who said ask not what your country can do for you

The famous line “Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country” was said by John F. Kennedy in his U.S. presidential inaugural address on January 20, 1961.

Who Said It?

• The quote comes from President John F. Kennedy’s inaugural speech in Washington, D.C., when he was sworn in as the 35th president of the United States.

• It appears near the end of the address, in a section calling Americans to public service and civic responsibility.

When And Where?

• Date: January 20, 1961, during the height of the Cold War, which gave the line a strong sense of urgency and shared sacrifice.

• Place: The U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., as part of the official inauguration ceremony.

What The Line Meant

• Kennedy used the phrase to urge citizens to think less about government benefits and more about what they could contribute to freedom, democracy, and the common good.

• The line helped inspire waves of public service, including interest in programs like the Peace Corps and other civic initiatives in the 1960s.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.