A timeline of the key moments in Lyndon B. Johnson’s life
Lydon B. Johnson Timeline
Lyndon B. Johnson was a very ambitious politician who used his wits and hard work to rise through the ranks on Capitol Hill before ultimately becoming the 36th president of our nation.
Here is a timeline of the major moments in Lyndon B. Johnson’s life:
August 27, 1908: Lyndon B. Johnson is born to parents Sam Ealy Johnson Jr. and Rebekah Baines Johnson; he is the oldest of his siblings
1924: Graduates from Johnson City High School
1926: Proceeds to attend Southwest Texas State Teachers College (currently Texas State University)
1928: Tutored Mexican-American students at a school in Cotulla
1930: Graduates from college and teaches for a while at Pearsall High School and then later Sam Houston High School
1931: Serves as House of Reprsentative Richard M. Kleberg’s legislative secretary
November 17, 1934: Marries Claudia Atla Taylor, who was also known as “Lady Bird” Claudia
1935: Appointed chief of Texas National Youth Administration during FDR’s administration
1937: Contests and wins a seat in Congress, representing the 10th congressional district in Texas
1940: As WWII rages, Johnson gets an appointment as Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Naval Reserve
1941: Loses to incumbent Governor of Texas W. Lee O’Daniel in the race for Democratic U.S. Senate nomination
December 1941: Representative Lyndon B. Johnson reports to duty to serve in the U.S. Navy
1942: FDR sends Johnson to the Southwest Pacific; Johnson reports to General Douglas MacArthur
July 17, 1942: Returned to Washington after he was released from active combat
1944: Welcomes his first daughter, Lynda Bird
1947: Johnson’s second daughter, Luci Baines, is born
October 19, 1949: Promoted to Commander in the Navy
January 18, 1964: Brings his time in the Navy Reserve to an end
1948: Contested a Senate seat and won this time around against Republican Jack Porter; his victory, which was marred by immense controversy, in the Democratic primary came against Coke Stevenson
1951: Selected Senate Majority Whip
1952: Becomes Senate Minority Leader
1954: Elected Senate Majority Leader following the Democrats taking of the Senate
1960: Loses the Democratic Party nomination to John F. Kennedy (JFK) 409 to 806; Johnson went on to become the running mate to JFK in the 1960 presidential election
November, 1960: Wins elections in both the Senatorial and vice-presidential race
November 22, 1963: Upon the assassination of JFK, he is sworn in as the 36th president of the United States
November 29, 1963: Renames the Apollo Launch Operations Center as the John F. Kennedy Space Center; the Cape Canaveral launch facilities became Cape Kennedy until 1973
1964: Intensifies his predecessor’s campaign to end poverty in the nation
March, 1964: the Civil rights bill passes the Senate 71 to 29 votes
July 2, 1964: Signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964
1964: Goes into the 1964 presidential election under the slogan “The Great Society”
1964: Defeats Republican Barry Goldwater by a margin of close to 16 million popular votes; he won at the Electoral College
1965: Signs the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965
1965: Successfully passes the Voting Rights Act; in the House it received the thumbs up with 333-85; in the Senate, it was 77-19
1967: Nominates Thurgood Marshall to the U.S. Supreme Court; he also appoints Robert C. Weaver to the Department of Housing and Urban Development
1968: Signs the Civil Rights Act of 1968
October 22, 1968: Signs the Gun Control Act of 1968
1968: Public outcry over the war in Vietnam intensifies; Johnson’s approval ratings drop
1968: Struggles to keep control of the Democrats; he refuses to seek re-election
January, 1969: Bows out of the White House Job. He is succeeded by Richard Nixon from the Republican Party
1970: Suffers a series of heart attacks
1973: Dies at his Texas Ranch in Texas of a severe heart attack. He was 64
