Introduction
Lyndon Baines Johnson was born on August 27, 1908, in central Texas, not far from Johnson City. Growing up, he worked his way through Southwest Texas State Teachers College (now known as Texas State University) and taught students of Mexican descent in Cotulla, Texas. In 1934, Johnson married Claudia "Lady Bird" Taylor after a whirlwind courtship. In 1937, he campaigned successfully for the House of Representatives on a New Deal platform.
During World War II, Lyndon Johnson served briefly in the Navy as a lieutenant commander, receiving a Silver Star in the South Pacific. After six terms in the House, he was elected to the Senate in 1948. In 1953, he became the youngest Minority Leader in Senate history, and the following year, when the Democrats won control, Majority Leader.
In the 1960 presidential campaign, John F. Kennedy chose Johnson as his running mate, and they won the election. On November 22, 1963, the Kennedys and Johnsons were campaigning in Dallas, Texas, when President Kennedy was assassinated, and Lyndon Baines Johnson became the 36th President of the United States. This timeline covers his time as president, and events on the timeline include related conversations and materials.
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1963
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November 22, 1963
Lyndon Baines Johnson takes oath of office
Lyndon Baines Johnson takes the oath of office as the thirty-sixth President of the United States following the assassination of John F. Kennedy.
Related Conversations
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“The President Is Dead” (November 22, 1963)
“You Give Me Strength” (December 2, 1963)
“It’s Just So Unfair” (December 5, 1966)
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November 27, 1963
Johnson addresses Congress
Johnson addresses a joint session of Congress calling on legislators to fulfill Kennedy's legacy and pass civil rights and tax legislation.
Related Conversations
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“The President Is Dead” (November 22, 1963)
“You Give Me Strength” (December 2, 1963)
“Go On and Report My Poverty Bill” (June 22, 1964)
“I’ll Spend the Goddamn Money” (March 6, 1965)
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November 29, 1963
Commission to investigate Kennedy assassination created
President Johnson creates a special commission chaired by Chief Justice Earl Warren to investigate the Kennedy assassination.
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“I Would Be Honored to Do It” (November 29, 1963)
“You’re Goddamn Sure Going to Serve” (November 29, 1963)
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1964
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January 9, 1964
Riots in Panama
President Roberto Chiari of Panama breaks diplomatic relations with the United States after riots erupt over the display of Panamanian and American flags in the Canal Zone.
After tensions subside, Johnson begins efforts to renegotiate the Panama Canal Treaty. (Diplomatic relations are restored on April 3.)
Related Conversations
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“Hot as a Firecracker” (January 10, 1964)
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January 23, 1964
Twenty-Fourth Amendment ratified
The Twenty-Fourth Amendment to the Constitution is ratified, abolishing poll taxes.
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February 6, 1964
Cuba cuts water supply to Guantánamo
President Fidel Castro of Cuba cuts the water supply to the US naval base at Guantánamo to protest US seizure of Cuban fishing boats. President Johnson takes steps to give the base a self-sufficient supply of water and labor.
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May 22, 1964
Johnson’s Great Society
In a speech at the University of Michigan, President Johnson announces his intention to create a Great Society by extending American prosperity to all its citizens.
Related Conversations
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“I’ll Spend the Goddamn Money” (March 6, 1965)
“Make Them Go Vote for Education” (March 6, 1965)
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July 2, 1964
Civil Rights Act of 1964
President Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964, outlawing discrimination based on race or color, sex, religion, or national origin.
This act also prohibits discrimination in voter registration as well as segregation in schools, employment, and public accommodations.
Related Conversations
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“Go On and Report My Poverty Bill” (June 22, 1964)
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July 15, 1964
Republicans nominate Barry Goldwater
Senator Barry Goldwater (R-AZ) receives the Republican nomination for President.
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July 19, 1964
Wallace drops out of presidential race
Governor George Wallace of Alabama drops out of the presidential race despite strong showings in several Democratic primaries.
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August 4, 1964
Freedom Summer murders
Three civil rights workers are found dead in Mississippi; the bodies of James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner were discovered in an earthen dam two months after having been abducted and shot at close range.
Chaney, Goodman and Schwerner had all been participating in the Mississippi Freedom Summer efforts to register black voters in the state. Several members of the local KKK were involved in the murder, though only one perpetrator was ever convicted, 41 years later, before the case was closed.
Related Conversations
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“We Got Three Kids Missing” (June 23, 1964)
“We Found the Car” (June 23, 1964)
“Likely That None of Them Were Burned” (June 23, 1964)
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August 7, 1964
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
Congress passes the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, authorizing the President to pursue military action in Vietnam.
Related Conversations
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“It’s a Mess” (May 27, 1964)
“The Biggest Damn Mess I Ever Saw” (May 27, 1964)
“Just Merely to Tell You I Loved You” (August 4, 1964)
“You Can’t Talk About War Plans” (August 6, 1964)
“The President Has This Authority” (February 20, 1966)
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August 26, 1964
Democrats nominate Johnson
Johnson receives the Democratic nomination for President. Senator Hubert H. Humphrey (D-MN) is nominated as the vice-presidential candidate.
Related Conversations
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“I Do Not Believe I Can” (August 25, 1964)
“That’s What the Democratic Party’s For” (August 25, 1964)
“They Can’t Argue with Themselves” (September 9, 1964)
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August 30, 1964
Economic Opportunity Act
President Johnson signs the Economic Opportunity Act, creating the Office of Economic Opportunity and beginning the War on Poverty.
Related Conversations
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“You’re Mr. Poverty” (February 1, 1964)
“Go On and Report My Poverty Bill” (June 22, 1964)
Turning “Tax-Eaters” into “Taxpayers” (July 29, 1964)
“Keep the Boys That Should Be Sober, Sober” (August 7, 1964)
“I’d a Whole Lot Rather Dick Daley Do It” (August 7, 1964)
“They’re Trying to Pressure You” (December 24, 1965)
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September 27, 1964
Kennedy conspiracy rejected
The Warren Commission releases its report, rejecting the notion that President Kennedy was assassinated as part of a conspiracy.
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October 15, 1964
Brezhnev becomes head of the Soviet Union
When Nikita Khrushchev is forced to resign as leader of the Soviet Union, Leonid Brezhnev becomes the new leader.
Related Conversations
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“A Paragraph on Nonproliferation” (October 16, 1966)
“We Made a Little Progress There” (June 25, 1967)
“Something [on] the Order of Hungary” (August 20, 1968)
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October 16, 1964
China detonates atomic device
The People's Republic of China exploded its first atomic device, making it the fifth country, after the United States, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and France to possess atomic weapons.
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November 3, 1964
Johnson wins election
Lyndon B. Johnson is elected President of the United States.
Related Conversations
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“That Wasn’t What Killed Kennedy” (October 1, 1964)
“We’re Going to Carry the South” (October 7, 1964)
“He’d Have Been Beat” (November 4, 1964)
“Put Some Better People on Your Team” (November 16, 1964)
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1965
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January 20, 1965
Johnson inaugurated
Johnson is inaugurated President of the United States.
The "Great Society" program becomes 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 rests 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.
Related Conversations
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“I’ll Spend the Goddamn Money” (March 6, 1965)
“Make Them Go Vote for Education” (March 6, 1965)
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February 9, 1965
The United States bombs North Vietnam
Nine American soldiers are killed in an attack on US barracks in Pleiku, Vietnam. President Johnson authorizes reprisal air strikes on North Vietnam.
Related Conversations
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“More War” or “More Appeasement” (February 25, 1964)
“It’s a Mess” (May 27, 1964)
“The Biggest Damn Mess I Ever Saw” (May 27, 1964)
“Our National Honor’s at Stake” (June 11, 1964)
“Where Do You Stop” (June 8, 1965)
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February 21, 1965
Malcolm X assassinated
Black power activist Malcolm X is assassinated in New York City by members of the Nation of Islam, an organization to which Malcolm X had belonged.
Tensions between X and NOI leadership led to his suspension from the group and subsequent assassination.
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March 2, 1965
Operation Rolling Thunder begins in North Vietnam
Following attacks on US positions in mid-February, the United States begins Operation Rolling Thunder, its first sustained bombing campaign of North Vietnam.
Related Conversations
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“More War” or “More Appeasement” (February 25, 1964)
“It’s a Mess” (May 27, 1964)
“The Biggest Damn Mess I Ever Saw” (May 27, 1964)
“Our National Honor’s at Stake” (June 11, 1964)
“Where Do You Stop” (June 8, 1965)
Related Information
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March 8, 1965
Ground troops arrive in Vietnam
US Marines land at Danang, marking the first ground combat units deployed to South Vietnam.
Related Conversations
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“More War” or “More Appeasement” (February 25, 1964)
“It’s a Mess” (May 27, 1964)
“The Biggest Damn Mess I Ever Saw” (May 27, 1964)
“Our National Honor’s at Stake” (June 11, 1964)
“Where Do You Stop” (June 8, 1965)
Related Information
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March 15, 1965
Johnson calls for voting rights legislation
On March 15, 1965, President Lyndon Johnson addresses a joint session of Congress to introduce voting rights legislation.
In a moving oration, Johnson calls on white Americans to make the cause of African Americans their cause, too. Together, he explains, echoing the anthem of the civil rights movement, “we shall overcome.”
Related Conversations
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“A Right to Vote” (January 15, 1965)
“Make Them Go Vote for Education” (March 6, 1965)
“We Know Who They Are” (March 26, 1965)
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March 21, 1965
Selma to Montgomery march
Thousands of peaceful protesters march over several days from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, in reaction to the police murder of activist Jimmie Lee Jackson, as well as to highlight civil rights efforts in the state.
This is actually the third attempt to complete the March; the first ends in the notorious “Bloody Sunday” attack when Alabama state troopers attack protesters, and the second, “Turnaround Tuesday,” ends when MLK leads the crowd back in compliance with a court order. The third March follows after a federal judge rules the marchers’ First Amendment right to protest can not be infringed, allowing the marchers to proceed without being hindered by law enforcement. Widely televised with particular media attention on “Bloody Sunday,” the series of marches is successful in bringing national attention to civil rights issues in the state.
Related Conversations
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“A Right to Vote” (January 15, 1965)
“We Know Who They Are” (March 26, 1965)
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April 11, 1965
Signing of education bill
President Johnson signs the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
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“Sure Thought I Had Better Leadership” (March 1, 1965)
“Make Them Go Vote for Education” (March 6, 1965)
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April 28, 1965
Johnson sends troops to the Dominican Republic
Johnson sends US marines to the Dominican Republic to protect US citizens after a military coup and resulting Dominican Civil War.
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July 28, 1965
Escalation in Vietnam
Johnson increases the number of troops sent to Vietnam, indicating his determination to engage in a ground war.
Related Conversations
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“Where Do You Stop” (June 8, 1965)
“A Very Complex Problem” (July 7, 1965)
“I Don’t Want to Be a Warmonger” (July 7, 1965)
“The President Has This Authority” (February 20, 1966)
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July 30, 1965
Medicare and Medicaid created
Johnson signs legislation creating Medicare and Medicaid.
Related Conversations
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Dr. Spock on Medicare Politics (November 6, 1964)
“We Can Pass Medicare” (November 9, 1964)
“It’s a Great Bill, Mr. President” (March 23, 1965)
“$400 Million’s Not Going to Separate Us” (March 23, 1965)
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August 6, 1965
Voting Rights Act becomes law
President Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act into law.
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August 11, 1965
Watts Riots
The Watts Riots break out in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Incited by an altercation between law enforcement and a drunk driver, the situation escalated until nearly 4,000 California Army National Guard members, 16,000 law enforcement officials, and 30,000 residents became involved over six days, resulting in 34 deaths, 3,438 arrests and $40 million in property damage.
Related Conversations
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LBJ, King, and the Watts Revolt (August 20, 1965)
“We’ll Find Some Central Theme” (July 25, 1967)
“This Country’s in Trouble” (July 27, 1967)
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September 9, 1965
Hurricane Betsy hits Louisiana and Mississippi
On 9 September 1965, Hurricane Betsy made landfall in Louisiana and Mississippi.
The Category 4 storm caused severe damage to the area with the flood water breaching the levees in New Orleans. Many of the city's neighborhoods were damaged by the water. President Johnson surveyed the damage the following day.
Related Conversations
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“We Need Your Help” (September 10, 1965)
“Make the Law Bend to the Problem” (September 14, 1965)
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October 3, 1965
Signing of Immigration Bill
President Johnson signs the Immigration Bill.
Related Conversations
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“Unite Their Families” (July 23, 1965)
“Get the Immigration Bill Reported” (August 26, 1965)
Related Information
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1966
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March 7, 1966
Supreme Court upholds Voting Rights Act
The US Supreme Court unanimously upholds the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
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May 26, 1966
Johnson outlines African policy
The President delivers a speech commemorating the 3rd anniversary of the Organization of African Unity, outlining the administration's African policy and establishing a task force to review US development policies and programs in Africa.
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June 1, 1966
White House pushes Congress for legislation
The White House Conference on Civil Rights urges Congress to pass further civil rights legislation.
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July 4, 1966
Freedom of Information Act signed
President Johnson signs the Freedom of Information Act.
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August 6, 1966
Luci Johnson weds
Luci Baines Johnson, President Johnson's younger daughter, marries Patrick J. Nugent in a ceremony at the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC.
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October 6, 1966
Department of Transportation created
President Johnson signs the act establishing the Department of Transportation and appoints Alan Boyd as its first secretary.
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October 17, 1966
Johnson leaves on trip to Asia
President Johnson makes a 17-day trip to Asia, attending the seven-nation Manila Summit Conference and visiting US troops in South Vietnam and South Korea.
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1967
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January 27, 1967
Treaty on Outer Space signed
President Johnson signs the Treaty on Outer Space with Britain, the USSR, and 57 other nations. Later that day, three US astronauts die in a fire during an Apollo 1 training mission.
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February 10, 1967
Twenty-Fifth Amendment ratified
The Twenty-Fifth Amendment to the Constitution is ratified, providing rules of succession upon the death or incapacitation of the President and enabling the President to appoint a new vice president in the case of a vacancy.
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April 11, 1967
Latin American meeting
President Johnson meets with Latin American leaders in Punta del Este, Uruguay.
Related Conversations
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“Hot as a Firecracker” (January 10, 1964)
“We Weren’t Killing Dominicans” (May 5, 1965)
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June 5, 1967
Six-Day War
The Six-Day War breaks out between Israel and several Arab nations.
Related Conversations
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“Reports of Heavy Fighting” (June 5, 1967)
“We Made a Little Progress There” (June 25, 1967)
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June 13, 1967
Supreme Court nomination
President Johnson nominates Thurgood Marshall to the Supreme Court.
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June 23, 1967
Soviet meeting
President Johnson meets with Soviet premier Alexsei Kosygin in Glassboro, New Jersey.
Related Conversations
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“We Made a Little Progress There” (June 25, 1967)
“Something [on] the Order of Hungary” (August 20, 1968)
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July 13, 1967
Riots break out Newark, New Jersey
Violence breaks out in Newark, New Jersey, after racial tensions in the city escalate when the police beat a cab driver. The unrest lasts 5 days, leaving 26 dead and hundreds injured.
Related Conversations
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LBJ, King, and the Watts Revolt (August 20, 1965)
“We’ll Find Some Central Theme” (July 25, 1967)
“This Country’s in Trouble” (July 27, 1967)
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July 23, 1967
Riots break out in Detroit, Michigan
Racial tensions in the city of Detroit come to a head after a police raid of an unlicensed bar leads to confrontations between police and patrons and escalates to 5 days of violence; the Michigan Army National Guard and two airborne divisions are sent in, 7,200 arrests are made, 43 people die and 1,189 are injured.
Related Conversations
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LBJ, King, and the Watts Revolt (August 20, 1965)
“We’ll Find Some Central Theme” (July 25, 1967)
“This Country’s in Trouble” (July 27, 1967)
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October 21, 1967
Antiwar march to Pentagon
Antiwar demonstrators march to the Pentagon in an attempt to shut it down.
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November 7, 1967
Public Broadcasting Act
Johnson signs the Public Broadcasting Act, which leads to the creation of the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) and National Public Radio (NPR).
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November 20, 1967
National Product Safety Commission
President Johnson signs the act creating the National Product Safety Commission.
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November 21, 1967
Air Quality Act
Johnson signs the Air Quality Act.
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December 9, 1967
Lynda Johnson weds
Lynda Bird Johnson, President Johnson's older daughter, marries Charles S. Robb in a ceremony in the East Room of the White House.
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December 19, 1967
"Round-the-World" trip
From December 19 through 24, LBJ makes his "Round-the-World Trip" to Australia, Pakistan, and Italy. He visits US forces in South Vietnam and Thailand en route.
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1968
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January 23, 1968
USS Pueblo captured
North Korean forces capture the USS Pueblo, a US Navy communications intelligence gathering ship. North Korea refuses to release the crew of the ship until December.
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January 30, 1968
Tet Offensive
On January 30, 1968, on the Vietnamese Lunar New Year of Tet, the North Vietnamese Army and the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam coordinated a massive offensive against South Vietnam.
More than 80,000 troops and guerrillas attacked 44 provincial capitals, 64 district capitals, and 5 of South Vietnam's major cities. While the South Vietnamese and United States troops reversed most of the offensive's gains in the following two weeks, some intense fighting continued for months after the attack. In the end, the Tet Offensive failed to deliver a military victory for the North Vietnamese, but it did create a crisis for the administration of President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Related Conversations
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“It’s Largely a Propaganda Effort” (January 31, 1968)
“No Nuclear Weapons in South Vietnam” (February 19, 1968)
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February 8, 1968
George Wallace enters the presidential race
Governor George Wallace of Alabama enters the 1968 presidential race as an independent.
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March 12, 1968
Johnson wins NH primary
Johnson wins the New Hampshire Democratic primary, but antiwar candidate Eugene J. McCarthy [D-Minnesota] comes in a close second with 42 percent of the vote.
Related Conversations
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“The Architect of Surrender” (February 1, 1966)
“Our Friendship Was Never Severed” (March 31, 1968)
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March 16, 1968
Robert Kennedy enters the race
Senator Robert F. Kennedy (D-New York) enters the race for the Democratic nomination for President.
Related Conversations
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“You Give Me Strength” (December 2, 1963)
“I’m Just as Close as the Phone” (June 20, 1964)
“You Got Lots of Guts” (June 30, 1964)
“He’d Have Been Beat” (November 4, 1964)
“It’s Just So Unfair” (December 5, 1966)
“It’s a Horrible, Tragic Thing” (June 5, 1968)
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March 16, 1968
My Lai massacre
US forces in Vietnam massacre hundreds of unarmed men, women, and children in the South Vietnamese hamlet of My Lai. News of the event would not reach the public until November 1969.
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March 31, 1968
Johnson makes announcement
On March 31, 1968, President Lyndon Johnson, during a prime-time televised address, announces that he will not seek reelection.
“There is division in the American house now. There is divisiveness among us all tonight.” Johnson explains. “And holding the trust that is mine, as President of all the people, I cannot disregard the peril to the progress of the American people and the hope and prospect of peace for all people. . . . I do not believe that I should devote an hour or a day of my time to any personal partisan causes. . . . Accordingly, I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your President.” The Vietnam War shatters Johnson's political future.
Related Conversations
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“It’s Largely a Propaganda Effort” (January 31, 1968)
“Our Friendship Was Never Severed” (March 31, 1968)
Related Information
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April 4, 1968
Martin Luther King Jr. assassinated
Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. Riots erupt in Washington, DC, and other cities.
Related Conversations
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“A Right to Vote” (January 15, 1965)
“A Very Complex Problem” (July 7, 1965)
“I Don’t Want to Be a Warmonger” (July 7, 1965)
LBJ, King, and the Watts Revolt (August 20, 1965)
“We’re Doing Everything We Can” (April 4, 1968)
“It’s Starting to Break Down” (April 6, 1968)
Related Information
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April 11, 1968
Civil Rights Act of 1968
LBJ signs the Civil Rights Act of 1968, which includes provisions for prohibiting racial discrimination in the sale and rental of housing.
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April 23, 1968
Columbia University protests
Students at Columbia University take over several buildings on campus in protest of the University’s support of US involvement in the Vietnam War and the school’s proposed construction of a segregated gymnasium.
The protests occur several times from April to May and end with the NYPD violently removing students from buildings with nearly 200 arrests and dozens of suspensions.
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April 29, 1968
Poor People’s Campaign begins
Ralph Abernathy of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) begins the Poor People's Campaign in Washington, DC, to demand economic and human rights for poor Americans.
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May 10, 1968
Paris peace talks
The United States and North Vietnam begin peace talks in Paris, France.
Related Conversations
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“My Congratulations and My Sympathy” (August 8, 1968)
“This Is Treason” (November 2, 1968)
“I Feel Very, Very Strongly About This” (November 3, 1968)
“You Go to That Conference“ (November 8, 1968)
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June 5, 1968
Robert Kennedy shot
Senator Robert F. Kennedy is shot after winning the Democratic primary in California. He dies on June 6, 1968.
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June 19, 1968
Crime Control and Safe Streets Act
President Johnson signs the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968.
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July 1, 1968
Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty
President Johnson signs the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
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July 15, 1968
Land and Water Conservation Fund Act
LBJ signs the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act.
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August 20, 1968
Soviets invade Czechoslovakia
The Soviet Union invades Czechoslovakia to end the movement toward greater freedom and independence.
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August 25, 1968
Democrats nominate Humphrey
In Chicago, Illinois, Democrats nominate Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey as the Democratic candidate for President. Demonstrators and police clash in violent confrontations.
Related Conversations
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“Let’s Don’t Mislead and Deceive People” (August 26, 1968)
“The Vice Presidency Is an Impossible Job” (August 29, 1968)
“A Very Disgusting Performance” (August 29, 1968)
The Chicago Seven (September 7, 1968)
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October 2, 1968
Environmental preservation legislation signed
President Johnson signs the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act and the National Trails Systems Act.
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November 5, 1968
Nixon elected
Richard M. Nixon is elected President of the United States, and Spiro Agnew is elected vice-president.
Related Conversations
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“My Congratulations and My Sympathy” (August 8, 1968)
“He’ll Stop the Bombing if Elected” (September 30, 1968)
“This Is Treason” (November 2, 1968)
“I Feel Very, Very Strongly About This” (November 3, 1968)
“We’ve Been in Tears” (November 6, 1968)
“You Go to That Conference“ (November 8, 1968)
“There’s No Arrangement“ (November 14, 1968)
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November 12, 1968
Brezhnev Doctrine
Leonid Brezhnev announces that the Soviet Union has the right to intervene anywhere in its sphere of influence. This “Brezhnev Doctrine” becomes central to Soviet foreign policy.
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1969
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January 20, 1969
Johnson leaves office
Lyndon Johnson leaves office and returns to the LBJ Ranch in Texas as Richard Nixon is sworn in as the 37th President of the United States.
Related Conversations
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“We’ve Been in Tears” (November 6, 1968)
“We’re Just So Fond of You” (December 25, 1968)