Kennedy Onassis first met U.S. Representative John F. Kennedy after being introduced by journalist Charles L. Bartlett, at a dinner party in May 1952. Both had many things in common such as their Catholicism, writing, enjoyment of reading and having lived abroad. Kennedy was busy running for the U.S. Senate seat in Massachusetts when they first met. Their relationship became more serious and he proposed to her after the November election. Bouvier took some time to accept, because she had been asked to cover the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in London for "The Washington Times-Herald". After a month in Europe, she returned to the United States and accepted Kennedy's marriage proposal and their engagement was officially announced on June 25, 1953.