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The tragic family has been plagued by more than a dozen untimely deaths.
Maeve Kennedy Townsend McKean, 40, and her 8-year-old son Gideon Joseph Kennedy McKean have gone missing after a canoeing accident on Chesapeake Bay.
The pair -- who are the granddaughter and great grandson of the late Senator Robert F. Kennedy -- were trying to retrieve a ball from the water on Friday when they got into difficulty.
The disappearance is just the latest in a string of tragedies that have plagued the family, in what some refer to as the "Kennedy Curse".
The family's misfortunes can be traced as far back as 1941, when Joseph P. Kennedy Sr decided to have his daughter Rosemary Kennedy undergo a lobotomy at the age of 23. Rosemary, who was believed to have been intellectually disabled, suffered from severe mood swings, and her father was worried about it damaging the family reputation. The procedure left her unable to walk or speak properly, and she was institutionalized until her death in 2005, aged 86.
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View StoryAugust 12, 1944: Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. (Joseph Sr's son) is killed in action during World War II, aged 29, when an explosive aboard his bomber detonated prematurely.
May 13, 1948: Kathleen Cavendish (Joseph Sr's daughter) is killed in a plane crash in France, aged 28.
August 9, 1963: Patrick Bouvier Kennedy (Joseph Sr's grandson & JFK's son), dies of infant respiratory distress syndrome, aged two days.
November 22, 1963: John F Kennedy (Joseph Sr's son), President of the United States, is assassinated in Dallas, aged 46.
June 19, 1964: Ted Kennedy (Joseph Sr's son), US Senator, is severely injured in a plane crash, but survives. The pilot and one of his aides are killed.
June 6, 1968: Robert F. Kennedy (Joseph Sr's son), US Senator, is assassinated in Los Angeles, aged 42.
July 18, 1969: Ted Kennedy crashes his car off a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island. Ted survives, but his passenger Mary Jo Kopechne drowns.
August 13, 1973: Joseph P. Kennedy II (Joseph Sr's grandson & RFK's son), crashes his car. He survives but his passenger Pam Kelley is left paralyzed.
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View StoryApril 25, 1984: David A. Kennedy (Joseph Sr's grandson & RFK's son), dies of a drug overdose, aged 28.
December 31, 1997: Michael LeMoyne Kennedy (Joseph Sr's grandson & RFK's son), dies in a skiing accident in Aspen, aged 39.
July 16, 1999: John F. Kennedy Jr. died (Joseph Sr's grandson & JFK's son)
January 7, 2005: Rosemary Kennedy ((Joseph Sr's daughter) dies in Wisconsin institution, having spent most of her life there following a botched lobotomy, aged 86.
September 16, 2011: Kara Kennedy (Joseph Sr's granddaughter & Ted's daughter) dies of a heart attack while exercising, aged 51.
May 16, 2012: Mary Richardson Kennedy (Robert F Kennedy Jr's ex-wife) commits suicide, aged 52.
August 1, 2019: Saoirse Kennedy Hill (Joseph Sr's great granddaughter & RFK's granddaughter), dies of suspected drug overdose, aged 22.
April 3, 2020: Maeve Kennedy Townsend McKean (Joseph Sr's great granddaughter & RFK's granddaughter), goes missing while canoeing with her young son on Chesapeake Bay, aged 40.
April 3, 2020: Gideon Joseph Kennedy McKean (Joseph Sr's great-great grandson & RFK's great grandson), goes missing with his mom trying to retrieve a ball from the water, aged 8.
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