Happy Birthday LBJ
On August 27, 1908 (104 years ago today) Lyndon Baines Johnson, the 36th President of the United States, was born in Stonewall, Texas, in a small farmhouse on the Pedernales River. His parents were Samuel Ealy Johnson, Jr. and Rebekah Baines. Lyndon was the oldest of five children, three girls and two boys. Johnson's father had served six terms in the Texas legislature.
Lyndon Johnson is one of only four people who served in all four elected federal offices of the United States: Representative, Senator, Vice President, and President. (See if you can guess who the other three are. I'll tell you at the end of this entry. Hint: two are from the 19th century and 1 is from the 20th century.)
Johnson served as a United States Representative from 1937-1949 and as a Senator from 1949-1961. Of his time in the senate, he spent six years as United States Senate Majority Leader, two as Senate Minority Leader and two as Senate Majority Whip. A 60 cigarette per day smoker, Johnson suffered a near-fatal heart attack on July 2, 1955. He gave up smoking as a result, although he is believed to have smoked secretly as President and he resumed the habit when he left the White House on January 20, 1969.
Johnson ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination in 1960, losing to John F. Kennedy. Johnson was asked by John F. Kennedy to be his running mate for the 1960 presidential election.
Johnson became President following the assassination of John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. He completed Kennedy's term and was elected President in his own right, winning by a large margin in the 1964 election. Johnson was responsible for designing the "Great Society" legislation that included significant civil rights legislation, public broadcasting, Medicare, Medicaid, environmental protection, aid to education, and his "War on Poverty."
Johnson was renowned for his domineering personality and what was referred to as the "Johnson treatment," in which he would intimidate and bully other politicians in order to advance his legislation.
Johnson escalated American involvement in the Vietnam War, increasing troop levels from 16,000 American advisors/soldiers in 1963 to 550,000 combat troops in early 1968. As American casualties soared and the peace process bogged down, the result was a large angry antiwar movement, especially on university campuses. Summer riots broke out in most major cities after 1965, and crime rates soared, as his opponents raised demands for "law and order" policies.
The Democratic Party split in multiple feuding factions, and after Johnson did poorly in the 1968 New Hampshire primary, he ended his bid for reelection. Republican Richard Nixon was elected to succeed him.
After leaving the presidency in January 1969, Johnson went home to his ranch in Stonewall, Texas. In 1971, he published his memoirs, The Vantage Point. That year, the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum opened near the campus of The University of Texas at Austin. He gained more than 25 lbs, grew his hair long and resumed smoking. The following summer, he embarked on a crash water diet, shedding about 15 lbs in less than a month. In April 1972, Johnson experienced a massive heart attack while visiting his daughter, Lynda, in Charlottesville, Virginia. Lyndon Johnson died at his ranch on January 22, 1973 at age 64 after suffering a massive heart attack. His death came two days after Nixon's second inauguration.
Historians argue that his presidency marked the peak of modern liberalism in the United States after the New Deal era. Johnson is ranked favorably by some historians because of his domestic policies, while criticized by others because of his handling of the Vietnam War.
The other three people who served in all four elected offices were John Tyler, Andrew Johnson and Richard Nixon.
Lyndon Johnson is one of only four people who served in all four elected federal offices of the United States: Representative, Senator, Vice President, and President. (See if you can guess who the other three are. I'll tell you at the end of this entry. Hint: two are from the 19th century and 1 is from the 20th century.)
Johnson served as a United States Representative from 1937-1949 and as a Senator from 1949-1961. Of his time in the senate, he spent six years as United States Senate Majority Leader, two as Senate Minority Leader and two as Senate Majority Whip. A 60 cigarette per day smoker, Johnson suffered a near-fatal heart attack on July 2, 1955. He gave up smoking as a result, although he is believed to have smoked secretly as President and he resumed the habit when he left the White House on January 20, 1969.
Johnson ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination in 1960, losing to John F. Kennedy. Johnson was asked by John F. Kennedy to be his running mate for the 1960 presidential election.
Johnson became President following the assassination of John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. He completed Kennedy's term and was elected President in his own right, winning by a large margin in the 1964 election. Johnson was responsible for designing the "Great Society" legislation that included significant civil rights legislation, public broadcasting, Medicare, Medicaid, environmental protection, aid to education, and his "War on Poverty."
Johnson was renowned for his domineering personality and what was referred to as the "Johnson treatment," in which he would intimidate and bully other politicians in order to advance his legislation.
Johnson escalated American involvement in the Vietnam War, increasing troop levels from 16,000 American advisors/soldiers in 1963 to 550,000 combat troops in early 1968. As American casualties soared and the peace process bogged down, the result was a large angry antiwar movement, especially on university campuses. Summer riots broke out in most major cities after 1965, and crime rates soared, as his opponents raised demands for "law and order" policies.
The Democratic Party split in multiple feuding factions, and after Johnson did poorly in the 1968 New Hampshire primary, he ended his bid for reelection. Republican Richard Nixon was elected to succeed him.
After leaving the presidency in January 1969, Johnson went home to his ranch in Stonewall, Texas. In 1971, he published his memoirs, The Vantage Point. That year, the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum opened near the campus of The University of Texas at Austin. He gained more than 25 lbs, grew his hair long and resumed smoking. The following summer, he embarked on a crash water diet, shedding about 15 lbs in less than a month. In April 1972, Johnson experienced a massive heart attack while visiting his daughter, Lynda, in Charlottesville, Virginia. Lyndon Johnson died at his ranch on January 22, 1973 at age 64 after suffering a massive heart attack. His death came two days after Nixon's second inauguration.
Historians argue that his presidency marked the peak of modern liberalism in the United States after the New Deal era. Johnson is ranked favorably by some historians because of his domestic policies, while criticized by others because of his handling of the Vietnam War.
The other three people who served in all four elected offices were John Tyler, Andrew Johnson and Richard Nixon.