Ted had a privileged childhood. He was born Edward Moore Kennedy on 22nd February 1932 in Massachusetts. He was the youngest of nine children and brother to JFK and Robert Kennedy. Ted grew up in an Irish Catholic family. His mother, Rose Fitzgerald, was the daughter of Boston mayor John Fitzgerald. His father, Joseph P. Kennedy, was a millionaire businessman. In 1950, Ted followed his brothers to Harvard University, but was expelled for cheating (he asked another student to take a Spanish exam in his place). Ted eventually returned to the university after a period in the armed forces. On leaving Harvard, Ted studied at the International Law School (The Hague) and then entered Virginia Law School, where he received his law degree in 1959. By then, Ted knew that he wanted a career in politics.
His first taste of politics came in 1960. Ted campaigned for his brother, John, in the presidential race. In 1962, shortly after his brother’s victory, Ted was elected to the Senate. At the age of 30, he became a representative for the state of Massachusetts.