Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy (November 20, 1925 – June 6, 1968) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the 64th United States Attorney General from January 1961 to September 1964, and as a U.S. Senator from New York from January 1965 until his assassination in June 1968. Kennedy, like his brothers John and Edward, was a prominent member of the Democratic Party and has come to be viewed by some historians as an icon of modern American liberalism.

Robert F. Kennedy
United States Senator from New York
In office January 3, 1965 – June 6, 1968
Preceded by	Kenneth Keating
Succeeded by	Charles Goodell
64th United States Attorney General
In office January 21, 1961 – September 3, 1964
President	John F. Kennedy Lyndon B. Johnson
Preceded by	William P. Rogers
Succeeded by	Nicholas Katzenbach
Personal details
Born	Robert Francis Kennedy (1925-11-20)November 20, 1925 Brookline, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	June 6, 1968(1968-06-06) (aged 42) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Cause of death	Assassination
Resting place	Arlington National Cemetery
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Ethel Skakel (m. 1950)
Relations	Kennedy family
Children	Kathleen Joseph Robert Jr. David Courtney Michael Kerry Chris Max Douglas Rory
Parents	Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. Rose Fitzgerald
Education	Harvard University (BA) University of Virginia (LLB)
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	U.S. Naval Reserve
Years of service	1944–1946
Rank	Seaman Apprentice
Unit	USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.
Battles/wars	World War II

Kennedy was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, the seventh child of Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. and Rose Kennedy. After serving in the U.S. Naval Reserve as a seaman apprentice from 1944 to 1946, Kennedy returned to Harvard University and graduated in 1948. He received his law degree from the University of Virginia and was admitted to the Massachusetts bar in 1951. He began his career as a correspondent for The Boston Post and as a lawyer at the Department of Justice and U.S. attorney's office in Brooklyn. He managed his brother John's successful campaign for the U.S. Senate in 1952. The following year, he worked as an assistant counsel to the Senate committee chaired by Senator Joseph McCarthy. He gained national attention as the chief counsel of the Senate Labor Rackets Committee from 1957 to 1959, where he publicly challenged Teamsters President Jimmy Hoffa over the corrupt practices of the union and authored The Enemy Within, a book about corruption in organized labor.

Kennedy resigned from the committee to conduct his brother's campaign in the 1960 presidential election. He was appointed United States Attorney General after the successful election and served as the closest advisor to the President from 1961 to 1963. His tenure is best known for its advocacy for the civil rights movement, the fight against organized crime and the Mafia, and involvement in U.S. foreign policy related to Cuba. After his brother's assassination, he remained in office in the Johnson Administration for several months. He left to run for the United States Senate from New York in 1964 and defeated Republican incumbent Kenneth Keating. In office, Kennedy opposed racial discrimination and U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. He was an advocate for issues related to human rights and social justice and formed relationships with Martin Luther King Jr. and Cesar Chavez.

In 1968, Kennedy became a leading candidate for the Democratic nomination for the presidency by appealing to poor, African American, Hispanic, Catholic and young voters. His main challenger in the race was Senator Eugene McCarthy. Shortly after winning the California primary around midnight on June 5, 1968, Kennedy was mortally wounded when shot with a pistol by Sirhan Sirhan, a 24-year-old Palestinian, allegedly in retaliation for his support of Israel following the 1967 Six-Day War. Kennedy died the following day. Sirhan was arrested, tried, and convicted, though Kennedy's assassination, like his brother's, continues to be the subject