Planning begins to celebrate 100 years of JFK

Former President John F. Kennedy would be 100 years old next year and Congress has passed a bill to celebrate the occasion.

Introduced by JFK's great nephew, Rep. Joseph Kennedy III, D-Mass., the bill sets up the "John F. Kennedy Centennial Commission" to plan and carry out activities for next year's milestone.

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"What President Kennedy means to me, what my great uncle means, it is about challenging our country as individuals to do what each of us can to contribute to a seemingly insurmountable goal," Kennedy said.

President Obama and lawmakers are choosing who will serve on the panel.

The commission may draw up a series of special events, a memorial and trips from foreign leaders to honor President Kennedy.

"I think it really is open to members of that commission to try think of what it is, whether that's some sort of memorial or whether that's celebrations about his life and what he stood for and the vision that he had," Rep. Kennedy said.

Similar commissions have been created in the past to honor the birthdays of presidents, including presidents Ronald Reagan and Theodore Roosevelt.

President Kennedy's birth date was May 29th, 1917.

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