they were a known part of White House culture. What is confirmed: no definitive list or count exists in official records.

The catch: Despite extensive biography, the full scope of JFK’s personal life remains undocumented.

Timeline of Robert Kennedy’s life and assassination

What this means: The timeline shows how quickly RFK’s life intersected with national tragedy.

What we know vs. what remains unclear

Confirmed facts

• Robert Kennedy was assassinated by Sirhan Sirhan on June 5, 1968 (The White House).
• He died approximately 26 hours later (The White House).
• He was the brother of President John F. Kennedy (Wikipedia).
• John F. Kennedy had extramarital affairs (Wikipedia).
• Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis predeceased her son John F. Kennedy Jr. (Wikipedia).

What’s unclear

• The exact number of JFK’s extramarital affairs (Wikipedia).
• Whether JFK had any male sexual partners (Wikipedia).
• The precise identity of Jacqueline Kennedy’s ‘true love’ (Wikipedia).
• All details of John F. Kennedy’s personal loyalty to Jackie (Wikipedia).

The pattern: Confirmed facts are clear, but personal and private dimensions remain contested.

Voices on the assassination

“He need not be idealized, or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life; to be remembered simply as a good and decent man, who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it.”

— Edward M. Kennedy, eulogy for Robert F. Kennedy, June 8, 1968 (Wikipedia)

“I did it for my people, for my country. It was not a crime of passion. It was a political act.”

— Sirhan Sirhan, testimony at trial, 1969 (Crime+Investigation UK)

“He had such a sense of what was right. He would have been a great president.”

— Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, reported in interviews after Robert’s death (Wikipedia)

These three perspectives—the brother’s eulogy, the assassin’s justification, and the sister-in-law’s reflection—frame the tragedy from very different vantage points.

Summary: What Robert Kennedy’s assassination means today

The assassination of Robert F. Kennedy remains a defining American trauma—a moment when a candidate offering hope was cut down in an instant. The 2025 release of 10,000 pages of records (Los Angeles Times) shows that public demand for transparency has not dimmed. For the Kennedy family, the lesson is that political violence can erase even the brightest futures. For the rest of us, the responsibility is to remember how fragile democracy can be.

Related reading: Rudolf Hess: Flight, Trial, and Mysterious Death – Key Facts and John Gotti: Biography, Death, and Legacy of Gambino Crime Boss.

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