Kennedy's Inaugural Address

Taking office on January 20, 1961, as the youngest elected president, John F. Kennedy used his inaugural address to summon a Cold War generation to service: "Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country."

Aimed as much at the world as at home, the speech pledged to "pay any price" in defense of liberty and called for a new era of public commitment. It set the tone for the New Frontier and remains among the most quoted inaugurals in American history.