Lyndon B. Johnson

Lyndon Johnson -- Born August 27, 1908, at Stonewall, Texas. The first child of Sam Ealy Johnson, Jr., and Rebekah Baines Johnson was born in a small farmhouse on the Pedernales River. He was named Lyndon Baines Johnson, and his grandfather declared he would grow up to be a United States Senator. Three sisters and a brother followed: Rebekah, Josefa, Sam Houston, and Lucia.

1924 Now fifteen, he graduated from Johnson City High School on May 24. He decided to forego higher education and instead made his way to California with a few friends. There he performed odd jobs, including as an elevator operator. A year later he returned home where he worked on a road construction gang.

1927 Borrowing $75, he enrolled in Southwest Texas State Teachers College at San Marcos, Texas. He earned money as a janitor and as an office helper. He dropped out of school for a year to serve as principal and teach fifth, sixth, and seventh grades at Welhausen School, a Mexican-American school in the south Texas town of Cotulla.

1931, Following his election to the House of Representatives in November 1931, Congressman Richard Kleberg asked Johnson to come to Washington to work as his secretary. Johnson held the job for over three years and learned how the Congress worked. In 1933, he was elected speaker of the "Little Congress," an organization of congressional workers.

1934, In the fall, he briefly attended Georgetown University Law School in Washington, D. C. On a trip home to Texas, Johnson met Claudia Alta Taylor. He decided almost instantly that she should be his wife. Two months later, Lady Bird, as she was known to her friends,agreed, and on November 17, 1934, they were married in San Antonio. They honeymooned in Mexico.

1941, Johnson ran for the remaining term of Senator Morris Sheppard upon Sheppard's death. On June 28, he lost a hard-fought race to conservative W. Lee "Pappy" O'Daniel by 1,311 votes. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, Johnson became the first member of Congress to volunteer for active duty in the armed forces (U.S. Navy), reporting for active duty on December 9, 1941.

1942, Johnson received the Silver Star from General Douglas MacArthur for gallantry in action during an aerial combat mission over hostile positions in New Guinea on June 9. President Roosevelt ordered all members of Congress in the armed forces to return to their offices, and Johnson was released from active duty on July 16, 1942.

1948, After a dramatic campaign in which he traveled by "newfangled" helicopter all over the state, Johnson defeated Coke Stevenson in the Democratic primary race to be the party's candidate for the Senate seat vacated by Senator W. Lee "Pappy" O'Daniel. Johnson won the primary by 87 votes and earned the nickname "Landslide Lyndon." In the general election, November 2, he defeated the Republican, Jack Porter, and was elected to the U. S. Senate.

1951, January 2, elected Majority Whip of the United States Senate, the youngest man ever to hold a position of Senate leadership. 1960, July 13, nominated for President of the United States at the Democratic National Convention by the Speaker of the House of Representatives Sam Rayburn; received 409 votes; nominated Vice President by acclamation on July 14. November 6, elected Vice President of the United States, and re-elected to his third term in the United States Senate. The Kennedy-Johnson ticket defeated the Nixon-Lodge ticket in one of the closest elections in American history.

1963, November 22, Lyndon Baines Johnson became the 36th President of the United States following the assassination of John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas. In an address before a joint session of Congress on November 27, Johnson pledged support for President Kennedy's legislative agenda, which included civil rights and education legislation.

1964, In a speech at the University of Michigan, May 22, Johnson spoke of a "Great Society." He said, "The Great Society rests on abundance and liberty for all. It demands an end to poverty and racial injustice, to which we are totally committed in our time. But that is just the beginning." The speech set the tone for the fall campaign. July 2, signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in a televised ceremony at the White House. The far-reaching law included provisions to protect the right to vote, guarantee access to public accommodations, and withhold federal funds from programs administered in a discriminatory fashion.

1965, January 20, Johnson took the Oath of Office as President of the United States. The "Great Society" program became the agenda for Congress: aid to education, protection of civil rights (including the right to vote), urban renewal, Medicare, conservation, beautification, control and prevention of crime and delinquency, promotion of the arts, and consumer protection. Johnson's foreign policy rested on four principles: deterring and resisting aggression, promoting economic and social progress, encouraging cooperation among nations of the same region and seeking reconciliation with the communist world.

1968, March 31, in order to devote his time to seeking peace in Vietnam and at home, President Johnson announced that he would not be a candidate for another term as President of the United States.

1969, On January 20, Johnson returned to Texas and the LBJ Ranch, following the inauguration of President Richard M. Nixon.

1973, Following a short retirement Lyndon Johnson died at his ranch on January 22. He is buried in the family cemetery at the LBJ Ranch near his birthplace. During his retirement he wrote his memoirs, The Vantage Point, taught students, and participated in the beginning of a series of national symposia on the critical issues of modern America held at the Lyndon B. Johnson Library.