Johnson, Lyndon Baines

1908 - Lyndon Baines Johnson was born on August 27th in Texas with a rural background.

1937 - Representative from Texas.

1949 - Senator of Texas.

1951 - Senate majority whip.

1953 - Senate minority leader.

1955 - Senate majority leader.

1961 - Vice-president of United States.

1963 - The 36th president of United States.

1964 - Signed Economic Opportunity Act, creating Office of Economic Opportunity and programs including Job Corps, VISTA, and Head Start.

         - Signed Civil Rights Act, authorizing US Attorney General to initiate desegregation lawsuits and barring discrimination in employment and in public facilities.

         - Ordered US air strikes against naval installations in North Vietnam to retaliate for apparent North Vietnamese torpedoing of US destroyers (Maddox and C. Turner Joy) in Gulf of Tonkin.

1965 - Initiated US air raids over North Vietnam (Operation Rolling Thunder).

         - Sent contingent of US Marines to Danang, marking official beginning of US ground combat in Vietnam War.

         - Signed Voting Rights Act, barring literacy tests for voting and initiating federal voter registration programs.

         - Initiated Medicare and Medicaid.

1966 - Signed Fair Packaging and Labeling Act, requiring labeling of contents, ingredients, and quantities of consumer items.

1968 - Signed Civil Rights Act, barring housing discrimination and increasing penalties for civil rights violations.

         - Chose not to seek reelection after nearly losing to Eugene McCarthy New Hampshire primary, simultaneously announcing intention to negotiate end to US involvement in Vietnam War.

1973 - He died of a heart attack suffered at his LBJ Ranch on January 22nd.