Fifty years ago today, a sitting president visited Tampa for the first time.
Four days after John F. Kennedy's visit, he was dead - killed by an assassin's bullet. That forever changing the landscape of American history.
But on November 18, 1963, he belonged to Tampa.
Thousands of people lined Grand Central Avenue, now called Kennedy Boulevard, just to catch a glimpse of the young president as his motorcade went by. The city and excited residents were energized by his visit, part of Kennedy's plans to boost support in the South ahead of the 1964 presidential election.
"Kennedy was the first sitting president to visit Tampa," said Rodney Kite-Powell, Tampa Bay History Center. "It was a huge event for the city."
The Tampa Bay History Center is commemorating the 50th anniversary of Kennedy's historic visit to Tampa with an exhibit. The exhibit contains rarely seen photos of his arrival at MacDill Air Force, speeches at Al Lopez Field (the current site of Raymond James Stadium) and the Fort Hesterly Armory and his parade-like motorcade through town.
Kennedy was in Tampa for just five hours, wrapping up his visit with a speech at the International Inn, near where WestShore Plaza currently sits, before rushing back to MacDill and Air Force One. Still, the quick trip left a mark on residents of Tampa that remains today.
"I hope that when people come and see this exhibit, they gain an appreciation for the significance of the time," Kite-Powell said. "Those who were here at that time, I hope they have pleasant memories. Again it's such a traumatic event that followed, I think that we can lose sight of the good things that were going on."