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INSIDE JYF
on this date in
JYF HISTORY
Afghan Student Group Visits Jamestown Festival Park in 1963 In August 1963, a student delegation from Afghanistan visited Jamestown Festival Park, the predecessor to Jamestown Settlement. The background of the black-and-white photograph in the JYF media archives and the circumstances of their visit remains unclear, but it reflects a time in the 1960s when Afghanistan was a neutral country and there was a strong emphasis on diplomatic relations with America. The date closely coincides with a September 1963 special visit by King Zahir Shah of Afghanistan, the first Afghan Head of State to visit the United States, with his wife Queen Homeira, who were met with fanfare by President John F. Kennedy.
According to a government film from the Kennedy Library, King Zahir Shah and his wife arrived at Langley Field, greeted by Afghan students, before arriving in Washington, D.C., for a state dinner and parade at the White House. During the 12-day visit to America, they toured the U.S. Capitol and the United States, including stops to Mount Vernon in Virginia, Disneyland in California and the Empire State Building in New York City. The film shows their visit to the United Nations General Assembly with statesmen from more than 100 countries. It was noted that “Afghanistan has proved over the years to be one of the strongest supporters of the United Nations.”