Lyndon Baines Johnson popularly known as Lyndon Johnson or LBJ born on August 27, 1908 was the thirty-sixth President of the United States from 1963 to 1969.
Johnson was sworn in as President on the venue Air Force One situated in Dallas at Love Field Airport on November 22, 1963. He was sworn in the presence of Federal Judge Sarah T. Hughes. He was the first President sworn in by a woman.
After serving many years in the U.S. Congress, Johnson became the thirty-seventh Vice President, and eventually in 1963, he succeeded to the president seat after President John F. Kennedy’s assassination. He was a prime leader of the Democratic Party and as President he built his Great Society, consisting of liberal legislation that incorporated civil rights laws, Medicare that is the health care for the aged, Medicaid which was the health care for the poor, aid to education, and a publication “War on Poverty”. Meantime, he escalated the American involvement in the Vietnam War.
He was elected President with his own merit in 1964, but his popularity started to decline after 1966. He took a back seat from the party politics and concentrated deeply into the process of peacemaking.
Lyndon Johnson was renowned for his tyrannizing personality and powerful contacts with popular politicians. In 1971 after his retirement, he published his memoirs in his book the Vantage Point.
Lyndon Johnson was honoured after his death on January 22, 1973, with a state funeral that included all the people of Texas and Congressman J.J. Pickle and former Secretary of State Dean Rusk who gave an eloquent speech on his achievements.
Facts |
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|---|---|
| Full Name: | Lyndon Baines Johnson |
| Date of Birth: | August 27, 1908, Stonewall, Texas |
| Died on: | January 22, 1973, Johnson City, Texas |
| Burial site: | LBJ Ranch, near Johnson City, Texas |
| Parents: | Samuel Ealy and Rebekah Baines Johnson |
| Spouse: | Caludia Alta “Lady Bird” Taylor (1912-2007; m. 1934) |
| Children: | Lynda Bird (1944- ); Luci Baines (1947- ) |
| Religion: | Disciples of Christ |
| Education: | Southwest Texas State College (B.S., 1930); attended Georgetown University Law School |
| Profession(s): | Teacher; rancher |
| Government ranks: | Congressional secretary; U.S. Representative and senator from Texas; vice president under John F. Kennedy |
| Political party: | Democratic |
| President Term: | November 22, 1963-January 20, 1965 (first term); January 20, 1965-January 20, 1969 (second term) |
| Age when assumed office: | 55 |
Presidential Term and its details |
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|---|---|
| Dates: | November 22, 1963-January 20, 1965 (first term) |
| January 20, 1965-January 20, 1969 (second term) | |
| Vice President: | None (1963-65) |
| Hubert H. Humphrey (1965-69) | |
Snapshot of Lyndon Johnson’s life |
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|---|---|
| 1908 | Born in Texas |
| 1928-31 | Teaches school in Texas |
| 1931-35 | Serves as aide to Texas congressman Richard Kleberg |
| 1937-49 | Serves as U.S. Representative from Texas |
| 1949-61 | Serves as U.S. Senator from Texas |
| 1961-63 | Serves as vice president under John F. Kennedy |
| 1963-69 | Serves as thirty-sixth U.S. President following assassination of Kennedy |
| 1964 | Gulf of Tonkin incident prompts heightened U.S. Involvement in the Vietnam War |
| 1973 | Dies in Texas |
Outcome of the Elections |
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|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Presidential / Vice Presidential Candidates | Popular votes | Electoral votes |
| Lyndon B. Johnson / Hubert H. Humphrey (Democratic) | 43167895 | 486 | |
| Barry M. Goldwater / William E. Miller (Republican) | 27175770 | 52 | |