Warren Commission Appointment
President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed Chief Justice Earl Warren to chair the commission investigating President Kennedy's assassination.
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1963 in United States of America — Page 26
Explore 1,220 historical events and records for United States of America in 1963.
Historical records for United States of America in 1963
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November
Warren Commission Established
President Johnson created the commission chaired by Earl Warren to investigate Kennedy's assassination, including possible foreign or Cuban involvement.
Warren Commission Membership
Johnson appointed seven members to the Warren Commission, including legislators from both parties, former CIA Director Allen Dulles, and diplomat John J. McCloy.
Anti-Castro Activity Before Assassination
Federal records place Sturgis in the anti-Castro milieu during the period immediately preceding President Kennedy's assassination.
Assassination Investigation Cooperation
Truly cooperated with federal and local investigators examining Oswald's employment, movements, and access within the Texas School Book Depository.
Bullets Recovered from Tippit
Four bullets were recovered from Tippit's body and examined by firearms specialists during the investigation.
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
Angleton's counterintelligence staff handles CIA liaison with assassination investigators.
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
Rocca acts as a CIA counterintelligence contact for assassination records.
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
Whitten initially handles CIA investigative work after Kennedy's assassination.
CIA Evidence
Serves as a CIA contact point for information supplied to the Warren Commission about Oswald and related intelligence matters.
Civil Air Patrol Allegation
Jack Martin alleged that Ferrie had known Oswald through the New Orleans Civil Air Patrol and might have trained him to use a rifle.
Daily Sixth Floor Trips
Truly later testified that Oswald had occasion to visit the sixth floor repeatedly during an ordinary working day.
Firearms Cartridge Case Evidence
Firearms examination established that cartridge cases recovered near the Tippit crime scene had been fired from the revolver in Oswald's possession when arrested.
Five-Shot Possibility
The firearms evidence led the Warren Commission to conclude that five shots may have been fired even though four bullets were recovered from Tippit's body.
Getaway Pilot Allegation
Jack Martin alleged that Ferrie had traveled to Texas and was intended to act as a getaway pilot after the assassination; Ferrie denied involvement.
Hosty Address Book Entry Examined
Investigators established that Oswald's personal address book contained identifying information for Hosty, including his office contact details.
Hosty Data Entered in Address Book
Oswald's address book came to contain Hosty's name, FBI office information, telephone number, and automobile license number.
Missing Voice Recording Clarified
The FBI later establishes that Dallas agents never received or heard a recording of the Mexico City caller's voice, weakening an early basis for an impersonation claim.
New Orleans Civil Air Patrol
He claims that Ferrie knew Oswald from their days in the New Orleans Civil Air Patrol, and that Ferrie might have taught Oswald how to use a rifle with a telescopic sight.
New Orleans Civil Air Patrol
Jack Martin tells authorities and reporters that anti-Castro activist David Ferrie had been involved in the assassination.
New Orleans Civil Air Patrol
Martin also claimed that Ferrie drove to Texas on the day of Kennedys assassination, to serve as a getaway pilot for the assassins.
Oak Cliff Patrol Assignment
Patrolman J. D. Tippit was assigned to patrol district 78 in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas during the daylight shift.
Oswald Complaint Note Delivered
Approximately two or three weeks before the assassination, Oswald delivered a note addressed to Hosty at the Dallas FBI office.
Oswald Note Assessed as Complaint
Hosty later recalled the Oswald note as complaining in tone and said he did not regard it as evidence that Oswald was prone to violence.
Oswald Note Retained
Hosty later testified that the note remained in the Dallas FBI office after he received it rather than being treated as an immediate security threat.
Oswald Revolver Evidence
Investigators traced the revolver seized from Oswald at the Texas Theatre and established that it had been purchased by and belonged to him.
Oswald Work Routine Statement
Truly described Oswald's normal work routine and his regular access to the sixth floor when investigators reconstructed events inside the Depository.
Patrol Car Number 10
Tippit patrolled alone in Dallas police car number 10, consistent with normal daytime assignments in residential districts.
Presidential Aircrew Transition
After Kennedy's assassination, Johnson requested that his longtime pilot James Cross qualify to fly the Boeing 707 used as the main presidential aircraft.
Second Floor Encounter Statement
Truly gave investigators an account of the second-floor encounter involving Baker and Oswald shortly after President Kennedy was shot.
Twistboard Promotion
Ruby promoted his twistboard exercise device at the Texas Products Show during the first week of November 1963, using one of his dancers to demonstrate it.
December
FBI Investigation Discussion
An FBI surveillance transcript recorded Giancana and associate Charles English discussing the Bureau's investigation of President Kennedy's assassination on December 3, 1963.
First Commission Meeting
Warren chaired the commission's first meeting on December 5, 1963, as members began organizing an independent investigation of the assassination.
Independent Investigation Mandate
Under Warren's chairmanship, the commission decided that it would conduct an independent investigation rather than simply accept conclusions submitted by other government agencies.
Warren Commission
The Warren Commission met formally for the first time on December 5, 1963 on the second floor of the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C. The Commission conducted its business primarily in closed sessions, but these were not secret sessions
DCI Public Image Discussion
McCone told Johnson that portraying the DCI chiefly as a covert operator impaired his broader intelligence role; Johnson agreed that the public image should change.
J. Lee Rankin Appointment
Warren appointed former Solicitor General J. Lee Rankin as general counsel of the assassination commission on December 8, 1963.
Secret Service Report
A Secret Service report concluded that Jack Martin's claims that Ferrie had associated with Oswald and trained him to fire a rifle were without foundation.
Subpoena Authority
The commission chaired by Warren received statutory authority to compel testimony and evidence when Congress enacted Public Law 88-202.
Warren Commission Subpoena Authority
Johnson's Warren Commission received statutory authority to subpoena witnesses and obtain evidence when Congress enacted Public Law 88-202.
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.