**Ethel Kennedy** (née Skakel) was born on April 11, 1928, in Chicago, Illinois, into a wealthy and prominent family. She became a notable public figure primarily through her marriage to **Robert F. Kennedy**, the younger brother of President John F. Kennedy and a prominent American politician.
Early Life
Ethel was raised in Greenwich, Connecticut, in a devoutly Roman Catholic family. Her father, George Skakel, was a self-made millionaire who founded Great Lakes Carbon Corporation, while her mother, Ann Brannack Skakel, was a homemaker. Ethel attended Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart, where she met **Jean Kennedy**, the sister of Robert F. Kennedy.
### Marriage and Family
Ethel married Robert F. Kennedy on June 17, 1950. They had a large and close-knit family, raising **eleven children** together. The couple’s family became one of the most iconic in American politics, known for their activism, involvement in public service, and their resilience in the face of personal tragedy.
### Public Life and Tragedy
Ethel was a dedicated supporter of her husband’s political career. Robert F. Kennedy served as the U.S. Attorney General and later as a U.S. Senator from New York. In 1968, he announced his candidacy for the presidency, but his campaign was tragically cut short when he was assassinated on June 5, 1968. Ethel was pregnant with their eleventh child at the time.
Despite the immense personal loss, Ethel continued to champion the causes that Robert had advocated for, including social justice, civil rights, and the fight against poverty. She became an active force in preserving her husband’s legacy through the establishment of the **Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights**, which promotes human rights worldwide.
### Later Life
Ethel remained a key figure in the Kennedy family and in various charitable and activist initiatives. She has been recognized for her lifelong dedication to human rights and social justice. In 2014, she was awarded the **Presidential Medal of Freedom** by President Barack Obama for her contributions to public service and her advocacy for justice.
Ethel Kennedy has lived a life of resilience, commitment to family, and dedication to social causes, cementing her place as a matriarch of one of America’s most prominent political dynasties.