american icons and heroes

SELECTED AMERICAN HEROES AND ICONS

In this brief , we shall be discussing the life of three great American personalities . Namely : J .F . Kenedy , Michael Jordan and Elvis Presley . We shall be examining their life to justify if they qualify to be addressed ad heroes or icons , or both . To do this , we shall first find out the meaning of icon or who a hero is . This will put us in a better light to understand how the extra ordinary feet they accomplished in their lives qualify them for the unforgettable and super human

fame they occupy , not only in American history , but in the world as well

According to Microsoft Encarta College Dictionary (2001 , an icon is somebody famous . Somebody or something widely and uncritically admired , especially somebody or something symbolizing a movement of field of activity . Can these three personalities under scrutiny fit into this category ? We shall find out soon . The dictionary further explained that An icon is characterized by fame relating to or characteristic of somebody or something admired as an icon . Similarly it describes a hero as a Remarkably brave person , a performer of a brave action , or conspicuous possessor of other admirable qualities , - a war hero . It also sees a hero as Somebody admired . A person who is admired for outstanding qualities or achievements . This is illustrative enough

By way of analysis , all the three personalities we are analyzing here qualify as icons . But Michael Jordan and John F . Kenedy stood out as heroes . This is because , their achievements are unprecedented in the annals of world history in the field of sports and politics which served as their platform

To do justice to this write-up , it is better if we take the characters and analyze them individually . And we shall take off with

John F . Kenedy

J . F . Kenedy 's life was unusually remarkable because he was an over achiever , attaining incredible feats at such tender age . At the age of 43 , he was elected the 35th president of United States of America and served from 1961 until his assassination in 1963 . Before then he represented the state of Massachusetts from 1947 to 1960 , first as a member of the US House of Representatives , and later in the Senate before becoming the president

He demonstrated unusual leadership dexterity judging from his handling of the major events that characterized his presidency . These includes the USS PT-109 incident , the second world war in the South Pacific , the Bag of Pigs Invasion , the Cuban Missile Crisis , the building of the Berlin Wall , the Space Race , and the American Civil Right Movement , as well as the early events of the Vietnam War . So much happened in the American history during his presidency that so much was put onto his responsibility , and despite his age , he handled the whole issue as a matured and seasoned statesman . These events created an automatic heroic image of him in the heart of Americans

John F . Kenedy derived his fame from the...