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Lyndon Johnson (36th president of the United States)
Lyndon Johnson (b. August 27, 1908 in Stonewall, Texas) was the 36th president of the United States. He was sworn into office on November 22, 1963, following the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and he served until January 20, 1969. Johnson died on January 22, 1973, at the age of 64.[1]
Johnson was a member of the Democratic Party. His vice president was Hubert Humphrey.[1]
During his presidency, Johnson pushed for a legislative agenda he called the Great Society. Great Society legislation included the Medicare and Medicaid acts, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the establishment of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. He also signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Johnson was also known for increasing U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.[1]
Prior to serving as president, Johnson served as Kennedy's vice president from 1960 to 1963. He also served as a member of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. While in the Senate, he served as majority whip, minority leader, and majority leader.[1][2]
Biography
Timeline of events
Below is an abbreviated outline of Johnson's professional and political career:[1][2]
- 1908: Born in Stonewall, Texas
- 1930: Graduated from Southwest Texas State Teachers College
- 1931: Became legislative secretary to Texas Congressman Richard M. Kleberg (D)
- 1935: Became the Texas director of the National Youth Administration
- 1937-1949: Served in the United States House of Representatives
- 1941-1942: Served active duty in World War II with the U.S. Navy
- 1949-1961: Served in the United States Senate, including as majority whip, minority leader, and majority leader
- 1961-1963: Served as vice president under President John F. Kennedy
- 1963: Sworn into office as president of the United States following Kennedy's assassination
- 1964: Signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964
- 1964: Re-elected president of the United States
- 1965: Signed the Medicare act, the Medicaid act, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965
- 1967: Signed Public Broadcasting Act
- 1968: Signed the Fair Housing Act of 1968
- 1968: Announced he would not seek re-election as president
- 1973: Died on January 22 at the age of 64
- 1980: Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously
Before the presidency
Johnson was born on August 27, 1908, in Stonewall, Texas, to Samuel Ealy Johnson Jr. and Rebekah Baines Johnson. He graduated from Johnson City High School in 1924 and Southwest Texas State Teachers College (later known as Texas State University) in 1930. He worked as a teacher until he moved to Washington, D.C. to become a legislative secretary for Texas Congressman Richard M. Kleberg (D) in 1931. Johnson returned to Texas in 1935 to become the Texas director of the National Youth Administration.[1][2]
Johnson won a seat in the United States House of Representatives in 1937. He became the first member of Congress to volunteer for active duty when the country joined World War II in 1941. He served as a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy until the summer of 1942.[2]
Johnson served in the House until his election to the United States Senate in 1948. While in the Senate, Johnson served as majority whip, minority leader, and majority leader. At the age of 44, he was the youngest person to ever serve as minority leader. Johnson served in the Senate until he was sworn into office as President John F. Kennedy's vice president in 1961.[1][2]
Presidency
Johnson was sworn into office on November 22, 1963, the same day President John F. Kennedy was shot and killed in Dallas, Texas. After taking office, Johnson declared a War on Poverty and called on Congress to pass legislation on education, employment, and race. He signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law on July 2, 1964. The act made it illegal for employers and educational institutions to discriminate based on race. It also prohibited racial segregation in public places.[1][2]
In November 1964, Johnson won re-election against Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater (R) with the largest margin of victory in U.S. history. Johnson received 61.2 percent of the popular vote compared to Goldwater's 38.8 percent. He went on to push for a legislative agenda known as the Great Society. Great Society legislation included the Medicare and Medicaid acts, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the establishment of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. He also signed the Fair Housing Act of 1968, prohibiting discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, and sex in all housing aspects including renting, buying, and financing.[1][2][3]
During his presidency, Johnson increased U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War from 16,000 troops when he took office to more than 500,000 troops by 1968. Johnson was criticized for the rise in involvement by the media, and anti-war protests were conducted throughout the country. By 1968, Johnson's approval rating had fallen to 36 percent. He announced on March 31, 1968, that he would not seek re-election. By the time he left office, peace talks had begun in Vietnam, but the war did not end until 1975.[1][2]
Post-presidency
Johnson retired to his ranch in Texas after leaving office. He died of a heart attack on January 22, 1973, at the age of 64.[2] Johnson was posthumously given the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Jimmy Carter (D) in 1980.[1]
Personal
Johnson married Claudia Alta “Lady Bird” Taylor on November 17, 1934. They had two daughters, Lynda and Luci.[1][2]
Elections
1964 presidential election
| U.S. presidential election, 1964 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Electoral votes | |
| Democratic |  Lyndon Johnson/Hubert Humphrey Incumbent |
61.2% | 42,825,463 | 486 | |
| Republican | Barry M. Goldwater/William Miller | 38.8% | 27,146,969 | 52 | |
| Total Votes | 69,972,432 | 538 | |||
| Election results via: U.S. Election Atlas, "1964 Presidential General Election Results," accessed July 3, 2018 | |||||
1960 presidential election
| U.S. presidential election, 1960 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Electoral votes | |
| Democratic | John F. Kennedy/Lyndon Johnson |
50% | 34,220,984 | 303 | |
| Republican | Richard Nixon/Henry Lodge | 49.8% | 34,108,157 | 219 | |
| Democratic | Harry Byrd* | 0.2% | 116,248 | 15 | |
| Total Votes | 68,445,389 | 537 | |||
| Election results via: 1960 official election results | |||||
*15 electors chose to cast their vote for Virginia Senator Harry Byrd rather than the candidate they had pledged to vote for.[4]
Other candidates that appeared on the ballot received less than 0.1 percent of the vote. Those candidates included: Eric Haas, Rutherford Decker, Orval Faubus, Farrell Dobbs, Charles Sullivan, J. Bracken Lee, C. Benton Coiner, Lars Daly, Clennon King, and Merritt Curtis.[5]
State of the Union addresses
Every year in office, the president of the United States addresses Congress on the present state of affairs as well as the administration's goals for the coming year.[6] Following are pages with information on Johnson's State of the Union addresses.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 Biography.com, "Lyndon B. Johnson Biography," accessed July 5, 2018
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 History.com, "Lyndon B. Johnson," accessed July 5, 2018
- ↑ U.S. Election Atlas, "1964 Presidential General Election Results," accessed July 3, 2018
- ↑ 270 to win, "1960 Presidential election," accessed November 24, 2015
- ↑ U.S. Election Atlas, "1960 Presidential Election Results," accessed November 21, 2015
- ↑ Congressional Research Service, "The President’s State of the Union Address: Tradition, Function, and Policy Implications," January 24, 2014
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by John F. Kennedy (D) |
President of the United States 1963-1969 |
Succeeded by Richard Nixon (R) |
| |||||||
